Public higher education has faced a crisis of massive proportions in the first decade of this millennium. Nevertheless, for higher education, this year represents a turning point and, yes, an opportunity. The opportunity, then, for the West is one that generations of Americans are familiar with: to do more with less. Dealing with scarcity--whether…

A year ago, the U.S. experienced the first symptoms of economic unrest--a sharp spike in fuel prices, rising costs and rising debt, and a jump in foreclosures. Between May and June 2008, unemployment rose a half-point to 5.5 percent and 49,000 jobs were lost. American higher education has been on a collision course with financial reality for more…

As the nation struggles to get back on its feet economically, the colleges and universities are working harder than ever to fulfill their mission: to educate the next generation of workers and citizens. In the West that task is arguably more challenging than elsewhere. The region is highly diverse in terms of both demographics and geography, with…

Essential information needs for potential cooperative efforts between colleges and cities for the 1980s and possible collection and dissemination strategies are considered. It is suggested that less federal funding will be available, and that state and local governments will probably be the primary supporters of urban projects. In addition to…