California's three public higher education systems (University of California, California State University, the California Community College System) enroll nearly 3 million undergraduate students and employ almost 100 thousand faculty. In 2012, the California State Legislature directed the three systems to create an online library of open…

Many public and private higher education institutions continue to experience flat or reduced state budget allocations, coupled with tuition and fees that continue to exceed inflation. Finding proactive and innovative approaches to reduce costs without sacrificing quality of instruction and service is truly the challenge facing facility and…

Higher education institutions are confronted with increasing demand for electronic access to educational opportunities, improved academic quality and accountability, and new academic programs that address societal workforce and economic development needs. Collaboration allows institutions to combine resources to respond efficiently and effectively…

While tuition costs are likely the most talked about topic in higher education, focusing on the institutional finance is equally important. The growing expenses associated with educating students is often a catalyst for rising tuition and fees, and they play a large role as educators plan for the future of their institutions. Although higher…

The US colleges are struggling with soaring tuition costs as state support is unable to keep up with enrollment growth, and college officials are becoming more creative in finding ways to reduce expenses. Higher education institutions are increasingly outsourcing non-academic activities, collaborating with other institutions to share goods and…

Although spiraling costs and reduced budgets require that small academic libraries form clusters to share resources and services, consortia and library networks so far have taken only tentative or shallow steps in this direction. Real and meaningful steps can and must be taken to develop joint acquisition policies, effective and timely…

In a two-year study to be released, the National Enquiry into Scholarly Communication recommends that publishing in the humanities be supported by a federal agency. The logical body is the National Endowment for the Humanities. Current financial problems with scholarly publishing are reviewed, including Enquiry recommendations regarding consortium…

The insurance industry is in trouble, which means problems for colleges and universities--especially in the area of liability insurance. Some strategies for higher education are discussed, including risk-management programs, self-insurance, catastrophic or excess insurance, and risk-management consortia. (MLW)

Presented is the second of a two-part study that describes how some colleges have been joining together in a grassroots cooperative movement to buy, make use of, and shape telecourses. The experiences of two such consortia used by colleges are among the topics discussed. (JMD)

The state of Pennsylvania has embarked on a statewide initiative for distance education called the Center for Agile Pennsylvania Education (CAPE) consisting of community colleges and colleges and universities across the state; Duquesne University has joined this state-wide consortium in which members are encouraged to provide courses in areas of…

The magnitude of funds needed to rectify the college deferred maintenance crisis make a quick fix unrealistic. However, by increasing funding levels and shifting spending patterns over time, institutions can address the problem without jeopardizing other goals and projects. A consortium of higher education associations recommends a…

A group of 17 independent colleges and universities in Virginia combine their long distance telephone traffic and network services for an expected savings of $4.65 million over 3 years. The 12-institution consortium that negotiated the plan prioritized service and system criteria and solicited bids from long distance carriers. (MSE)

Describes a research project that focused on the evaluation and promotion of electronic journals in academic libraries in the United Kingdom and in North America. Topics include changing role of the serials librarian; costs; consortia purchasing; relationship between libraries and publishers; and collaboration to ensure interoperability.…

With computers rivaling books and journals as information sources, academic libraries must learn to use computers and other technology as information tools. Some colleges have already developed consortia and other intercollegiate arrangements, but costs and the information explosion slow this process for many. (MSE)

Discussion of Illinois experiences in library cooperation and computerization (OCLC, Library Computer System, LIBRAS) describes use of library materials, benefits and drawbacks of online networking, experiences at Lake Forest College (Illinois), and six tasks recommended for small academic libraries as preparation for major changes toward…