The best lobbyists for higher education are trustees, whose political power is that they can describe college concerns. Legislators want to know policy costs, who and how it will serve, what evidence there is of success, and who opponents will be and why. (MSE)

Public universities, especially those in state systems, are facing a crisis in governance, the result of divisive conflicts on state campuses and of deadening constraints from state capitals. Each campus must develop a clear statement of its purposes and priorities. (MLW)

Studies of the economic impact of a college on the surrounding community are encouraged and outlined. The data necessary for such a study includes spending by college, faculty, and students; town tax receipts; and visitors' numbers and spending graphically prepared, summarized and released to the media. (JMF)

Questions and answers on the structure and purpose of the new cabinet-level agency that Congress is expected to create are presented. The interview with Patricia Gwaltney of the Office of Management and Budget focuses on why proponents believe the move would be propitious. (Author/LBH)

Higher education leaders enjoy only limited influence in their state capitals, according to a report from the Center for Policy Studies in Education at George Mason University. A survey of 35 governors is discussed. (MLW)

Survival on most campuses is bound up with decisions made by elected officials. Suggestions on how trustees can become involved in public policy are provided and activities of New York's Council of Governing Boards (founded to help trustees learn more about public policies affecting their institutions) are described. (MLW)

Clark Kerr reviews 13 years with the Carnegie Commission and Carnegie Council, recalling concerns, approaches, reconsiderations, and results. The goal of both the Commission and the Council was to make effective public policy toward higher education and increase understanding of higher education. (Author/MLW)

The growth in cynicism about universities is discussed. None of society's institutions depends more than universities on the public belief that their purposes are more public-spirited and less self-interested. (MLW)

There is no constituency that is as demanding as the higher education constituency, the chairman of the House Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education suggests. Continuous communication with legislators is urged and the importance of student aid officers is emphasized. (MLW)

A Colloquium on Government and Higher Education resulted in this appeal, containing four steps trustees can take to deal with the increasing problem of the governmental presence. Focus is on ways in which trustees can provide policy guidance to their institutions to preserve their individual characteristics and independence of action. (Author/LBH)

State governments recognize higher education's need to reach out aggressively to industry and other private donors for financial support, but may also closely regulate the activities of private foundations that seek and manage funds for public institutions of higher education. Both private and public higher education institutions should be…

Problems, such as the declining availability of state and federal funds, and increasing state regulation are identified. It is suggested that the predicted college enrollment disaster looks less threatening, that the public attitude toward education has improved, and administrators and trustees have learned from their experiences. (Author/MLW)

Too much legislation and government regulation, combined with the tendency of some trustees to put other goals ahead of their institution's best interests, threaten to significantly erode the power of governing boards of institutions of higher education. (Author/JMD)

Independent and public institutions must work together to demonstrate the importance of higher education to national prosperity and national security. State governments must provide financial support that ensures equal opportunity and adequate salary levels and supports high-cost programs. (MLW)

Higher education, it is suggested, should accept some federal cutbacks, but cuts that threaten research or push too many students away from careers with social responsibility do national harm. Leadership on campuses is needed to institute reforms where needed, and to encourage student's ethical sensitivity. (Author/MLW)