Higher education faces some difficult problems, caused by limited resources and declining enrollments, including planning for retrenchment, the competition between the private and public sectors, the protection of higher education's autonomy, and academia's role in school reform. But the end of growth can also mean a new opportunity for academic…

Some underlying causes of interinstitutional rivalries are discussed concerning state support of graduate programs, often considered a measure of institutional quality, in state higher education systems. The roles played by state governing boards, administration, and faculty in these contests are also examined. (MSE)