The California Legislature's Joint Committee on the Master Plan for Higher Education made a restudy of the 1960 Master Plan. The process used by the committee is examined. The process is unusual in that it was undertaken by the legislature itself rather than by an independent commission, and also in that it strove for fairly widespread…

Major demographic shifts in the population of the United States, combined with persistent gaps in educational achievement by ethnic group, could decrease the portion of the workforce with college-level skills over the next 15 years, with a consequent decline in per capita personal income in the United States. Meanwhile, the competitive edge of…

Reviews a recommended master plan for higher education in California devised by the California legislature. (DN)

Issues, such as admissions and tuition, that once were institutional prerogatives are seen now as having to be addressed more collectively. The need for states to have independent boards and staffs sensitive to educational values, but with the public-interested-oriented perspective is argued. (MLW)

The role of statewide governing and coordinating boards to represent a statewide, public interest point of view within that structure, avoiding partisan politics and partisanship among educational institutions or interest groups is discussed. Three functions of the statewide postsecondary agencies are identified: planning, program and budget…

This report presents the results of a multi-state study of state governing structures for higher education, focusing on the complexity of general patterns of higher education governance. The study focused on higher education governance in seven states--California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, New York, and Texas--and was based on a review…

The scope and quality of statewide planning constitutes important indicators of effectiveness and should be evaluated in terms of process as well as outcomes. (Editor/PG)

The recent emergence of graduate education as a major issue in statewide planning and coordination is discussed, including involvements not only of institutions and state higher education agencies, but also legislatures and, in some states, even the executive branch. Most of the issues of mutual concern to the academic community and to government…

California state legislators are showing a lack of long-term leadership and vision in their planning for the state's higher education needs as indicated in their recent decisions regarding increased tuition and fees. California's public higher education system stands at the nexus of two powerful trends: the long-term social, demographic,…

Many problems related to enrollment declines and demographic changes, it is argued, will need resolution at the state level by the decisions and recommendations of statewide planning agencies. Common duties of coordinating boards are characterized as planning, budget review, and program review. (MLW)

An examination of public policy issues and accountability in education focuses on the current situation in California's system of higher education. It looks first at how the consensus about public financing embodied in the state's 1960 master plan for higher education has come apart since about 1990, and reports on two studies, one on recent…

Declining enrollments and fiscal stringency in the 1980's and 1990's must be met by a new management style if higher education in California is to maintain quality and meet the educational needs of the public. Unlike the situation in the 1960's and 1970's, higher education is now faced with a no-growth situation brought about by: (1) fewer young…

The state of California faces trends which will significantly shape higher education in the coming century and which require public debate and decision in the near future. The trends are enrollment growth coupled with continued slow economic growth with consequent low appropriations for education. A study by the National Center for Higher…

The purpose of the National Center's studies and reports, including "Measuring Up, 2006," is to stimulate public policies that will improve the effectiveness and accessibility of higher education. This document is the fourth national report card on higher education in the United States. As in earlier editions, the 2006 report card…

This report examines the historical role of statewide coordinating boards, most of which were established after World War II to help states deal with conflicting institutional political interests and values. While authority over institutional management remains vested in governing boards, statewide coordinating boards serve as alternative models…