Policy for Progress: Reaffirming California Higher Education Accessibility, Affordability, and Accountability into the 21st Century. Commission Report.

Overview & Synopsis

Released in April 2000, this report is one of a series of publications issued by the California Postsecondary Education Commission as part of its planning and coordinating responsibilities. Intended to address the needs of elected officials, educators, and governing bodies, the report discusses California's complex higher education issues in the context of increased enrollment projections, diversity, and institutional accountability. California's institutions of higher education will be expected to enroll approximately 715,000 additional students by the end of the decade, an increase that poses a challenge to the system. This challenge is addressed by the more than 40 recommendations stated in the commission's report. Facilities improvement is a highlighted issue. Other factors include demographic shifts within the state that will lead to increased diversity; technology's presence within the economy and in education; and the relationship between the economy and public education. Recommendations focus on each of three audiences: 1) policy makers and government bodies, 2) leaders in higher education, and 3) the Commission and other coordinating entities. Education access, affordability, and accountability comprise the major topical areas of the recommendations. (HB)