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This paper argues that a typical use of regression models to target student recruitment efforts is theoretically unsound and may therefore be operationally inefficient. It presents results from a study using a predictive model to identify the prospective students on whom recruitment efforts have the greatest impact. The model uses four kinds of variables: demographic, academic, geographic, and behavioral. Application of the model at the State University of New York (Stony Brook) found that predictive variables significantly and positively related to student enrollment at the 1 percent level were: high-yield high school average, high-yield Scholastic Assessment Test scores, high-yield zip code, and open house attendance. Significant predictive variables related negatively to student enrollment included White or Hispanic ethnicity, U.S. citizenship, regular admission status, early application, and on-campus housing request. The model was used to demonstrate the efficacy of an experimental program of increased contact with admitted students and their parents. Findings indicated that a modest increase in recruitment activity increased the enrollment of students with relatively low enrollment probabilities but did not improve the recruitment of students identified by the regression model as more likely to enroll. Results suggest that the typical use of predictive modeling to identify "hot prospects" may be inefficient and ineffective. (DB)

This paper argues for a more robust and encompassing understanding of the roles and functions of institutional research in higher education institutions in the context of fundamental shifts in the way decisions are being made in colleges and universities. In particular institutional researchers can no longer simply collect, analyze and disseminate information to support decision making. Institutional researchers must also become the information architects, the change agents, the consultants of choice in their respective institutions. The paper describes each of these new roles and recounts the continuing metamorphosis of the institutional research office. An early section explores the changing culture of decision making especially the increasing complexity of institutions and rapid rate of change they experience. Emerging from these is a decision-making culture more integrally intertwined with their constituents in making sense of the information provided to them. Further sections explore traditional research functions, the importance of involvement in the initial design and modification and enhancements to data stores, participation as change agents in the planning and process activities, and becoming internal consultants of choice who should serve a broad constituency in the institution. The paper closes by describing the metamorphosis of an institutional research office since the early 1980s. Contains 11 references. (JB)

In this paper, the educational stances of Madeline Hunter and James Britton are revealed through metaphorical concepts evident in their texts. After an introductory chapter which serves as a statement of purpose, the second and third chapters compare Hunter's and Britton's metaphors for learning, curriculum development, teacher and student roles, and academic decision making. The fourth chapter of the paper traces the metaphors to sources. The last chapter compares the social and political implications of each stance in light of classroom dynamics, teaching, and language learning. Three figures illustrating aspects of their metaphors are included; 112 references and an appendix comparing Hunter's and Britton's educational stances are attached. (RS)

Correlational methods are compared to an alternative method based on decision theory and logistic regression for providing validity evidence for college admissions and course placement criteria. The advantages and limitations of both methods are examined. The correlation coefficient measures the strength of the linear statistical relationship between one or more measures (e.g., test score or high school grade point average) and college grade point average (GPA). However, correlations are difficult to interpret and provide little direct information about the practical implications of using particular measures and corresponding cutoff scores. They are also hampered by restrictive statistical assumptions and restriction of range problems. For example, course grades or college GPA carry values understood to range from A to F; however, experience with over 80 institutions shows that students seldom receive grades lower than a C. In addition, correlational methods are relevant only for students who are admitted to the institution or to the course, but are not readily applicable to students for whom admissions or placement decisions are yet to be made. Validity indices provide direct evidence of a measure's utility for making admissions or course placement decisions. The practical implications of using specific cutoff scores for all students of interest are shown. Validity indices are less affected than correlation coefficients by restriction of range problems in the measure(s) used to make admissions or placement decisions. This method can effectively use multiple measures for estimating students' chances of success, where success can be defined by a meaningful local standard. The data is presented in several figures and tables. (Contains 12 references.) (SW)

How institutional research can improve the quality of institutional performance of colleges and universities in the face of funding constraints is discussed. An example of the use of instructional research to assist in documenting institutional quality in Australia is noted. Institutional research uses data collection, analysis, and interpretation to support planning, management, and decisionmaking. Strategies to improve the quality of outcomes and/or processes during times of limited resources are grouped under the following headings: environmental scanning and reassessing the appropriateness of mission and goals, concentrating resources on selected core activities and processes, phasing out activities seen as weak or peripheral to the institution's mission, improving management and decisionmaking processes, streamlining administrative procedures, enhancing communication and coordination, simplifying organizational structures, developing cooperative and collaborative arrangements for joint programs and shared resource use, and implementing more effective monitoring and review processes. As illustration, it is noted that institutional research is assisting Australian universities to document their achievement of quality for the Committee for Quality Assurance in Higher Education through a 3-year (1993-95) quality review cycle. (SW)

Expectations and roles of institutional researchers in higher education institutions are considered, as well as the question of what a research office should expect from its institution. A performance monitoring system for the assessment and continuous improvement of institutional research is also proposed. Ways that institutional research can be effective and have impact on policy formation and decisionmaking at the highest levels of the institution are identified. Sponsors and consumers of institutional research should be able to expect the following from its practitioners: technical competence, professional integrity and ethics, contributing to policy relevance, effective communication, high productivity, initiative, making a positive impact, self-evaluation and ongoing improvement, humility, and a sense of humor. In order to deliver on the expectations of its users the institutional research should expect the following from its institution: regular interaction with policymakers; access to campus databases; appropriate technology, including access to the Internet; adequate staff; professional development opportunities; and recognition by senior management. To promote efficient and effective office performance, a system is needed which incorporates explicit goals, assessment tools, a project management system, publications to disseminate office findings, and staff recognition and incentives. Each of these system components is described. (Contains 14 references.) (SW)

