This paper explores the state role in enhancing teaching and learning in colleges and universities particularly focusing on the relatively recent attempts by states to increase attention to quality and to initiate activities to define, measure, and fund quality in education. The paper begins by exploring the growing state interest in quality, the struggle to define quality in which the states are engaged, and the key players in determining state policy initiatives. The next section reviews recent state legislative activity, state master or comprehensive plans for higher education, and other state policy actions in order to understand in more detail what will be taught, how it will be taught, and who will be teaching. A third section explores motivations for state initiatives and actions including economic development and workforce competitiveness, the education reform movement, and continued claims of deterioration in student achievement. The next section discusses some of the unintended outcomes of efforts to improve quality. A final section assesses whether state action will in fact improve teaching and learning and concludes that this is difficult to measure and remains to be seen. This section also explores questions of inappropriate intrusion. Included are 23 references. (JB)