Today, California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB)--founded in 1994 as the 21st campus of what is now the 23-campus California State University System (CSU)--occupies approximately 1,300 acres of the former Fort Ord Army base. The initial CSUMB master plan called for a large, sprawling campus footprint. Academic buildings would have been…

Discussion centers on how major universities, e.g., University of California (Stanford) and the University of Michigan, are cutting costs to operate more efficiently. Questions concerning public vs private incentives to cut costs and cost containment strategies as a function of institutional size are addressed. (DB)

University of California (Stanford) administrators have used lessons learned from the restructuring and downsizing of the Union Pacific railroad in their strategic planning. Action teams to make recommendations on particular university problem areas were developed. University restructuring and downsizing activities of the past year have…

A study by the Association of Governing Boards that categorized current selection methods and analyzed criteria for trustee selection in public and private institutions is discussed. Three methods of trustee selection are identified: appointment, election, and service by virtue of position. (MLW)

The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) has issued a "social manifesto" on the future of higher education, "To Secure the Blessings of Liberty." It seeks to chronicle the fundamental changes in America's domestic environment and the resulting challenges to higher education. (MLW)

Stanford and the University of California at Berkeley operate in a spirit of cooperation that is unique for a public and a private university. Cuts in either research or student aid could seriously harm both institutions. (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 history of and issues in Oregon's retrenchment in higher education (resulting from voter-imposed taxing restrictions) are chronicled. Changes made at Portland State University are used to illustrate the program review and termination process occurring statewide. The higher education community's response, faculty and staff morale, and…

With the rejuvenation and expansion of state universities through the Morrill Act, the primary objective was to use public higher education as a preparation for work. Land-grant emphases that should be continued and revived are identified, including agriculture, engineering and applied science, education for work and service to the state. (MLW)

The economics of the growing sector of for-profit higher education institutions are examined, comparing the cost-price-subsidy structure of traditional institutions with these nontraditional institutions. Implications for the schools least able to withstand competition with for-profit institutions, generally private colleges and universities, and…

The issue of quality at regional state colleges and universities is discussed. While aspiring to become a major research institution is inappropriate for a regional state college or university, research and scholarly activities consistent with the norms of the faculty's disciplines are critical to the development of institutional quality. (MLW)

The University of California at Los Angeles, in attempting to respond to state legislators' demands to redirect teaching and research to match society's needs, has faced substantial administrative challenges. A Responsibility Center Management model for strategic institutional planning has failed to produce desired changes and has tended to…

The political influences on three decisions of importance to University of Maryland faculty are examined. They are the dismissal of Edgar Beall, a physics teacher; the rejection of Marxist Bertell Ollman to head the government and politics department; and the rehiring, under threat of a budget cut, of the governor's sister, an English instructor.…

The qualitative differences in the experiences and outcomes of blacks who attend white colleges and blacks who attend black institutions were explored in a national study. The study of 1,600 students enrolled in 16 public universities provides insights for improving the prospects for black participation in higher education. (MLW)

While private institutions flourished in Massachusetts, it is suggested, there was little interest in developing state-supported institutions of higher education. The comprehensive overhaul of an uncoordinated network of 28 institutions on 30 campuses governed by six autonomous boards is described. (MLW)