This quantitative study examined the perceptions of selected university administrators and legislators concerning levels of support for Tennessee public higher education. The purpose of the study was to gain a greater understanding among the various constituents as to the needs and restraints facing higher education funding. The population targeted for this study was comprised of 132 members of the Tennessee General Assembly, the Executive Director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), the Chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), the President of the University of Tennessee System, and 36 Chief Administrators at 9 state-supported universities. The principal investigator used a web-based survey development company to design, collect, and store survey responses. Results obtained from the study were examined using independent samples t tests, one-way ANOVAs, and a Pearson correlation coefficient. From these tests, 8 out of 13 research questions had statistically significant findings. Analysis of the data revealed that legislators and higher education administrators in the State of Tennessee perceived funding for higher education differently. There were significant differences between the 2 groups concerning use of higher education reserves during weak economic times, the explanation for tuition rises, how much costs students should incur for higher education, level of importance placed on state appropriations for funding higher education, and how they perceived priority of higher education in the state budget. There was a significant difference between one's political party affiliation and perception of access to higher education being an issue. Democratic participants tended to perceive access to higher education as more of an issue than Republican participants. A significant difference was also found between one's education level and ranking of higher education in the state budget. Participants having earned a graduate degree tended to prioritize higher education with significantly greater regard in the state budget than the participants with no graduate degree.

This quantitative study examined the perceptions of members of Oklahoma public higher education governing boards and legislators concerning higher education governance. The purpose of this study was to gain a greater understanding among the participants as to the role governing boards should play in the system. The population for the study comprised 142 members of the Oklahoma Legislature and 107 members of 15 Oklahoma public higher education governing boards. The principal investigator used a web-based survey development company to design, collect, and store survey responses. Results from the study were examined using independent samples t tests and one-way ANOVAs. From these tests, 5 out of 15 research questions had statistically significant findings. Analysis of the data revealed that legislators and members of governing boards perceive the role of governing boards differently in some key ways. There were significant differences concerning governing boards primarily serving to promote the interests of individual institutions, with members of governing boards, Democrats, and participants from suburban areas more likely to agree with this position. Members of the legislature were significantly more likely to agree than members of governing boards that the primary role of governing boards is policy implementation. There were also significant differences concerning the role of governing boards serving primarily to keep the expenditure of public dollars as low as possible with participants from urban areas agreeing with this statement.