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As part of a review of functions and administrative processes, the Illinois Board of Higher Education commissioned a comprehensive evaluation of higher education grant programs. The evaluation focused on the goals defined in the policy document, "The Illinois Commitment," and the extent to which the grant programs are contributing to the achievement of these goals. The evaluation process included a review of funding trends and the policy history of each program. Statutes, administrative rules, and policy studies were reviewed. Appropriations were considered in the context of the entire higher education budget, and participation in grant programs among sectors and methods of distribution were examined. Additional information was collected in a series of meetings in August 2000. Summaries of these discussions are included in section I of this report. Section II provides the findings of the evaluation and the consultants' recommendations for consideration by the Board of Higher Education. The programs evaluated were: (1) Health Education; (2) Financial Assistance; (3) Higher Education Cooperation ACT (usually known as HECA); (4) Engineering Equipment; (5) Educational Opportunity; (6) Work Study; (7) Graduate Incentive; (8) Research Matching; (9) Illinois Century Network; and (10 ) Eisenhower. Overall, the grant programs were found to have credible policy foundations. They have been administered with close attention to the priorities for higher education, and they reflect a substantial commitment to access and success for minority students. Many of the programs leverage higher education's resources effectively. Overall, there appears to be a high level of satisfaction with the grant programs among the higher education community. Some areas for improvement are outlined. An attachment contains the goals of the "Illinois Commitment." (SLD)

This paper, which focuses on technology planning by community colleges, is part of a series published by the Center for Community College Policy, designed to support state and local policymakers, as well as educational leaders who are interested in policy issues related to the two-year postsecondary sector. State policymaker's enthusiasm for increasing the level of information technology (IT) at all levels of higher education is at an all-time high. Colleges and universities are also making investments in IT, yet despite financial commitments and new developments in IT products, technology has not been a part of restructuring how instruction takes place. Provided in the document are discussions about how IT will affect new roles for both campus and community. Five issues in particular are addressed: (1) state goals and priorities; (2) statewide networks; (3) new organizational structures; (4) cost-effectiveness; and (5) financing and investment strategies. Recommendations are given on how to meet policy challenges regarding the capital for IT development and the holistic integration of IT into the classrooms and curriculum. A sidebar highlights results of a 1997 survey of 605 colleges regarding campus technology use. (AF)

This report presents the findings of two independent consultants' examinations of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education's role in guiding and promoting effective use of information technology. The report contains a summary of 10 recommendations and the April 1998 report submitted to the Commission. Two critical issues were examined: (1) academic policy of the Commission as it relates to statewide distance education; and (2) policy development for funding technology. Recommendations to the Commission are as follows: (1) clarify the scope and range of distance education responsibilities of institutions; (2) establish financial policies; (3) put in place a new multi-year needs assessment based on agreed-upon benchmarks and costs that will apply consistently across institutions; (4) re-allocate the equivalent cost of providing current users with satellite transmission time from IHETS budget to current users; (5) revitalize and restructure IHETS and the Partnership; (6) restructure the IHETS Board of Directors; (7) have institutions conduct cost-benefit analysis; (8) drop distance learning review of existing programs and limit reviews to new programs; (9) periodically review the capacity of institutions and the system as a whole to provide quality, cost-effective support services for distance learners; and (10) communicate to students, employers, and other "customers" of educational services of what they should expect from a quality provider of technology-based instruction. (VWC)

In the fall of 1996, as the expansion of Oklahoma's statewide communications and information network (OneNet) became fully implemented, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education began a strategic planning initiative focused on the utilization of technology throughout the state's system of higher education. The planning process began with a written survey sent to all campuses to assess the equipment and networking capacity of institutions as well as the utilization of technology by faculty, staff, and students. With the baseline information obtained from the survey, external consultants and Regents staff made a number of campus visits throughout the spring of 1997 to several institutions within the system. A corollary activity was a series of "best practice" site visits to institutions out of state that are nationally recognized as leaders in the development and use of information technology for teaching, learning, and research. As part of the planning process, Regents advisory groups formed recommendations for this report. Some of these recommendations are incorporated into the main body of this report, and presented in full with each advisory group report in the appendices. An Executive Summary of Recommendations outlines objectives to guide Regents actions and recommendations on the following: Regents academic policy and related "receive site" financing issues; student access to computing resources; faculty and course development; library initiatives; administrative/student support and equipment financing initiatives; OneNet management and governance; and economic development initiatives. The remainder of the report is organized as follows: Section 1 discusses the origin of the study, process, and activities. Section 2 examines technology progress in the Oklahoma system; Section 3 contains a policy framework to guide future Regents action; and Section 4 contains recommendations for Regents action. Seven appendices contain the campus technology survey and the advisory committee reports. (AEF)

