There is some evidence that regionalism in higher education is emerging as a move toward a middle-ground position between strict institutional autonomy and stronger statewide coordination. Most observers of contemporary postsecondary education agree that the challenge of the next decade will be to find mechanisms for coordination that can achieve public accountability of all institutions while protecting that degree of independence for them that is essential for continued vitality. Regionalism is defined as the view of a geographic subsection of a state or several adjoining states that considers all or a number of postsecondary educational components collectively and seeks to establish a coordinated relationship among their goals, programs, and/or resources. A study of the extent and characteristics of regional efforts in the United States describes their development, goals and expectations, authority and legitimacy, interactive forces, interrelationships with other education levels, organization, functions, finances, impact on policy, leadership strategies, and future. Some states have acted as pathfinders in this trend: California, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Utah. (MSE)