The ways in which a futures and strategic planning preconference workshop provided an environmental scan to identify a number of issues facing higher education are described. Exercises designed to rank and evaluate these issues are discussed. (MLW)

Developing a rational scanning process that reaches a balance between what is needed and what is possible within the limitations of an institution's resources is discussed. The different kinds of scanning, which kind to use at each stage of the process, and why are described. (MLW)

Describes a workshop held during the 1982 World Future Society's Fourth General Assembly on the combined application of issues management and policy impact analysis. The workshop participants applied futures research, forecasting, goal-setting, and policy development techniques to future problems in educational policy. (AM)

An approach to policy analysis for college officials is described that is based on evaluating and using information about the external environment to consider policy options for the future. The futures approach involves the following tasks: establishing an environmental scanning system to identify critical trends and emerging issues, identifying…

The concepts of long-range planning and strategic planning are explained, and a planning model is proposed. Attention is directed to an environmental scanning model that is congruent with the concept of strategic planning and that emerges from one portion of the futures research community, issues management. A third planning model, the strategic…

A study looked at how employers expect to contend with the technological complexities of their operation. It focused on (1) the expectations of workers regarding responsibilities and career paths, (2) the impact of those expectations on employers, and (3) how the educational system must change to provide the skills needed for technological…

A formal environmental scanning system designed to identify emerging issues, events, or trends threatening or bringing opportunity to an institution is discussed that uses a committee to systematically collect and analyze data from a variety of sources. (MSE)

The origin and continuation of the futures research seminar at the School of Education of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are discussed. The continuing research seminar takes place throughout the calendar year for students who wish to use futures research methods in their dissertations. One of the major projects of the seminar is…

ED QUEST (Quick Environmental Scanning Techniques) is a strategic planning process designed to identify emerging trends, issues, and events which portend threats or opportunities for colleges and universities, analyze their probable impact on the institution, and facilitate the development of appropriate institutional strategies. A workshop was…

Scanning the external environment will become more essential to colleges in the coming decade. Developing an environmental scanning system can identify important emerging issues that may constitute either threats or opportunities. The organizational features of a mature scanning process are described. (MLW)

The Beyond 2000 workshop held in February 1995 was designed to give participants experience in using strategic management techniques, such as critical trend and potential event identification, to examine the future of community colleges. This paper is intended as a guide for implementing similar workshops and summarizes the outcomes of workshop…

Describes an ED QUEST (Quick Environmental Scanning Technique) workshop demonstrating the links between an environmental scanning/forecasting process and formulation of institutional strategy. Explains ED QUEST's use in identifying and analyzing critical trends and events, and identifying the nature of the organization; developing alternative…

The Strategic Planning Committee at the Graduate School of Management, Wake Forest University, identified what issues, trends, and possible events might affect the school in the future. The implementation of the ED QUEST planning model is described. (MLW)

This proceedings report describes exercises used in a workshop on environmental scanning, designed to assist institutional research officers to develop competency in establishing and maintaining an external analysis capability on their campuses. The workshop offered an opportunity for participants to experience several techniques used in…

A description is provided of a conference session that was conducted to explore the structure and function of an environmental scanning/forecasting system that could be used in a community college to facilitate planning. Introductory comments argue that a college that establishes an environmental scanning and forecasting system is able to identify…