This three-year project was designed to explore ways in which state coordinating boards and multicampus boards can support institutional restructuring and gain commitment from state and institutional officials for higher education reform. Six states--Virginia, Minnesota, Tennessee, Oregon, Florida, and Georgia--each undertook a significant postsecondary reform effort and allowed the State Higher Education Executive Officers project staff to observe and analyze the agencies' process of gaining commitment to change. State strategies ranged from broad-based restructuring efforts to targeted programs intended to stimulate innovation among campuses and faculty. Minnesota's project examined issues related to distance education and instructional technologies; Virginia, facing budget cuts and increasing enrollments, began a series of campus-based and state-led restructuring initiatives; Tennessee conducted a study of the systemwide academic program inventory; Oregon evaluated 24 state-funded projects designed to improve student learning productivity through technology; Florida explored alternative ways to deliver high-demand undergraduate courses that were causing enrollment bottlenecks; and the Georgia project involved development of fiscal policy for distance education. Appended are descriptions of each state project, its setting, specific activities, and project impact. Also appended are five issues of the project's REDESIGN newsletter, designed to be a forum for discussion of public policy issues facing the states. (CH)

Access to information technology is rapidly becoming the benchmark by which quality in higher education is judged. The use of information technology for both on-campus instruction and distance learning is nowhere near reaching its full potential in Colorado. This report provides a statewide vision for the incorporation of information technology into the fabric of the teaching, learning, research, and service agendas of Colorado institutions. Necessary components include: a statewide infrastructure connecting Colorado institutions and communities to world-wide computing networks; a campus network and student support services that facilitate learning whether on or off-campus; a curriculum that incorporates the best in instructional tools and software; a committed faculty who incorporate technology into their teaching, research, and service; and access to a computer for each student. The report provides specific recommendations on the following topics: (1) student access to computing and information resources; (2) faculty and curriculum development; (3) technology fees; (4) state financing of technology based instruction; (5) capital funding; (6) state incentive grants; (7) cost and productivity issues of information technologies; (8) K-12 connections with higher education; (9) workforce preparation and continuing professional education; (10) role and mission issues; (11) private college involvement; and (12) legislative perspectives. An appendix describes the project methodology. (SWC)

This paper explores the implications of technological advancement and telecommunications services on postsecondary education, especially in relation to educational effectiveness, costs, increasing deregulation, and financing. Four scenarios illustrate different educational delivery modes. Common elements of educational delivery systems of the future include the unbounded fashion of delivery systems, the curriculum's high relevance to the world of work, its affordability, its provision of a much greater element of choice, and its learner-centered approach. Currently the major factors influencing technology development and application include vendors, early adopters, competition, student enthusiasm, and cost-cutting policymakers. Seven prerequisites are seen as necessary for implementing the vision of a national information infrastructure including ubiquitous systems, commitments to life-long learning, shifts from teacher-centered to learner-centered structures, re-engineered delivery systems, more customized intellectual content, productivity gains, and financing and regulatory reform. Policymakers are urged to consider goals before delivery systems, invest strategically, remember equity, focus on the learner, and press for partnership and collaboration. The paper concludes that, when instructional technology and change are properly mixed with the right amount and kind of faculty mediation, newer and better modes of delivery will result. (Contains 10 references.) (NAV)

This report examines the issue of faculty workload within the context of rising educational costs and educational demand and its impact on quality and access. Research on the questions of how hard faculty work, what they do with that working time, and especially how much time is spent in the classroom is discussed. Faculty workload studies are showing that (1) faculty are working longer hours than they ever have (averaging 54 hours per week); (2) teaching loads ranged from a low of 6.4 hours at research institutions to a high of 15.2 hours at liberal arts and two-year colleges; and (3) full-time faculty at research universities average about 3 hours per week with undergraduates, while faculty at comprehensive universities average 8.4 hours a week. In addition, workload studies are showing a shift from teaching to research, particularly in research and doctoral-granting institutions, caused by the substantial growth in available research dollars and the increasing competition for tenure. The report concludes with a discussion of the alternatives for managing faculty resources over the next decade. Alternatives discussed include connecting tenure and promotion criteria with adoption of state and campus mechanisms that explicitly recognize both research and teaching, and linking faculty pay and incentives to research and teaching, and faculty pay and incentives linked to decentralized budgeting strategies in colleges and departments. (GLR)

