Open and Distance Learning (ODL) has a long history, one marked by the emergence of open universities, which was a critical development in the ecology of openness. Open universities have taken on significant local and global roles within the framework of meeting the needs of their respective regions of influence, and as such, their roles have…

Over the next decade, Baby Boomers will be reaching retirement age in large numbers and the U.S. will be undergoing one of the most significant demographic shifts in its history. This demographic shift has important implications for the role of higher education as a provider of lifelong learning and for the changing composition of postsecondary…

Surveys of Belgian (n=1,224) and Spanish (n=1,000) companies showed that they tend not to use universities as continuing education providers. A primary reason is universities do not promote themselves as sources of high-quality, business-relevant training. Universities should make continuing education a core mission. (SK)

Interviews with 30 human resource managers and faculty and case studies of British companies reveal a growing but segmented market for management education. Business schools are advised to know their market, focus on a niche, and build a critical mass of clients. (SK)

A needs assessment of local residents was conducted in the Pasadena Area Community College District to provide information for college planning. Telephone interviews solicited information on residents' characteristics, knowledge of Pasadena City College (PCC), attitudes toward the college, and past and anticipated participation in college…

Mission statements of 168 United Kingdom universities and colleges were examined to determine to what extent the institutions were making an effort to differentiate themselves in a context of expanding demand for higher education. Analysis focused on institutional status and market position, intentions regarding differentiation, and managerial…

This description of a methodology for examining the supply of educated manpower and the demand for their services consists of two major sections, which are devoted to the supply and demand of educated manpower respectively. In the first section, the supply of educated manpower and the demand for educational inputs are considered, the main…

Empire State's 1976 Master Plan called for focus on providing educational alternatives for the increasingly diverse students at the college. It was decided to design programs to fit the students, which raised two problems concerning educational standards: criteria for performance and degree definitions. This report discusses the coordination of…

Societal developments occurring within the United States over the next 10 to 15 years that should be considered in constructing the new master plan for higher education in Pennsylvania are explored in this research report. National data collected by the Institute for the Future are re-interpreted along with newly-synthesized information related to…

Representatives of 28 of the 33 predominantly black institutions met at the Working Conference-Meeting of Deans of Black Graduate Schools, held in Washington, D.C., April 28-30, 1975. This report presents highlights of their examination of these nine major questions: (1) During these times of integration, compliance, and affirmative action, why…

The extent and type of services currently offered to older adults are identified, and an overview is provided of institutional plans for increasing such services in the immediate future. In this survey respondents were asked to describe any educational programs or community services available through their institutions designed especially for…

A study examined the perceived training and retraining needs of Iowa business/organizations and employer views regarding how the continuing education divisions of Iowa's community colleges can best meet those needs. Of the 1,069 Iowa employers contacted, 608 (56.9%) responded. According to the respondents, Iowa's system of community college…

A telephone survey of area residents was conducted by the Coast Community College District during Spring 1980 to assess citizen awareness of the District's programs and to determine area educational needs. Approximately 4,800 individual telephone numbers were dialed to obtain completed interviews with 546 residents, representing a geographically…

An impact study/needs assessment of the Patrick Henry Community College (PHCC) service area was conducted as the informational base for PHCC's 3-year plan. Five groups were surveyed to gather demographic data and information on educational needs: 295 randomly selected citizens, 71 selected employers, 14 selected social service agency leaders, 40…

A telephone survey was conducted in Fall 1979 by Santa Ana College (SAC) to determine its service community's: demographic characteristics; familiarity with SAC and its course offerings; perception of the college's mission; satisfaction with and attitudes toward SAC; and educational needs and desires. Telephone interviews were completed with 600…