Argues that application of a marketing perspective to higher education does not require "doing everything the customer wants," but rather bringing the expectations of the service provider and the customer closely into line. Distinguishes between providing professional services and the manner in which they are marketed. Urges educators to develop…

A contexual model is introduced to simplify planning, to provide an understanding of institutions as interpretive systems, to guide the implementation of better strategic planning, and to provide a research paradigm that may integrate research findings for a better understanding of how the strategic variables are related to one another.…

Both comprehensive and long-range educational planning are discussed in this paper. Comprehensive planning begins with the identification of the district's mission. This mission generates a set of continuing objectives that aim toward the completion of specific end-dated objectives. The comprehensive plan must take into account the educational…

The concepts of long-range planning and strategic planning are explained, and a planning model is proposed. Attention is directed to an environmental scanning model that is congruent with the concept of strategic planning and that emerges from one portion of the futures research community, issues management. A third planning model, the strategic…

Today's unprecedented rate of change requires that decision-makers use effective procedures to deal with the increasing complexity and uncertainty regarding the future results of their decisions. Strategic planning is a middle- and long-range method that fills this need. Its holistic, general-systems orientation is the only way to handle the…

Argues that, as institutions of higher education make the transition from the initial planning of technological infrastructures to the stage of forming linkages between information technology and academic goals, the chief information officer becomes responsible for forming strategic relationships that integrate the goals of the institutions's…

Presents a model for predicting and shaping the impact of information technologies on libraries and the library role which is based on the effects of computerization in various business applications. The library network at AT&T Bell Laboratories is described as an example of a successful implementation of the model. (CLB)

Financial exigencies need not traumatize colleges and universities if administrators reassess missions and programs and evaluate all alternatives before beginning long-range planning. Higher education will have to adapt to a changing population, society, and needed skills. (MLW)

This article presents a model to evaluate the imagination and creativity of strategic planners. Characteristics recommended for strategic planners include the cognitive styles of extroverted, intuitive, feeling, and perceptive; marginal personality orientation, which allows for an open-minded viewpoint with integrative skills; internal locus of…

In this paper, a statement of concern about short-term thinking by child care professionals is followed by a discussion of long-term planning for the future of day care. It is argued that day care policy should be made by those who best understand the strengths and weaknesses of the profession: providers and parents. Providers and parents should…

Describes the characteristics and application of a methodology for developing a strategic, long-range organizational information plan that will permit coordination of information subsystems within a university's computerized information system. The University of Minnesota's application of such a methodology provides illustrative examples. (PGD)

Planning is defined, and ways to plan and reasons for university planning are reviewed. A 10-step bottom-up planning process is outlined. It is suggested that planning aids communication between faculty and administrators, provides warning of problems, and improves allocation of resources. (MLW)

Describes the emphasis of decision support systems as being on the decision making process itself, rather than the flow of information; reviews the uses of microcomputers in libraries in recent years; and compares five decision modeling software packages. An appendix lists the name, manufacturer's address, price, and hardware requirements of each…

Presents the Public Library Association's planning model for strategic planning in public libraries. The development of the model is explained, the basic steps of the planning process are described, and improvements to the model are suggested. (CLB)

Offers a sequential model of futures research techniques that is applied to a hypothetical situation to indicate its applicability as a means by which public relations professionals can approach the task of saying today what may happen tomorrow. (SRT)