The Commission on the Future of Higher Education was created by U.S. secretary of education Margaret Spellings in September 2005 to advise her on increasing access to higher education and to explore how well institutions are preparing their students for the workforce. It released its final report (.pdf) in September 2006.
Like several draft reports and "issue papers" released before it, the final report neglected the role of the faculty, had a narrow economic focus, and viewed higher education as a single system rather than appreciating its institutional diversity. The report formulated a sense of crisis in almost purely financial and economic terms. Read an AAUP statement about the report.
After the report was issued, the Department of Education convened a higher education "summit" in March 2007 and set up multiple committees to continue discussion of different aspects of higher education.
The department's efforts have focused on pushing for changes in the accreditation system. In April 2007, a federally appointed panel considering rule changes to accreditation adjourned without recommendations due to inability to reach consensus in multiple areas.
Members of Congress have publicly warned the department not to overstep its boundaries in rule-making as Congress prepares Higher Education Act reauthorization. Secretary Spellings acquiesced and affirmed in a letter that she would not push ahead with rule-making changes before Congress has a chance to pass legislation.
During the commission's deliberations, the AAUP testified at hearings, spoke at open meetings, and submitted written materials to the commission (See the complete list).