A discussion of institutional stature in higher education focuses on its development and determination and strategies for its enhancement. The central theme is that although colleges and universities are affected by trends in the external environment, they can plan, respond, act, and organize themselves to improve their stature. The report examines the dimensions of stature and then looks at the dynamics of enhancement: the coordinated actions that institutions can take beyond marketing and public relations to address forces in the environment while simultaneously educating the public about important goals, purposes, outcomes, and benefits of postsecondary education. Stature is seen as the product of an environment in which multiple forces influence the exchange of resources between universities and different constituencies; inputs in the form of constituents' needs and expectations; attributes of organization and performance; a conversion process that transforms inputs into decision; outputs to multiple constituencies; formal and informal communication about outputs to constituencies; and feedback in the form of public perceptions of the outputs. It is concluded that institutions can enhance their stature by four strategies: strategic assessment, resource allocation, outcomes assessment, and image management. (MSE)