should play in financing college costs and how educational financing can be altered to meet the emerging needs of the economy.

Accreditation plays a vital role in maintaining quality and diversity in American higher education. But the task of providing the many accrediting associations with the information each requires is often cumbersome and redundant. To streamline this data-gathering process, the Foundation granted the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation $109,666 to work with the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems in establishing a common data base to be used in institutional self-studies and other accreditation-related activities.

Academic isolation, lack of funds, and other problems threaten the accreditation, and even the survival, of many predominantly black colleges. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (sacs) received funds to assist black colleges in the South in conducting self-studies and in maintaining accreditation. One of six regional accrediting groups in the United States, sacs has played a major role in helping black colleges maintain standards.

For a study of recent trends and future prospects in the academic profession, a grant of $87,000 went to the Claremont University Center in California. The study will analyze the characteristics, compensation, working conditions, and performance of faculty in various kinds of American colleges and universities.