This report describes initiatives of higher education boards to provide equal educational opportunities for minority students in the following states: (1) Arizona; (2) Colorado; (3) Illinois; (4) Massachusetts; (5) Montana; (6) New York; (7) Ohio; and (8) Tennessee. Evidence of school completion, academic preparation, college participation rates, undergraduate enrollment, and college graduation rates supports the compelling observation that minorities, many of whom are in lower socioeconomic levels, are caught in a cycle of defeat and have not been well served by higher education or the education system in general. Experience indicates that the disparity among achievement levels of White, Black, Hispanic, and American Indian students will not be adequately addressed until there is systematic change at state and institutional levels. In 1988-89, the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) sponsored a challenge grant program that sought responses to the following issues: (1) improved data collection and student tracking mechanisms; (2) improved student transfer functions of two-year institutions; and (3) improved funding and admissions policies. This publication presents higher education board reports from the eight states selected to develop models of success. The reports reveal that minority success requires a concerted and coordinated effort from all the partners: public schools, colleges and universities, community agencies, businesses, and state and institutional leaders. (AF)

By offering educational programs to large numbers of citizens, public higher education creates multiple social and economic benefits for a state and its people. Beyond overseeing these programs, however, boards have an obligation to ensure that state institutions address their state's economic development needs. The question is whether institutions should go beyond this basic agenda to address other social issues that affect learning and living well. This booklet addresses the issues involved in developing and implementing a public agenda for economic and social well-being. In most states, public institutions of higher education have the opportunity to use circumstance and leadership to improve the lot of the state's people. In states in which the public agenda works, it is usually predicated on particular aspects, including political leadership, vision, well-designed initiatives effective governance, financial resources, and aggressive public campaigns. The experiences of four states in which the public agenda has been effectively designed and executed are described. These states--Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon, and Texas--provide lessons for other state institutions as they pursue a public agenda. Some next steps are outlined in the pursuit a public agenda for well-being in the state and the United States as a whole. Ten resources for further reading are described. (SLD)

The connection between higher education attainment and higher incomes has become increasingly more pronounced in recent years as the United States has moved toward a knowledge economy. What is less apparent or understood is higher education's contribution to the collective wellbeing of the nation and the world. Given humanity's growing interdependence, it is unlikely that American universities can long remain isolated from the bog that may surround them in the 21st century. Four external trends may have an especially powerful influence on higher education in future decades. Demographics, both in the United States and globally, will continue to shape the environment in which institutions operate, bringing to the fore an aging and more ethnically diverse population. Changes in the economy will continue to increase demand for college-educated workers and shape the nature of higher education's programmatic response. Information technology, most notably the Internet, will continue to alter delivery mechanisms and organizational structures. The commercialization, or "corporatization," of higher education will accelerate in both public and private colleges and universities. The paper makes recommendations to boards for building a public agenda in an age of entrepreneurship. (Contains 20 bibliographic references.) (SM)

The projection is made that collegiate enrollment in the South will stabilize by the early 1980's and will decline in most states by the mid-1980's unless there are increases in the admission of part-time and older students and/or the share of the region's high school graduates who enter postsecondary education. Selected statistics are presented in tabular form on: population and economy; institutions of higher learning; enrollment; degrees; institutional finances; student finances; and faculty and administration. A list is also included of agencies responsible in each Southern state for coordination of postsecondary education. (LBH)

Trends in black enrollment in higher education in the U.S. and the South are reported. The first section examines characteristics of black enrollment in 1976 and includes total black enrollment (distribution by level), enrollment by type of institution (two-year or four-year, public or private), predominantly black institutions, and enrollment by field. Section 2 deals with historical perspectives and presents tables relating to the following topics: factors affecting black student enrollment; black enrollment in the South; high school graduation and college participation; and educational attainment during the period 1950-1977. Appended is a list of predominantly black colleges and universities (Fall 1976). (BD)

