The aftermath of the international financial crisis of 2008/2009 and current economic downturn in the world economy has unsurprisingly put publicly-funded higher education (HE) systems under immense pressure in most parts of the world. Added to measures of the past 20 years, aiming at introducing cost effective management approaches imported from…

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…

Political influences on public universities are discussed, including characteristics of government intervention such as budget formulas, buffer groups and technocratic staffs, and special interest lobbying. Also considered are avenues for public universities to achieve more privatization, making universities more useful to government and society,…

The report of the American Association of University Professors' ad hoc Commission on Governance and Affirmative Action concerning the University of California's decision to end affirmative action in admissions, hiring, and awarding of contracts is presented. It outlines the events leading to the policy action, considers the educational impacts,…

Universities have failed to educate the public about the role academic institutions have in society. Most state legislatures forget what functions their state universities serve because of the constant struggle to raise money for college athletic programs. Journalism needs a set of standards that are shared in a genuine and realistic public sense.…

Higher tuition coupled with more financial aid for those in need is more equitable than the low-tuition model where rich and poor pay the same tuition. Higher education, particularly public higher education, should be collaboratively financed by all those who benefit: federal government, the states, business, students, graduates, and families.…

This essay examines the higher education challenges facing the state of Florida in the coming decades, focusing on solutions to demographic, economic, and social issues that may be applicable to other states as well. The state's population has increased substantially since 1950 and continues to increase at a high rate, placing significant demands…

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.…

State university resistance to state-sponsored research comes from (1) faculty's view of researcher independence, (2) apprehension about control; (3) state insistence on mandated research, (4) infrequent state emphasis on long-term research, (5) inexperienced state-level research administration, and (6) lack of university incentives. The research…

The activities at the President's Assembly on State Policy Research at the University of Illinois, which was convened to explore a series of questions related to the interaction between universities and the agencies that create public policy, are reported. The report of the assembly, which is a statement representing general agreement among the…

This paper contains three articles which present the opinions of the authors on public college tuition and state finance. The problem addressed is the large increase in tuition charged by public sector, four-year colleges coupled with the effects of fiscal constraints facing the states. After an introduction by Richard J. Novak, the papers are:…

California state legislators are showing a lack of long-term leadership and vision in their planning for the state's higher education needs as indicated in their recent decisions regarding increased tuition and fees. California's public higher education system stands at the nexus of two powerful trends: the long-term social, demographic,…

Reviews political science literature on changing state politics. A statistical analysis focuses on the relationship between changing legislative structures and higher education for all 50 states. Presents a case study of Pennsylvania that suggests a possible causal relationship between changing political structure and limitation of public…

The California State Commission on Postsecondary Education recommends approval of a request by the Trustees of the California State University to establish a temporary upper-division and graduate off-campus center of San Jose State University in Salinas. Such approval of new or off-campus centers is required by California law. Following a history…

This paper reviews four major policy proposals for higher education in California. It discusses four reports that have addressed California higher education's problematic future: "Shared Responsibility" (California Higher Education Policy Center, 1998); "Breaking the Social Contract" (RAND, 1997); "A State of…