Legal and historical issues in the establishment and maintenance of the office of University Visitor in Australian universities are examined, and pertinent British and Australian legislation is cited. The traditional and disputed role of the Visitor as a liaison between corporation and government is discussed, and recent court litigation is…

Ireland's higher education system has recently experienced significant growth and organizational change, accompanied by decreased institutional autonomy. However, a trend favoring investment in technological education has prompted concern among traditional institutions, which may persist as long as two authorities rather than one control the…

In conjunction with court decisions on financial exigency, the Yeshiva decision has an ironic consequence: tenured faculty can be managers for the purpose of exclusion from protection by the National Labor Relations Act, but at the same time have no managerial role in determining staff reduction in financial exigency cases. (MSE)

Variable fees at the graduate and undergraduate levels are a topic of discussion in the US and in the EU as part of a larger movement towards increasing the role of fees in the funding of public universities. This essay describes this relatively new shift and its causes, outlines various funding models related to fee levels, and discusses the…

A charter school is a public educational entity that operates under a charter or contract negotiated between the organizers, who design and run the school, and an organization that holds the school accountable based on charter provisions. Most charter schools are elementary schools with smaller than average populations; many serve disadvantaged…

A study measured costs of an affirmative action/equal employment opportunity program at one institution through cost analysis of personnel, operating expenses, and capital replacement value. Costs incurred in one budget cycle were 0.4 percent of the total institutional budget, most spent indirectly through faculty time, and were found…

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching's report on governance and institutional autonomy ("The Control of the Campus") is outlined, touching on issues in the government-college relationship, budgets and state and institutional prerogatives, litigation, anecdotal evidence of government interference, the schools' responsibilities,…

State university resistance to state-sponsored research comes from (1) faculty's view of researcher independence, (2) apprehension about control; (3) state insistence on mandated research, (4) infrequent state emphasis on long-term research, (5) inexperienced state-level research administration, and (6) lack of university incentives. The research…

Colleges, universities, and the government have been trying to find the appropriate balance between autonomy and accountability, restraint and regulations. It is suggested that decisions should be made at the appropriate level within an organization, and over-regulation costs more in diminished creativity than could be saved through tight…

Some misconceptions about the Wilson College Case are discussed, including: the case did not become precedent in law because the degree was superceded by a consent decree; the judge was not a villain; the college was not bankrupt; and the old board did not act wisely. (Author/MLW)

Some instructive experience about the potential and limits of a meaningful role for African universities in the 1980s is discussed. The challenge of the 1980s is to convince African governments and national populations that university contributions to national development lie in the ability to train minds and a thinking society. (Author/MLW)

Higher education faces some difficult problems, caused by limited resources and declining enrollments, including planning for retrenchment, the competition between the private and public sectors, the protection of higher education's autonomy, and academia's role in school reform. But the end of growth can also mean a new opportunity for academic…

The academic profession in Hong Kong wrestles with preserving academic freedom and institutional autonomy during retrocession to Chinese sovereignty, while also dealing with issues related to rapid expansion and increasing student diversity, increased pressure to improve standards of research and teaching, and devolution of responsibility for…

A trend toward global free trade, as represented by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), has changed the basic assumptions behind Canadian university autonomy and governance. Since higher education is part of social programs and social programs are not exempt from NAFTA provisions, higher education must adjust to serving not only…

In the next century, universities must remain or become the forums for reflection. Major aims are to achieve true democratization, promote access to higher education, and preserve and strengthen quality. The university must continue to adapt to and introduce change as it has in its long history, but without neglecting all the elements that make it…