This case study examined the North American Higher Education Cooperation (NAHEC) initiative from its launch in 1992 by educators and the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States through 1996, focusing on organizational, process, and actor preference "zones of influence" in international collaboration. Interviews were conducted with 13 participants who served on various committees or bodies involved in the NAHEC initiative. In regard to organization, the analysis focuses on organization type, size, and form, along with funding and political issues. In regard to process, the analysis focuses on leadership, structural equity, and decision making. Looking at the NAHEC initiative from an actor preference viewpoint, analysis centers on levels of interest, implementation, and individual orientations. Differences in all three areas among the Canadian, Mexican, and United States participants are discussed. Appendixes contain the names of NAHEC steering committee and trilateral task force members, as well as the names and affiliations of the study's participants. (Contains 18 references.) (MDM)