Content area
The study examines the problem of the role of state governance in the regulation of degree programs offered by out-of-state colleges and universities. The study reports the recent practices and patterns of these regulations nationally, describes the evolution of regulations for out-of-state degree programs, and assesses the regulatory impact in four illustrative states.
The major research issues of this study include: (1) What is the nature of and the evolutionary pattern of state regulations for higher education programs? (2) What state agencies have responsibility for oversight of out-of-state programs? (3) What have been states' practices and patterns for regulatory controls of out-of-state programs? Are they different or similar to in-state regulations? (4) What have been the patterns of revisions for state regulations of out-of-state programs? (5) What has been the perceived impact of these state regulatory changes?
The first major stage involved a comprehensive literature review of regulation in higher education and the evolutionary development of regulatory activity. The second major stage surveyed state regulatory practices and the patterns of regulatory changes for out-of-state programs. The third major stage assessed the perceived impact of regulatory changes in four illustrative states.
The reporting of states' practices provides a register of state regulatory agencies responsible for out-of-state programs and known out-of-state institutions operating within the fifty states. The reporting of states' regulatory practices indicates that there was a significant increase in the number of states initiating new regulations between 1977 and 1981. There was no significant change in the number of reported out-of-state programs between 1977 and 1981.
In assessing the impact of regulations in four states, most respondents reported improved quality of out-of-state programs. However, there was some perception of regulations as a barrier to program access.
The results of this study have implications for future research. First, the use of inter-state telecommunications for delivery of educational programs may test current state regulations for out-of-state programs. Second, the increased activity of states to regulate out-of-state programs may result in legal actions between out-of-state institutions and states.