Impact of federal intervention on higher education

Abstract

One of the most serious crises currently facing institutions of higher education is federal intervention. The level which this crisis has reached is attested to by the fact that the presidents of three leading universities (Yale, Harvard, and Cornell) have in the past two years presented major reports addressed exclusively to this concern. The purpose of this article is to assess the impact of recent federal legislation and regulations on higher education. The author articulates the precepts posited in defense of such federal intervention, some of which are: financial contributions, social injustice, moral responsibility, student unrest, etc. The general costs of complying with federal laws and regulations are enumerated. In addition, the article considers the impact of a number of recent federal laws and regulations, including: Health Professions Educational Assistance Act of 1976; Copyright Law of 1976; Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity; and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The author explores the steps that have recently been undertaken to reduce costs of complying with federal regulations and suggests additional solutions to this problem. The article concludes with a prognosis for what higher education can anticipate from the federal government and how higher education best protects its interests.