Learning Resources

Abstract: A simple and readily understandable visual display of quantitative measures of academic efficiency and productivity is demonstrated in this article. This graphical construction facilitates annual comparisons of unit efficiency and productivity as well as an analysis of temporal changes in unit activity. By establishing a common framework upon which a data-driven conversation regarding unit activity is constructed, this method produces a single graphical representation of the activities of any academic unit. As such, this technique assists academic decision makers with goal setting, resource allocation and reallocation, and the program prioritization process.

Abstract: What fuels the push toward privatization of public higher education institutions? This article attempts to unravel the nine beliefs that underlie conversations taking place in state legislatures and on higher education campuses and then asks, Will privatization work? How will it work for the state's citizens, the states, and institutions? The answer is mixed and depends upon how certain questions are answered and how much faith one places in the higher education market.

Abstract: Planning approaches are in a dynamic relationship with organizational culture. This article uses a case study of academic planning at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona to draw a correspondence between types of organizational culture and planning approaches. The case study shows the differing conceptions of organizational culture held by stakeholders and links them to alternate planning approaches. Unresolved conflicts about organizational culture impeded agreement on a planning process. Understanding the dynamics of organizational culture can help academic planners design contingent processes that draw from multiple planning approaches. The article concludes with suggestions for academic planners on how to design and implement such processes.