Understanding one's competitive stance in a globally competitive environment provides the requisite awareness to maintain both competitive edge and institutional responsiveness. In this chapter, three case studies are presented to provide examples of ways in which strategic scanning can enhance the academic program development process and how…

The Association for Institutional Research (AIR) is engaged in a variety of efforts to document the current state of institutional research. In 2012, the Association initiated a critically important effort to identify the tasks involved in the work of institutional research (IR) across all titles and variations represented in its membership. This…

In a previous article published in the "Journal of College Reading and Learning," we presented the results of a self-study of our commitment as faculty and staff members to providing a multicultural learning experience for our students. This follow-up article provides the findings of a study conducted during spring semester 2004 to explore student…

The 1973-74 academic year marked the inception of a formal long-range planning program at Hampton Institute. The year began with the Educational Staff Institute orienting the faculty, staff, students, and alumni to the significance of the long-range planning process and the role that each academic department, division, and support area would be…

A centralized, university-wide approach to collecting alumni information was established. The centralized approach provided information with greater potential for utilization, permitted comparisons among university units, and generated information on trends in alumni outcomes from year to year. All alumni in a given class are surveyed in order to…

This working paper is the culmination of a number of meetings of the Task Force on the Community College with people in community colleges and their communities, as well as with people in noncollege communities, to obtain views regarding the nature of community colleges and the functions that they should perform in British Columbia. Special areas…

Reports results of a 1991 national survey of environmental scanning practices at two-year institutions. Examines sophistication of scanning efforts; personnel involved; and methods of collecting, compiling, interpreting, communicating, and using scan information. Finds scanning practices in use at 41% of the 601 responding institutions. (PAA)

A community survey was conducted by Allegany Community College (ACC) in July of 1976 with five objectives in mind: to provide the college Public Relations Office with basic information to assist it in reaching the community; to assist the college in evaluating effects of its promotional efforts in the community, and to try to determine opinion…

A survey of 59 faculty at two very different colleges investigated assumptions and influences on them as they worked with colleagues in planning program curriculum. While some common factors influenced course and program planning, program planning was irregular or infrequent compared to course planning, typically responded to a specific catalyst,…

The issue of increasing the effectiveness of alumni development and fund raising programs to ensure quality in academic programs and campus life for the coming decade was examined. The study's primary purposes were to: (1) describe the development of a comprehensive decision support system for alumni and fund raising activities at one independent…

An analysis of higher education marketing examines a case study of a college's market research program, a series of market research projects, and a major study of students and parents in six metropolitan areas (the Six-Market Study). After introducing marketing concepts and strategies, the nature of higher education marketing is considered. The…

Ocean County College conducted a feasibility study for the purpose of determining whether there was a need for a food service management program within its service area and to ascertain an estimate of the potential student pool for such a program. Surveys were sent to 243 restaurants and institutions and were administered to students from county…

The types and number of faculty cases litigated and reported at state and federal levels for the 1982 calendar year are discussed. From categorical data summaries, suggested institutional research data bases and studies were formulated as advanced planning mechanisms. (Author/MLW)

A market segmentation analysis was conducted on students at a large midwestern urban university using two forms of hierarchical cluster analysis on student characteristics: an agglomerative procedure using a matching-type association measure and a divisive chi-square based automatic interaction detection (CHAID) procedure. Data were extracted from…

This paper describes the initial analyses needed to help institutions of higher education plan majors in nursing and allied health as institutions look for new markets based on demographic and employment factors. Twelve variables were identified and weighted to describe an ideal recruitment market. Using a three-phase process, potential U.S.…