Consortia have much to offer higher education but are often unappealing because of undue emphasis on reducing costs, inadequate attention to the range of possibilities, and mismatching of membership and mission. Four types of consortia exist according to purposes (special and general) and membership (heterogeneous or homogeneous). (MSE)

The effects on universities of different kinds of accountability mechanisms are examined, and ways are suggested in which higher education institutions can discharge their obligations to society while preserving their intellectual and fiscal integrity. (Author/LBH)

Independent colleges and universities are becoming more inclined toward a highly centralized source of support--the federal government--subjecting themselves to an influential leveling medium. Federal support then begins the process of molding institutions into a collective or tribal state and the private identity gives way to sameness. (LBH)

In any public university system, the relationship between the state's demands for utility and accountability and the universities' needs for academic freedom and autonomy create serious tensions. Coordinating boards have not reached the positive potential that was foreseen in the author's book "Statewide Coordination of Higher Education." (MLW)

Self-regulation has been suggested as an alternative to government regulation and its attendant problems. An outline is offered of what self-regulation by institutions could mean, what forms it might take, and the kind of cooperation and commitment that will be necessary for such a project to work. (Author/LBH)

The status of American higher education is examined in this essay, with focus on such issues as institutional autonomy, the role of advanced education in society, access, and accountability. (LBH)

Ways are suggested for institutions of higher education to articulate standards before the federal government determines them. A self-regulating mechanism is proposed that requires no massive effort, just a commitment to establish standards wherever they are needed. (Author/LBH)

The regulatory process of the federal government may be its own worst enemy by threatening the substance and character of private higher education. In addition, it is the responsibility of the corporate sector in the United States to support the nonprofit sector if it is to live up to its spoken convictions. (MSE)

A primary challenge for academic administrators is to survive the 1980s with a strong, diverse system of higher education that has a healthy and mutually rewarding partnership with the federal government. Institutions must have the courage and integrity to decide when to accept and when to refuse federal aid and regulation. (MSE)

A reduction of the total number and scope of government regulations can be accomplished only through a basic commitment by institutions to the development of credible self-regulating mechanisms. These should have the authority to monitor institutional policy and practices. (Author/LBH)

Institutional autonomy is discussed in terms of: (1) what functions society expects higher education to perform: (2) the effect of institutional dependence on public financing; and (3) the social importance of higher education. (LBH)

It is suggested that institutional control of intercollegiate athletics has been eroded, partially due to athletic governance structures, federal controls, the transformation of recreational activities to big business, and television. Recommendations for reestablishing institutional authority over intercollegiate athletics are offered. (JMD)

In response to real and perceived problems in higher education, the federal government has increased regulation on campus. Even greater changes, some that will affect the teaching function of colleges and universities, notably the state review and accreditation provisions of the Higher Education Amendments of 1992, are already in the works. (MSE)

John Stuart Mill's principle of liberty is discussed with the view that it needs to be revised to guide moral judgments in higher education. Three key elements need to be modified: the action that is constrained; the constraint on the action; and the agent whose action is constrained. (MLW)

The AAUP 1976 Recommended Insitutuinal Regulations prescribes that "dismissal will not be used to restrain faculty members in their exercise of academic freedom or other rights of American citizens." Constitutional freedoms, professional accountability, AAUP case reports, the Angela Davis case, and court decisions are discussed. (LBH)