Many aspects of teaching reveal it to be an activity imbued with uncertainty. Teachers are frequently unsure of their students' knowledge and understanding, of the effects of their instructional strategies, of the most appropriate content to cover in their limited time with students, and ultimately of their own intellectual and social authority. This paper explores what it would mean to prepare teachers, as adult learners, for uncertainty. Initial inclincations to reduce teachers' uncertainty through the introduction of routines or through more extensive subject matter study may be misguided, however, for whereas too much uncertainty may promote anarchy, too little uncertainty may engender dogmatism. Teacher educators might instead consider introducing their students to the myriad uncertainties they will face in their work, assist them in learning to judge when it may be desirable to increase certainty, and encourage them to view remaining uncertainties as an essential driving force in teaching. (Author)

The discussion of long- versus short-term effects is usually absent when it comes to the choice of training technology. Short-term effects become the major criteria for the choice: training resolves a concrete problem. An important reason for thinking about long-term effects of training and training strategies is the ultimate objective of training the European work force: to become flexible enough to face the uncertainties of the future. The Instrumental Enrichment Program (IEP) illustrates how firms and human development specialists deal with the dilemma of short- and long-term effects. IEP is an intervention program to improve cognitive development and thus make learners more eager and more able to learn. The research and evaluation of experimental applications of IEP in the workplace have not achieved the same positive, long-lasting effects of cognitive change that have been verified with children. The strongest and most interesting promise of the method--that learning ability increases over time as an effect of an adequate IEP intervention--is generally hindered by the short duration of the majority of the applications. Two related issues arise from the results of IEP intervention. First, the dilemma between short- and long-term effects might not be a real dilemma. A major strategic decision facing training planners concerns the choice of those means which simultaneously respond to short- and long-term goals, not a choice between the short and the long term. Second, the choice of training technologies necessarily reflects strategic decisions, so that improving the analytical quality of the decision rules used by training practitioners can be seen as a mirror image of the changing mood in the world of training. Hence, the human resource specialist must learn to think in action, to become a reflective practitioner. (Contains 14 references.) (YLB)

This study examined institutional researchers' perceptions regarding their effectiveness in influencing institutional policy changes, the factors that make institutional researchers effective in the policy arena, and researchers perspectives regarding job-related rewards; challenges encountered in seeking to establish influential roles in decision making; and strategies utilized for coping with these challenges. Data was based on a mailed survey sent to 304 institutional researchers in the Northeast; 221 responses were received. Chi-square analysis examined variations in perceived policy effectiveness by gender, current professional position, level of education, and type of institution. Correlation and t-tests were used to investigate relationships between perceived effectiveness in policy and job rewards, job challenges, leadership experience, desire for enhanced skills, and mentor experience. Discriminant analysis identified predictors of perceived effectiveness in policy. The study confirms results of previous research which indicate that level of education has a significant impact on policy effectiveness; institutional researchers with doctorates reported significantly more often that their work had achieved institutional changes in programs or policies. Institutional researchers who include policy recommendations with their reports; conduct follow-up studies on the impact of their work, and whose work is used in executive decision making perceive themselves to be more effective in influencing policy. (CH)

The first paper in this volume, "What Must Be Done to Improve Teacher Education," which consists of remarks delivered at the National Forum on Excellence in Education (Indianapolis, December 1983), notes that while a number of problems with teacher education have been identified, the proposed solutions lack the coherence and compatibility needed to formulate an effective plan of reform. It is suggested that a national commission on teacher education be created to take a broad and objective view of the problems and potential solutions. The second paper, "Needed Research and Practice for the Preparation of Teaching Professionals," maintains that research and practice that will enhance teacher education in the future will be grounded in a profile of the effective teacher that acknowledges the professional requirements of the "school teaching" occupation. While some teaching requirements will always contain aspects of the performance that are labor-like, craft-like, and artistic in nature, the research and teacher preparation programs of the future will increasingly focus on the knowledge and information-processing skills that are requisite to informed professional decision making. Such knowledge and skill will be related to the complex inter-play of teacher judgments that are required for effective response to the multiple and diverse youngsters that attend school, and the multiple and competing functions that schools are expected to serve. (JD)

The paper discusses the meaning of value and valuing, their roles in evaluation, and the potency of value systems in problem solving logic. Evaluation is defined as a process for facilitating decision making. A decision making situation occurs when there are options which are impossible to treat equivalently, and there is an impact in the selection of one option that extends beyond the choice-making act. The most important motivating force for evaluations is the impact factor. Values and valuing play a significant role in evaluation. Therefore, they are defined and discussed in detail. Value is context determined. Value is the noun form applied to a class of quality; while the verb form, to value, refers to an internal state or exchange action. The evaluation process would be better understood if researchers concentrated on the verb sense to value. Value and value systems determine what we value, how we know what to value, and the logic and process for problem solving. (DWH)