Experiences of the 1970s and prospects for the 1980s of colleges that had undergone enrollment decline and/or financial cutbacks were surveyed, based on visits to 20 colleges and universities in 11 states in the Northeast, Midwest, and South. Some of the strategies to resist and overcome decline have potential for success in a wide range of institutions, and the following approaches are generally low-cost and easily implemented: retention programs that deal with marginal students through special counseling and remedial programs and those that deal with students who may be dropping out for other than academic reasons; improving student life and campus climate; tightening standards and attracting bright students; and attracting new sources of revenue. While the decade of the 1970s was predominantly one of resistance to enrollment decline, institutional leaders in the future increasingly will need to seek ways to adapt their organizational structures to a smaller scale of operations. Adapting successfully calls for careful planning in anticipation of decline, defining institutional mission, developing cost studies, and monitoring tenure levels. A sophisticated array of planning tools is needed to adapt successfully to decline: they must be applied to a process of internal reallocation of resources or contraction in absolute size and scope. A commitment and consensus from the faculty is important in initiating major reallocations or cutbacks. Reassessment efforts also involve developing review criteria. Adjusting to a smaller scale of operations involves adjusting staffing practices, consolidating administrative structure, eliminating academic programs, and limiting course offerings of existing programs. The responses of specific colleges and universities are briefly described. (SW)

Adjustments that state policy-makers and institutions of higher education will need to make as they face cutbacks in public support and declining enrollments are described, based in part on a research project on retrenchment in higher education conducted by the Southern Regional Education Board. Given the long-term contractual obligations of colleges and universities to individuals and the significant size of personnel budgets, institutional administrators often have little choice in the short-term in determining the object of cutbacks. Some of these approaches may include using fund balances; reducing expenditures for such items as equipment, travel, and telephones; cutting energy costs, curtailing library expenditures, and reducing expenditures for secretarial help; deferring maintenance efforts, reducing course offerings, student services and counseling; and hiring freezes. However, these short-term solutions cannot deal adequately with the longer-term problems created by repeated reductions in public support. Alternative approaches to retrenchment are suggested: building of reserves and developing contingency plans, improving institution flexibility, raising revenue from nongovernmental sources, restricting access through enrollment limitations, reducing faculty personnel costs through academic program reduction, reducing administrative and academic support costs, and merging or closing institutions. The case of reorganized statewide governance in Massachusetts and the merging of Boston State College and the University of Massachusetts is briefly described. (SW)

Progress toward the full participation of minorities in higher education during the past three decades is reviewed. Attention is directed to: the potential pool of qualified high school graduates who could enter postsecondary education; the participation and enrollment rates of minorities; factors related to retention and success in undergraduate programs; and the representation of minorities in advanced-degree programs and the professions. The potential supply of minority students is revealed by population trends, high school graduation rates, and the performance of minorities in elementary and secondary education. Initial college participation rates and recent enrollment trends among minorities are examined for Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, American Indians, and Whites. Data on factors that affect college enrollment are also analyzed, including ethnicity, family income, parents' education, and high school grade average. Of concern are institutional responses to the minority retention problem; academic climate; and values, aspirations, and the student culture. Information is provided on the current status of Blacks and Hispanics in various occupations and the percentage of minority graduates in specific science and engineering fields. (SW)

Results of a survey of the states to determine state incentive programs for graduate education are presented. Attention is directed to three types of initiatives that are receiving special attention in the states: (1) programs to endow faculty chairs (eminent scholars program); (2) funding for special program initiatives or "centers of excellence"; and (3) initiatives to promote applied research centers or other types of business-university linkages. For each state, efforts in three types of incentive programs are described. The eminent scholars program, which is a relatively new development, is designed to provide permanent sources of funds that can be used to attract and retain outstanding faculty for major state universities. This has been done through incentive programs that usually match private giving dollar for dollar with state funds. Targeted state support for centers of excellence is often aimed at promoting state economic development in certain fields, but has also been targeted to other objectives such as improving teacher education programs. State programs to enhance applied research activities and to strengthen higher education-business linkages have diversity in design and are often tailored to the particular economic structure and climate of the region. (SW)

This report presents a portrait of the staff who work in State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) member agencies and the organizational structure and personnel policies of the agencies which employ them. Data sources included questionnaires submitted by 322 professional staff working in SHEEO agencies and an organizational survey completed by 42 member agencies. Analysis of survey results focuses on background characteristics of professional staff; previous employment/career paths; job satisfaction; factors in making a job change; work environment; individual professional development activities; research, writing, and presentations; and professional benefits desired. Analysis of the organizational survey responses deals with agency staffing, salary administration policies, agency professional development activities, staff benefits, and retirement programs. Appendices contain detailed tables and a list of responding agencies. (JDD)

Four conditions or trends external to higher education that will have a significant impact on the role of college and university faculty are examined, including: changes in governmental financing of the social agenda, global demographic and environmental changes, growth and interest in privatization of public structures, and development of information technology. (MSE)

Traditional assumptions about the balance of teaching and research in the college faculty workload, as well as administrative structures and academic support services, are no longer affordable. They must be redesigned to be more cost effective if higher education is to meet the rising demand. (MSE)