Some suggestions for state agency action to restore, maintain and augment quality are provided. They include upgrading minimum standards, monitoring programs at military installations, providing planning and coordination emphasizing quality, raising questions about goals and outputs at each institution, and encouraging interinstitutional…

Today's specialized accrediting threatens to strangle general and liberal education, to dissipate public confidence in voluntary accreditation, and to increase the danger of governmental intrusion. The need for adoption of voluntary national guidelines on admissions and recruitment practices is advocated. (Author/MLW)

Seven weaknesses of accreditation are described: long intervals between site visits, automatic accreditation of branches, weak penalties, inadequate public disclosure, inadequate enforcement, leadership shortcomings, and problems with program evaluation. (Author/MLW)

Higher education is seen as undergoing significant changes in the next decade. Some suggestions for state boards include: review of existing degree programs, reexamination of clientele, and campus closings considered on nonpolitical grounds. The "people" component of institutional budgets may have to give way to other needs. (Author/MLW)