This article discusses the story behind American University's brand campaign. Colleagues and peers are asking how American University developed a brand strategy--"KNOW/WONK" campaign that launched in fall 2010--that's original, authentic, and representative of AU's distinctive personality. What they really want to know is how AU got it through the…

In 2002 President Martin Jischke initiated a new era in strategic planning at Purdue. Under his leadership, strategic planning became a centralized activity with unit plans aligned to the university plan. Strategic goals were designed to have maximum impact, which would be measurable through metrics. Strategic planning at Purdue would be an…

Many studies have been conducted on the internationalization of higher education. Yet little is known about institutional plans for internationalization. This article presents the results of a study conducted with the American Council on Education's Center for International Initiatives on the types, prevalence, development, implementation, and…

Institutions that have organized and centralized their data enjoy an obvious advantage in grappling with strategic planning and other issues. As the drumbeat for accountability, planning, and demonstrating effectiveness to internal and external stakeholders intensifies, the stature and importance of institutional research offices on most campuses…

Distance education in its many forms had been around for decades, but the Western Governors University (WGU) was arguably the first "virtual university" (VU) in the United States, or at least the first VU that gained widespread attention from the press and public. After the governors in the Western Governors Association announced they would create…

Presents a chronology of events in the development of the Maryland Association for Institutional Research as it marks its 15th anniversary. (EV)

This issue of "Currents" reviews some of the recent developments in planning techniques for colleges and universities; statewide or regional planning problems are not considered. Following a discussion of planning and its benefits, the process of planning is reviewed and two case studies of planning are examined. Special attention is focused on…

Sources of information on the topic of academic planning are presented. (Author/MLW)

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 background and function of a Student Opinion Survey Program at the University of Kansas are described, and suggestions for the development and implementation of polling programs are offered. At the University of Kansas, the technical expertise of staff and students was tapped to provide a credible survey program. Departments and other offices…

A taxonomy of developmental planning considerations and corresponding areas in which institutional researchers and developmental professionals can collaborate to assess and improve fund-raising activities is presented. (MSE)

The HELP (Higher Education Long-Range Planning) system enables an individual without any prior experience in the field to understand and apply the technology of computers and simulation to management information systems. (Editor)

Each institution has an existing planning style, and new approaches to academic planning must take into account institutionalized planning practices. Four planning styles are examined: needs assessment, program data, retrenchment and reallocation, and economic incentives. (Author/MLW)

This paper describes how various formal planning approaches were developed and applied at Pennsylvania State University. Phases (horizontal reduction, vertical reallocation, strategic planning, and strategic management) are identified as are principles including planning for change on the margins and continuity, providing for feedback, and…

When real resources decline, demands change, or programs lose vitality, then a logical move is to reallocate resources to facilitate academic planning. Reallocation schemes and experiences at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and Oklahoma State University are described and compared. (Author/MLW)