The interest in and expansion of the interinstitutional research function by state agencies are analyzed. The increasing importance of this function is described in state level coordinating and governing agencies. (Author/LBH)

Three different approaches to environmental scanning for strategic planning are offered. Long-range planning in the San Francisco Community College District, the University of Nevada, Reno, and the California Postsecondary Education Commission are described. (MLW)

Author believes that the legislature should take the lead in providing for evaluation of statewide boards of higher education. He discusses the responsibilities of state boards, and their political and administrative skills. (Author/PG)

Policy analysis provides the framework for enrollment planning in the Arizona university system. The new planning model consists of a statement of principles, a five-year strategic plan, an enrollment demand model, determination of institutional capacities, development of strategies to meet demand, and analysis of policy choices and consequences.…

Describes New York State enrollment trends and prospects (1960-1990) noting implications for institutions and for public policy. (JT)

A system for the statewide coordination of higher education that emphasizes centralized accountability and decentralized management should ensure that the concept of institutional autonomy is preserved. (Editor/PG)

Comparison is inherent to system and state coordination activities and is valuable for overall review and for identifying differential needs. A variety of factors affect interinstitutional comparisons, and close cooperation between boards and institutions can increase the effectiveness of the process. (MSE)

An examination of recent experiences in the varied institutions of The University of Wisconsin System suggests valuable lessons regarding the impact of various approaches to faculty reduction. Principal provisions of retrenchment regulations are summarized. (Author/LB)

The future promises to be a difficult time for state planning and coordination, when evaluation must take into account the ways in which state agencies relate to and deal with the contexts of which they are a part. The political context is one of the most important of these. (Author/PG)

Discusses the status of modeling efforts to predict impact of different educational access and support policies and identifies pitfalls involved in using simulation models for state and national educational planning. Concludes that few goals held for large-scale models have been achieved. Points up needs for improvement, e.g. more information at…

Evaluation of academic programs in higher education institutions has existed in the United States since 1640. In the succeeding 34 decades, demands for program review and accountability have led to the present development of academic program evaluation as a primary means to revise, curtail, or eliminate degree programs. (Author/MSE)

The growth of statewide coordinating boards now requires their formal periodic assessment. Reviews cautions and complexities in evaluating statewide boards, evaluation of product and process, and suggested criteria for evaluating statewide boards. (Editor/PG)

The scope and quality of statewide planning constitutes important indicators of effectiveness and should be evaluated in terms of process as well as outcomes. (Editor/PG)

Evaluative principles and organizational guidelines that large business organizations have found to be successful may be helpful in the organizational evaluation and possible adaptation of statewide systems of coordination in postsecondary education. (Author/PG)

Criteria for evaluation of coordinating agencies should include the sensitivity of their procedures for consulting the coordinated institutions, and the extent to which they encourage voluntary interinstitutional cooperation. (Editor/PG)