Two perspectives in the debate on funding for higher education are discussed: (1) that higher education has an extrinsic (economic) value to justify expenditures, and (2) the more radical idea that higher education serves purposes of social and cultural reproduction, and expenditure can be legitimated on socio-political grounds. (MSE)

Major issues that emerged in the interplay of higher education and society in the 1960s and are relevant today are considered in a newsletter article. It is noted that the social movements of the 1960s that began on the campus continue to fundamentally change society, and these changes will also force higher education to play a different role in…

The special consideration given to academics in American higher education creates a relatively closed political environment that increases higher education's resistance to change and diversification. However, since in this system the consumer has recognized rights, more study should be made of the interplay of consumers, academics, and political…

The American Federation of Teachers' Colleges and Universities Department suggests that organizations representing higher education in Congress have not been successful in articulating the goals of higher education and in defining its worth. (MLW)

Under full scrutiny, the Strategic Defense Initiative program is revealed as a form of escapism from global realities, with dangerous and destabilizing themes for both the university and society. Universities must face this issue squarely, and limit their focus to activities best suited to an intellectually constructive and humane purpose. (MSE)

The assumption that higher education has begun a postexpansion decline is challenged, and the accumulation of new demands on higher education is examined from three perspectives: political, socioeconomic, and intellectual/cultural. It is proposed that higher education's role in modern society will intensify and change. (MSE)

Analyzes the culture in China and how politics determines the form of educational institutions. Asserts that China's educational system is designed to promote selected students to elite status in the Communist Party. Discusses the links between education and the political elite and their effect on social mobility. (DMM)

Analysis of the historical origins and development of Israel's universities helps understand the phenomenon of transfer and adaptation of Western concepts of higher education in developing countries. Despite major historical changes and the establishment of the Israeli state, the prestate ethos still dominates. (Author/MSE)

The Hegelian model of society as an organism is used to analyze what makes multicultural societies healthy or unhealthy, how to make the transition from one to the other, and potential roles for educational and political systems in that process. Discussion focuses on the American southwest. (Author/MSE)

A series of humorous aphorisms reflect on why American higher education does not improve despite quantities of research and pervasive change in recent years. Topics covered include research, excellence, the liberal arts, administration, faculty, and students. (MSE)

Discusses issues associated with the establishment of a distance education branch of a technical institute in Qwaqwa, a new, formerly self-governing portion of the Orange Free State (South Africa). Focuses on design and utility of the system itself and on implementation of such a technologically advanced project in a Third-World context. (MSE)

A discussion of academic freedom in legal education looks at the extent to which the professional, as distinguished from the purely academic, functions of law schools challenge traditional assumptions about academic freedom and institutional political neutrality. The issues of institutional diversity and specialization are also addressed. (MSE)

The process of long-range planning, political considerations, and approaches to the publication of such plans, are examined, based on the experience at Western Carolina University, North Carolina, a public regional institution conferring bachelor's and master's degrees. A key element for a successful strategic planning effort is the involvement of…

Three principles underlying Chinese academic freedom and university autonomy are discussed: (1) given the socialist nature of Chinese education, education must provide support for socialist modernization, with all activities undertaken in society's interest; (2) universities have legal status to manage their internal affairs; (3) faculty can…

In responding to political, social, and ethical issues, college trustees have three essential responsibilities: (1) to examine critical trends and influences outside the institution; (2) to translate this knowledge into institutional policy; and (3) to monitor the institution's social, political, and ethical performance through recurrent…