During the 1972 Session, the General Assembly created a Commission on Higher Education to review coordination of the Commonwealth's higher education community. The Commission was to consider: improved methods to determine the financing of institutions; coordinated planning of educational programs; and, establishment of priorities in the development of a more unified system. Appropriate subcommittees were formed and hearings held to receive written and oral testimony. Several important reports were prepared by the Council of Higher Education and a consultant was employed to conduct a management review of the various institutions. The consultant's report discussed institutional structure, financial management and control, long-range planning, data processing, space utilization, auxiliary operations, and elements of the material, personnel, library and plant management functions.

Based on this broad overview of each college and university, the Commission sought to initiate changes at the State-level that would satisfy the needs of each institution, the system and the Commonwealth. Subsequent to Commission recommendations, legislation was approved which broadened the authority of the Council of Higher Education to coordinate activities of publicly supported institutions of higher learning in Virginia. The Council was authorized for example, to prepare a Master Plan for higher education, to establish maximum and minimum enrollment projections, to approve or disapprove new curricular offerings and discontinue others. It was also charged to develop a uniform Data Information System and methods of reporting, establish guidelines and formulae relative to budget formation, and make recommendations to the General Assembly with regard to institutional budget requests.

Despite these significant changes, the Commission reported that time did not permit consideration of many specific management problems highlighted at individual institutions. It, therefore, recommended that the assembled material be transferred to the newly created Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission for continuing review.