The issues of government responsibility and institutional autonomy that arise in university-government relations in the United States and Australia are discussed, and similarities in some European countries are noted. Political and market forces are examined as they affect government relations. (MSE)

The role of the Ontario Council of University Affairs, an independent advisory board that serves as a buffer between the Province and the universities, is outlined, and recent reports and actions of the agency are discussed as they affect institutional autonomy and accountability. The universities' responses are also reported. (MSE)

Various forms of government control over institutional administration that either have been or are being developed in Australia are outlined, including state and national public agencies and legislation. Vigilance against encroachment is recommended, balanced with the university's social responsibility. (MSE)

Discusses the clash between federal government regulations and the university's right to be autonomous with regard to its own academic affairs. Presents the costs of and justifications for federal regulations. Suggests that subsidies, rather than regulations, are the best means for bringing about change while preserving diversity in universities.…

The Horowitz case is consistent with the general reluctance of courts to sustain constitutional challenges to decisions by educators in academic matters. Precedent is heavily weighted in favor of the academic community and should be overcome in future challenges. (Journal availability: Willamette University College of Law, Salem, OR 97301, $5.00…

The Sloan Commission on Government and Higher Education Report, which tries to reconcile the demand for government aid with the maintenance of institutional independence, is discussed. The response to the commission's report is described. The commission's influence is seen to be undercut by its composition--mostly members of private institutions.…

Incursions into the autonomy of institutions and the sources and types of incursions that occur are described including: legislatures defining the intent and the specifications of the legislation; expenditure controls extended to desirability and propriety; and legal opinions on legislative intent. Procedural and substantive autonomy are…

A discussion of the role of state government in public and private higher education addresses three questions: Who is planning for whom? Can autonomy and cooperation coexist? And whom should the state and higher education serve? It is proposed that the state role will continue to grow. (MSE)

Evidence indicates that a higher education system operates among the federal government, state and local governments, and institutions. The three components share common goals and program interdependencies, especially in student and institutional aid. Recognizing a system exists and strengthening it through reauthorization of the Higher Education…

Increased government interference in college autonomy is seen to rest on the lack of responsibility of educational institutions and on their lack of sensitivity to community pressure. Increased government interference increases the workload on administrators and the cost of the administration of educational institutions. (MLW)

Unreasonable disciplinary and administrative practices by school personnel make it imperative that the courts interfere in the operation of public schools. (LH)

The need for American colleges and universities to increase self-assessment, self-renewal, and self-regulation to regain public support and fend off government encroachment is discussed. The condition of American higher education, the reaction of the higher education community, and the need for a national effort are described. (Author/MLW)

The concept of collective autonomy is discussed as it refers to cooperation between universities. The need for a collective autonomy of universities, the aims and limits of such a concept, and means and opportunities for creating and fostering it are examined. (Author/SF)

The reorganization of the German universities between the end of the 1960s and the early 1970s into "Group Universities" is discussed. It is suggested that this new organizational system, modeled along the lines of a corporate state, has destroyed the communication system of the university and introduced discontinuity into the academic…

Academics in both the industrial world and developing countries face funding declines, growing state intervention, public hostility, and corporate pressure. Simultaneously, they are experiencing internal wars over policy, curriculum, and nature of scholarly communities. In North America debates about academic freedom center on tenure and free…