The Seventh Annual Conference of the North East Association for Institutional Research (October 30-November 1, 1980) proceedings are presented on the conference theme, "Institutional Research in the Decade Ahead: Enhancing Performance." Thirty papers are contained in their entirety on topics including: the American university and its publics; students' college choice; the relationship between college, students and parents; marketing higher education; program evaluation; assessing quality and excellence in higher education; admissions and retention; enrollment trends; adult learners; returning to the basics in curriculum; the Course and Section Analysis data system (CASA); institutional research and the budget development process; financial feasibility models; the factbook; financing higher education; the nontraditional student; the effect of union exclusion; faculty salaries; resource allocation; faculty development; faculty workload; and educational goals implementation study. The appendix provides the complete conference program. (LC)