Debate exists over the appropriate role of the regional accreditation agency in higher education. Some feel the agencies do colleges and universities a favor by holding them to specific standards, and others feel the agencies were not intended for a consumer protection function. Accreditation criteria, quantifiable and subjective, are also…

Compares the distance education model of Western Governors University, which offers online instruction and degrees and competes with existing colleges, with that of Southern Regional Education Board's Electronic Campus, which offers students easy access to online courses offered by participating colleges. Notes that the SREB model has been more…

Under its new president, the Ford Foundation, a key grantmaker in the social sciences, is placing more emphasis on global issues. Changes include closer links in program areas and revitalization of area studies through encouragement of international scholarship. Regional directorships for some areas are being abandoned in favor of more fluid…

The University of North Dakota, North Dakota State University, and North Dakota State College of Science offer complete undergraduate and graduate degree programs on an interactive video network, sometimes broadcasting at off-campus sites, making higher education more accessible and causing faculty to shift their perspectives on teaching. (MSE)