A general context for defining and using goals in institutional research is discussed, contributions of authors in this journal issue are reviewed, and implications for research are examined. (Author/LBH)

The need for information services offers institutional researchers with experience in systems design, data management, and analysis an opportunity to study the key issue involved in providing this service to the campus administrative community. The case of the University of Kansas is described. (Author/MLW)

The potential uses of futures techniques for institutional research and planning are examined. The important historical forces that have led to this point in the development of institutional research and planning are outlined, and the current status of futures research is discussed. (MLW)

Discusses why and how Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis created its electronic institutional portfolio. Describes the process and highlights missteps and insights. Focuses on how electronic institutional portfolios can become catalysts for change and institutional improvement, while also serving as multi-media self-studies for…

Describes how, compared to 1995 strategic planning, participation by Georgia State in the Urban Universities Portfolio Project enabled more informed, wider campus participation in shaping the plan. The portfolio also supported transitions to a semester calendar, new admissions practices, and revised approaches to program review and assessment of…

Reflects on how using the electronic medium for portfolio projects can influence institutional self-examination. By viewing the portfolio project as a continuation of a campus's commitment to approaching change as scholarly work, asserts that the electronic medium can lead to new ways of knowing and understanding higher education institutions. (EV)

Summarizes the lessons learned by the institutions participating in the Urban Universities Portfolio Project regarding the functional and technological requirements for creating and sustaining Web-based institutional portfolios. The most pressing issues were those of aligning technology resources with analytical, evaluative, academic, and design…

Describes lessons learned by California State University about developing electronic institutional portfolios, discussing how the campus made progress in strengthening program review and assessment processes and in building a campus "culture of evidence," trust, and engagement. (EV)

Discusses the implications for higher education nationally of the Urban Universities Portfolio Project (UUPP), placing the UUPP within a national agenda to focus attention on student learning, and examining how portfolio development worked from both the "inside out" and the "outside in" to renew this focus. (EV)

The level of awareness, knowledge, and current practices regarding strategic marketing within institutional research (IR) offices were studied for colleges in the Rocky Mountain region. Of the 18 responding offices, 9 indicated that their institutions utilized a marketing approach to planning. Of these 9 offices, 56 percent reported formal…

Institutional researchers and planners are urged to adopt conceptual marketing tools to help them deal with situations where data are sparse and time is short. An easily used decision technique is described that can increase the likelihood of getting good answers to the question: How much information is enough? (Author/LBH)

Institutional planners responsible for setting enrollment objectives and levels must develop an understanding of college market structure, choose among alternative approaches to market assessment, and apply appropriate methods for measuring patterns of competition. (Author/MSE)

The widespread use of comparative data can lead to problems on a campus unless the data are systematically incorporated in the institutional planning cycle. A model has been developed to alleviate a number of problems and increase the power of comparison as a management tool. (MSE)

College and university information is poorly developed for the purpose of making strategic choices and management guidance. A strategic triangle, with critical success factors at each vertex, can help model appropriate information. (Author/MLW)

In the interest of understanding the role of Chief Planning Officers (CPO) in gaining broad support for planning within an institution of higher education, this paper used a national survey of administrators to examine that role. This study, conducted by the National Center for Postsecondary Governance and Finance, involved a survey of 3,333…