From an institutional perspective, the competition for the minds and the dollars of the public is best met with sharply focused missions. Major problems are identified: program quality, program costs, competitiveness, and changing markets of consumers seeking postsecondary educational services. (MLW)

George Keller's criticism of the state of higher education research is discussed. An alternative model of the relationship between research and policy, some valuable contributions of higher education research, and steps for improving the quality and impact of that research are described. (MLW)

Excerpts of the 1980 Democratic Party platform dealing with education are presented, along with the complete text of the education section of the Republican Party platform. (LB)

Responsibility Center Budgeting/Management in higher education places at the heart of the university a mode of rationality in decision making that subverts educational policy and weakens the institution's ability for corrective cultural criticism. Academic leaders should make academic and research decisions based on students' and society's…

British prime minister Margaret Thatcher's policies for higher education in Britain are compared with the influences of Ronald Reagan and Jerry Brown on California's higher education history. (MSE)

Improvement of students' writing requires consistency of expectation among faculty in all departments and throughout the curriculum. This includes helping students see the purpose and benefits of clear writing, and establishing standards for evaluating written work. (MSE)

American society and culture is seen as being in an educational reform movement. Fresh ideas, renewed commitment to educational standards, rising expectations for teacher competence and student performance, impatience with trendy innovations and flabby practices, and a faith in the importance of high quality education are discussed. (MLW)

Suggests that higher education needs to change rapidly, to shift resources, to innovate, and to improve professional education and research, while at the same time facing lower enrollment levels for traditional freshmen. Planning needs to be long-range, increasingly comprehensive, and strategic. (MLW)

Recent policy changes and conflicts within Australian higher education hold some lessons for other countries. States are encouraged to take an active and early role in planning to avoid confusion, especially by beginning planning before budget cuts are taken. (MSE)

The credibility of social science research suffers, it is suggested, when a preliminary report in need of scholarly review and clarification is rushed prematurely to the public in the midst of an intensely political debate about public support for private schools. The Coleman II report is cited as an example. (MLW)

The loose smorgasbord distribution requirements and free electives of the '60s, have given way to more proscribed requirements and core programs. General education is a response to a need to reaffirm the connectedness among people. The agenda for general education is to teach those common experiences, relationships, and ethical concerns. (MLW)

In a reaction to an article by Chester E. Finn, Jr., it is contended that federal dollars have provided the essential margin that makes for quality and gives institutions more independence. Loss of federal dollars would not be taken up by the states or the private sector. (MLW)

Ronald Reagan's effect on higher education as governor of California and what effect he might have on U.S. colleges and universities if elected president are described. Three points are discussed: deep conservatism of Reagan, his passivity, and Reagan's relative disinterest in higher education. (MLW)

The National Academy of Education is described as a loose federation of prominent educational and social science researchers, which has never pretended to be a think tank or a lobbying organization. Its influence is indirectly felt through the prestige and quality research of its members. (MLW)

A discussion of the influence of Britain's prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, on higher education looks at the relationship between the administrator's 10 years in office and the fiscal, educational, and public policy issues currently under debate. (MSE)