With the 2006 mid-term elections over, higher education will be an important topic in public policy discussions at the federal and state levels. State colleges and universities will need to stay informed and be prepared to take action as discussions about access, affordability, and accountability play out in the coming year. This issue of…

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)

Independent and public institutions must work together to demonstrate the importance of higher education to national prosperity and national security. State governments must provide financial support that ensures equal opportunity and adequate salary levels and supports high-cost programs. (MLW)

Issues concerning federal assistance to public black colleges and universities are addressed. Attention is directed to the question of whether federal subsidies, given the role of state controlling agencies, automatically benefit black colleges in a meaningful, lasting manner. A second question is whether federal aid to black institutions, in its…

The plight of private colleges that cannot pass inflation on to the taxpayer as the public institutions can is discussed. A proposal is presented that the four-year public sector be redefined as one that receives not more than a 50-percent tax subsidy. (MLW)

Issues pertaining to desegregation of public higher education are discussed by the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Justice. Reynolds states that forced busing is probably not the best means of desegregating a public school system and that he is unpersuaded that society is reaching the ideal of colorblindness…

Relations between the public and private sectors of higher education are discussed. In the first chapter, John W. Gardner provides a historical perspective to the recent conflict in some states between public and private colleges and universities. In addition to discussing the pluralism and diversity that have characterized U.S. colleges and…

The federal government's involvement in higher education is discussed, and the part that the national government has played in American history since colonial days is briefly traced. Four major points are made about developments before World War II: (1) the federal government exercised some role in higher education since the earliest days and has…

The Committee on Education and Labor oversight hearing on historically black colleges and universities focused on their unique role and mission in the United States. Colleges created to serve black Americans have existed for over 135 years, and during this time, they have demonstrated their ability to meet the special needs of black students.…

A policy statement on ethical practices for college presidents developed by the Committee on Governance of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) is presented. Presidents of AASCU member institutions recognize the special responsibilities that pertain to them by virtue of the public trust they hold. To fulfill that…

A planning and study process was undertaken to formulate a new governance system for higher education in Kansas. The research portion involved review of the literature, individual interviews with over 25 decision makers in the state, and consultation with national experts. The work indicated that the state needed to restructure higher education…

Alternative financing methods (other than state financing) for developing cost-effective energy efficiency projects are discussed. It is suggested that by properly financing energy efficiency investments, state campuses can generate immediate positive cash savings. The following eight initiatives for maximizing energy savings potential are…

Federal involvement in higher education and the legislative and political history of this involvement are reviewed. It is shown that there is no single federal policy towards basic research, scholarship, and graduate education. The result of changes in policy of a number of agencies can be financial and programmatic uncertainty. Federal activity…

Market ideology and its empirical applications, it is suggested, cannot be used to justify public higher education with a strong liberal arts component. Advocates of public higher education must articulate an effective alternative ideology that could be developed out of the progressive and democratic traditions in its political history.…

Recurrent education may be defined as formal education provided outside of the traditional academic context for the purposes of: (1) continuing education in professional and vocational fields; (2) part-time instruction toward an academic or vocational degree; and (3) personal or social development. In California, while state policy encourages…