This paper provides an overview of the multicampus higher education systems which now dominate governance of public colleges and universities in the United States. After briefly summarizing the three types of governance systems (academically integrated multisite institutions; multicampus universities; and multicampus or consolidated systems) and presenting an historical review of the structural changes from the early 1950s through the 1980s, the paper discusses the following issues that are likely to affect multicampus systems in the 1990s: (1) new demands are being made on system leadership, with boards now expected to articulate a system agenda that communicates to external as well as internal constituencies; (2) accountability is being redefined, from accountability for resource use to accountability for performance and productivity; (3) there are renewed concerns both about centralization and lack of differentiation; (4) there are continuing uncertainties on broader political and economic fronts, caused by factors such as high turnover in state political leadership, intensified regional conflicts, and competition for funding among educational sectors; and (5) there are challenges to system leadership; boards and chief executives face growing expectations and demands that make it difficult to attract and retain outstanding individuals. A further definition of the categories of academically-integrated multicampus institutions is appended. (CH)