Small private colleges should not succumb to the view that being as inexpensive as public colleges is the only way to compete. By doing some aggressive marketing, these institutions can enjoy a significant edge and thrive in what promises to be a difficult decade. (Author/MSE)

Private colleges that have prospered have done so by enhancing revenue, not by decreasing expenses. The private college president of today is becoming more a salesperson, delegating operational duties to subordinates while focusing on fund-raising and public-image concerns because of the chronic need for more money. (MLW)

Enrollments will not see steady growth again for five years. Most of the struggling colleges that have managed continuing success so far are predicted to survive. Some will endure specifically because administrators and trustees have incorporated the procedures and programs that have been successfully implemented in other institutions. (MSE)

The experiences of Wellesley College (Massachusetts) with developing a long-range plan for institutional survival in the 1990s illustrate the value of two strategies: devising a planning process that reflects the institutional culture, and spending time early in the process to gain broad agreement on basic financial principles and planning…

Some advice is offered to trustees who find themselves in the position of having to close an institution in the face of seemingly conflicting legal standards. (Author/MLW)

Defining the college or university in terms of a shared vision of what distinguishes it from others can help unite constituencies and build a more effective student recruitment campaign. During declining enrollments, such unity of purpose can be crucial to institutional survival. (Author/MSE)