Academic planning in the community college and factors that influence planning (faculty, internal dynamics, the community, budget) are discussed. It is suggested that community college planners examine programs to determine if they are: socially utilitarian, verifiably educative, and not readily available elsewhere. (BH)

To increase the value of its endowment, a college or university must manage three separate but interdependent factors: endowment spending rate; investment policy; and fund-raising. Using lessons learned by other institutions, Oberlin College (Ohio) developed strategies for spending and investment that balance the institution's need for income, the…

Colleges have two different cultures, the corporate community that views the institution as a business organization, and the traditional community of scholars. Coexistence affects planning, assessment, and institutional change. Collaboration requires understanding of the history and nature of the university and a special kind of leadership. (MSE)

The implications for colleges of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination against individuals with physical disabilities, are examined. The scope of the law, sections of special relevance to higher education institutions, and appropriate responses are discussed. A plan for policy formation and administrative action is…

Results of a survey of planners at 133 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada are summarized. The study gathered information on (1) which problems tend to get solved, and which do not; (2) factors contributing to success in planning; and (3) planners' suggestions for improving the planning process. (MSE)

New Jersey abandoned formula funding of higher education in favor of incentive funding combined with base budgeting. State institutions receive basic operating funds and compete for extra monies by planning initiatives for problems on which state leaders want more action. Incentive funding has cost little and improved quality noticeably. (MSE)

Three major factors contribute to the success of a college campus master plan: (1) engaging in strategic planning for the future; (2) involving user groups within each administrative unit and academic department to work with the architect/master-planner; and (3) hiring a planner who understands how colleges and universities work. (MSE)

Examines factors underlying the California Educational Technology Initiative (CETI), a failed public-private partnership intended to develop the technology infrastructure of the 23 California State University campuses. Analysis focuses on the necessity for commitment to change by all partners in advance of initiating the partnership venture.…

Colleges and universities, for years accustomed to planning in a condition of steady, sometimes rapid growth, now find themselves planning in a period of stable or declining enrollments. The result is a whole new set of problems and approaches for institutional planners. Summarizes some of the discussion at an August SCUP 8 conference in Toronto.…

Declining revenues and enrollments in many states, combined with concerns over industrial competitiveness, are bringing changes to community colleges. (MLW)

The process of system-level planning must account for and facilitate the interaction of administrators and faculty from different campuses and create a context in which all can be involved. Eleven criteria are identified,including goal-setting, coordinated decision making, and accountability. (MLW)

The planning process and marketing strategy adopted by a large urban postsecondary institution investigating the feasibility of developing a branch campus is described. Among the planning elements were a market analysis and citizen interest survey. (MSE)

The results of a survey of college presidents, about the formal strategies used in institutional planning, are presented. Elements include environmental analysis, assessment of institutional strengths and limitations, assumptions, criteria, objectives, development of strategies and long-range plans, and performance evaluation. (MSE)

Increasingly, college and university planners use "future searches" to find common ground on values, issues, and directions for innovative action. These intensive large group conferences bring together a cross-section of stakeholders, such as school leaders, parents, state education administrators, faculty, students, industry representatives, and…

Conclusions from two studies (including a three-year nationwide study of higher education institutional planning) concern types of planning (strategic, program, facility, operational, budget, and issue-specific), and limitations (the limited powers of prediction and the political character of planning and budgeting). Types of budgeting processes…