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Lack of strategic planning by colleges and universities has inhibited higher education's ability to respond to the changing global environment. A majority of institutions plan from year to year, with crisis management becoming the norm. Because the external environment is evaluated infrequently, the institution does not have the broad view necessary to make appropriate decisions. Mission statements, rather than serving as a pragmatic guide for the organization's future, simply adorn college catalogs. Strategic planning requires the creation of a specific vision for a college, reflecting decisions in five areas: (1) institutional mission; (2) targeted groups; (3) programs offerings and priorities; (4) comparative advantages; and (5) key institutional objectives. Strategic planning helps to clarify an institution's mission and can link budgeting and planning processes to maximize effective use of resources, increasing internal consensus and external support. Because strategic planning involves self-evaluation, it is often resisted by groups within an institution. Assessment of the external environment should consider economic, demographic, political, social, and technological factors. The strategic planning process itself is comprised of three elements: mission statement development; analysis of internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and threats; and strategy development. The result of the process should be a 3- to 5-year operational or tactical plan which leads to institutional mission accomplishment. Brief reviews of two additional strategic planning models, and a 25-item bibliography are included. (PAA)

The study examined selected demographic and educational characteristics of transfer students attending Mason City, Iowa's North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) and the relative effect of college attendance on student academic achievement, student satisfaction with the college experience, and the college's fulfillment of general education goals. Surveys from 327 (NIACC) transfer students were analyzed and 17 hypotheses were tested. The NIACC transfer students showed no significant differences compared to other students in several areas, among them: (1) cumulative semester credit hours; (2) student satisfaction; (3) grade point average upon graduation from a baccalaureate-granting institution; and (4) satisfaction about their preparation for the work place and as individuals, family members, or citizens. Additionally, it was found that a high percentage of NIACC students persisted to complete a four-year degree, the quantity of semester hours earned at the community college had little or no relation to student outcomes, and the length of community college attendance was not detrimental to selected student outcomes. Considerations for future transfer student research are provided. An appendix details survey results and lists study hypotheses. Contains 10 references. (GLR)