In Britain university funding comes through Government research councils and the non-government University Grants Committee "block grants" used for a combination of research and instruction determined by each university. The author proposes a systems approach in which change is obtained at institutional level by rearranging the binding…

Examines the role of the new Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) in the United Kingdom, created in 1993 when British polytechnics and other institutions achieved university status. It focuses on the application strategies of prospective university students, the increased volume of applications, and the effect on universities. (MDM)

Argues that the approach taken by the British Quality Assurance Agency and the manner in which in interfaces with institutions of higher education may change the prevailing institutional culture. Suggests that the direction of such changes may not be welcomed by the institutions, nor supportive of other government higher education goals.…

The present and historical role of the University Grants Committee (UGC) in Britain are analyzed with the conclusion that the organization, which was originally thought of as a buffer to protect universities from interference by Government, is by its scale and mode of operation now indistinguishable from a department of state. (JT)

Britain's Parliament and Secretary of State are criticized for reducing both the Secretary's accountability to Parliament and Parliament's sources of information about postsecondary education with the recent abolishment of a government agency and a required annual report. (MSE)

The politics and history of higher education budget reductions, and the roles played by government agencies, are discussed. Among the issues addressed are university rankings, enrollment patterns, agency memberships and university affiliations, and changes in funding patterns as a result of recent national policy adjustments. (MSE)

By 1974 all but three states in the U.S. had established a coordinating agency for developing and financing higher education. The author analyzes the purposes, four types of coordinating agencies and their powers and membership, and discusses issues of accountability vs. autonomy, intermediary vs. planning functions, and diversity vs.…

Argues for the comprehensive revision of funding relationships and mechanisms in British higher education, based on the principle of entitlement to lifetime learning. Outlines and discusses the concept of a Learning Bank to manage funding equitably, create a credit-based system of learning, provide flexibility through individual "learning…

The unsatisfactory position of some British local education authorities concerning their responsibilities for college student distribution and placement and their relationship with the National Advisory Body that manages manpower training policy is discussed. (MSE)

An analysis of the role and functions of the United Kingdom's newly-implemented Higher Education Statistics Agency looks at key features of the data collection and storage system, including its comprehensiveness, new record structure, capability for tracking individuals, data categories and coding, quality of data, and data accessibility. Despite…