This report represents the latest State Governance Action Report (SGAR) covering current or just recently completed legislative sessions. Among the most important issues being considered are management autonomy, such as relaxed rules for purchasing, procurement, and human resources, and greater fiscal autonomy measures such as carry-over budgeting…

This is a case study of a state institution granted charter status in 1992 in exchange for capping its request for state funds. St. Mary's College of Maryland received widespread freedom from state procedural controls, including procurement, personnel, and some capital development processes. The state, however, retained its oversight of the…

Sponsored by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), a statewide coordinating agency for higher education, the Performance Funding Project is a developmental effort now in its fourth year. The purpose of the project is to explore the feasibility of allocating some portion of state funds to public colleges and universities on a…

Colleges and universities are privatizing various institutional components and are seeking greater autonomy from state government. In defining privatization, the paper makes the distinction between privatizing and contracting, and notes six areas where a good or service can be owned or managed by the government or by the private sector: ownership…

How and why private and "private equivalent" resources (i.e., discretionary funds) have played such a large role in higher education in the United States, and how that role can continue to be performed in the financially troubled future, are outlined. Chapter One describes the "postponed crisis" precipitated by the end of growth in higher…

The trend toward greater state regulation of public higher education is discussed, along with alternative structures or models for state financing of public institutions. The situation in Washington State is briefly described as an illustration. It is proposed that interests of the state, college, and student can be enhanced by allowing colleges…

The relationship between the state legislature and governance in higher education is considered. Among the significant issues facing legislators and educators is the demand for comparable data, which can be useful for decision-making or can be misused to fit the views or objectives of a particular group. Issues about which there are many questions…

This book presents essays inspired by an October, 1988, conference on recent changes in the relationship between public policy and higher education. The essays appear in five sections, the first of which, titled "Looking Backward: The Historical Context of Public Policy and Higher Education," serves as a retrospective and prospective examination…

The relationship between state government and higher education institutions is discussed. It is noted that, by and large, state governments have left colleges alone until the past two decades. State intrusions have taken the form of accountability statutes, budgeting, performance audits, program review, minimum standards, sunset laws, and more…

This status report outlines the progress of the California Community College Finance Project. Working papers, models, and alternative proposals are reviewed in four areas: mission and function, finance, governance, and management. Priorities in mission and function are stated in terms of the characteristics and educational needs of the nearly 1.3…

State intervention in higher education is discussed, and state and federal regulations that affect higher education are discussed and contrasted. The structures and procedures by which states intervene in higher education are outlined, and the issue of institutional autonomy is considered. Policy areas through which the state can affect higher…