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The Changing Relationship Between States and Their Institutions: Presidential Roundtables on Autonomy, Accountability, and Privatization

A Joint Effort of the American Council on Education and the Futures Project: Policy for Higher Education in a Changing World

The relationship between public colleges and universities and their states is being redefined, with greater autonomy (freedom from state regulation) being exchanged for increased accountability (demonstrating how the institution will meet state needs in a fiscally responsible manner). The old relationship—one of rigid regulation balanced by considerable state support—is being replaced by a focus on performance and learning outcomes, with a smaller share of public college and university budgets coming directly from the state. However, each state seems to be setting off in its own direction, with varying levels of autonomy and accountability under consideration. While the new structures that are emerging—in the United States and around the world—hold the promise of greater flexibility, many fear that this new relationship is leading to the privatization of public higher education.

Much is at stake. How each new relationship is structured will be critical not only to the future of colleges and universities, but also to the economic and civic development of each state. Campus leaders should not work independently from one another; much can be gained through collaboration. To this end, this series of meetings resulted in a set of working papers that explored:

1. The new ideas of accountability and autonomy of higher education institutions that aim to meet emerging state demands.
2. Key issues for presidents to consider as they renegotiate their relationship with the state.
3. Various approaches to performance contracts and state-institution compacts.
4. A concrete set of subsequent steps and a national action agenda.

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This page was last updated on 05/16/2008