Recommendations of the Connecticut Board of Higher Education regarding changes in the organization and structure of the public higher education system are reviewed, and recent policy initiatives of the board concerning student access, program planning, and capital investment and financing are described. Additionally, the background for the board's recommendations and initiatives are examined. Recommendations for legislative action and its own policy initiatives are based on changing demands related to enrollment, equity, and economics. Among the responses to expected enrollment changes, the board adopted new policy directions in the initiation of an enrollment planning process, and capital budget priorities that minimize new construction. In an effort to support both access and equity, the board, among other actions, has endorsed a program to reduce attrition and increase access for minority students, and recommends legislation to consolidate student financial assistance programs and broaden eligibility for state scholarships. Changes are proposed in the areas of program planning, facilities planning, and budgeting and financial management. The board recommends the establishment of an integrated system of public higher education with the number of boards reduced from six to three: one each for the two-year institutions and the four-year institutions, with the Board of Higher Education continuing as a statewide policy-making and coordinating agency. Proposals requiring legislative action and the recommended timetable, along with key reference documents, including the text of the board's resolutions, are included. (SW)