Learning Resources

Abstract: The authors explore institutional effectiveness and offer suggestions for developing meaningful institutional effectiveness plans for institutions of higher education. Their discussion is based on their review of institutional effectiveness plans from nearly 30 institutions of higher education as well as SACS publications. The article includes an exploration of the topic of institutional effectiveness, suggestions for developing meaningful institutional effectiveness plans, and potential problems that were identified through the experiences of other institutions. An extensive list of suggested readings, which includes many online references, follows the article.

Abstract: This article examines the strategic planning process undertaken at California State University, Los Angeles. The authors describe the planning process used to develop the university’s strategic plan and the successful application of a business model approach to the planning exercise. Finally, they summarize some of the important lessons learned as a result of the planning process and subsequent dissemination of the plan.

Abstract: In an era of rapid and often discontinuous change, careful planning provides the only hope of meeting the challenges that higher education institutions face. As this viewpoint explains, planning never requires an explanation; lack of planning does. The future may not be simply a race between planning and catastrophe, but planning can inspire us in such a way as to prepare a future that is more fully adequate to our dreams than would otherwise have been the case.

Abstract: One of the major issues in strategic planning is moving the academic strategic plan from planning to implementation. This article suggests that there are several effective implementation methods: using the budget, using participation, using force, establishing goals and key performance indicators, working within the human resource management system, using the reward system, using faculty and staff development, working with institutional culture, working with or around tradition, developing and using change champions, and building on systems that are ready for or are easily adaptable to strategic change.

Abstract: This study examines the relationships among college prices, expenditures, and revenues within four groups of public institutions and three groups of private not-for-profit institutions. To provide context for the analysis, aggregate trends for 1988–89 to 1997–98 were compiled. These data were analyzed through the use of statistical modeling techniques, in which separate models for the public and private not-for-profit sectors were identified and updated with more recent data. In each of these models, the associations between “sticker prices” (published tuition levels) and costs, revenues, and other factors were explored to provide some insight into the nature of higher education finance.