The University in the Market Place: The Partnership between the Government and Higher Education

O VER twenty years have passed since the government and higher education undertook a partnership-a partnership conceived in frustration and born of a desire to see an early end to hostilities. In truth, this partnership was not directly with higher education but rather with leading educators; and the success of that initial venture into scientific research and development seemingly convinced the government that it could do business with institutions of higher learning. Accordingly, the government entered upon a program of research with such institutions in the form of contracts for particular types of research. Later developments included the making of research grants by the government to certain universities and colleges. This relation between the government and higher education has proved to be mutually beneficial, and continues today. By and large, it has been much more successful in the advancement of knowledge than even its strongest proponents dreamed, but its very success has created a dilemma. Some have come to believe that the funds which it has channeled into higher education give the federal government the controlling interest in the partnership; others consider that a university has no business venturing from the ivory tower into the strange vastness of the market place.