In the past 15 years a new curriculum field known as "Science, Technology, and Society" or STS has been established, first in higher education and since 1982 in K-12 education. The first section of this review charts the development of the STS field since the late 1960s. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s a group of writers, called STS prophets, focused attention upon the effects of science and technology on our society. The ideas of the STS prophets were assimilated in university interdisciplinary courses that urged a "social process" view of science and technology. The second section accounts for the extension of STS into K-12 education in the period of the "excellence reports" and the attempt to rebuild science education. The primary goal that has emerged for STS education is frequently spoken of as "scientific and technological literacy." The third section considers how this form of literacy has been tied to participation as a citizen in our democratic society. Because of their lack of STS education, citizens are unable to understand, or to participate in an informed way regarding, many issues on the public agenda. To counter this crisis, established forms or other possible forms of citizen participation should be selected for special emphasis in education. A number of suggestions are summarized. The final section considers the practicability of educational reforms proposed by STS educators. Appended are 63 notes. (MLF)

Academic program review is analyzed in regard to purposes, process, schedule and timing, criteria, and decisions. Attention is also briefly addressed to the organizational entities that oversee the process of state-level program review. The purposes of program review are linked to budgeting decisions, mission delineation, and potential program improvement. In terms of process, statewide boards can share responsibility for review with public universities, or the boards may assume major responsibility for academic program review through a consultant-based approach or through the use of agency staff. Most states have applied a number of criteria in program review rather than a few--particularly, the number of graduates, students enrolled, student interest and demand, appropriateness to role and mission, program quality, size of classes, and cost of courses--but consensus is lacking as to how qualitative factors should be used in program review. State-level recommendations resulting from program review may include continuation, modification, merger, or discontinuation. Additional considerations relating to state-level program review include: whether to review degree programs or departments, research and public service centers, and nonacademic areas; the accommodation between program review and specialized accreditation; the pattern of use of program review in other state-level decision making; expectations of other state-level authorities; and the nature of institutional leadership exercised. (SW)

The consequences of using analytic methods usually associated with rational management for university decision-making related to sexual equity are examined. The research consists of two case studies concerning faculty appointments and nonteaching professional staff salaries. The concern is with how long-standing situations come to be seen as organizational problems, the use of quantitative tools to infer the presence or absence of equity in the situation, and the impact of these processes on organizational decision-making. This study is designed to add to the literature related to systematic analysis by looking at a setting and an issue characterized by a great deal of ambiguity. The first case reviews the development of a pool model to analyze sexual equity and surrounding events related to the appointment of faculty from the late sixties until 1976. The second case focuses on the use of a regression model for assessing equity in librarian salaries. It is concluded that ultimately the effectiveness of rational analysis, although associated with hard technology, is dependent on an interplay of human values and beliefs, organizational structure and norms, external influences, and unpredicted events. Short-range and long-range strategies that may improve the ability of management to promote organizational changes increasing equity in employment opportunity and rewards on the campus are listed. (SW)

Strategic planning in higher education is discussed from the perspective of institutional research. Attention is directed to: institutional mission, institutional assessment, institutional leadership, environmental assessment, market analysis, and competitive position. Strategic planning merges incrementalism, which focuses on flexibility, practicality, and political participation in organizational decision-making, with comprehensive planning, which stresses systematic data collection and analysis. Strategic planning requires top administrative leadership, involvement, and support. Similar to corporate planning, strategic planning is entrepreneurial. Strategic planning infuses an awareness of future environmental threats and market opportunities into present-day decision-making to increase organizational capacity and desire to take risks to achieve institutional goals, values, and objectives. Emphasis is placed on the role of institutional research in realizing the potential of strategic planning to help decision-makers guide their institutions through difficult times ahead. Two checklists are included that can be used to evaluate institutional climate and components of strategic planning. (Author/SW)

The authors claim that the principal contribution of research on teacher thinking is enrichment of understanding of what teachers know and what teaching entails. Studies of teacher planning, decision making, knowledge, and theorizing can be used to provide prospective teachers with a realistically complex picture of the cognitive aspects of teaching. This research also supports the development of a conception of teaching as a reflectively professional enterprise. For both novices and experienced teachers the proposed goals of applying this research are to promote understanding of teaching as a design profession and to empower teachers in self-directed professional development efforts. Knowledge about how teachers get their work done is of worth to teachers not because it will provide them with new tools to use, but rather because it changes the way researchers view what teachers need to know; researchers can then be of more help to teachers. Descriptions of teaching that have been produced by studies of teacher thinking can help to provide a framework for researchers to decide what sorts of information, advice, and support will be useable in the classroom. (Author/JD)

There are ways to meet the need for social studies reform and revitalization other than adopting an "agenda of inquiry" which would incorporate the potentially appealing aspects of the radical perspective, as proposed by Fred M. Newmann. As a result of recent reform reports, many educators have already taken action to improve educational quality. For example, two reform proposals, the Carnegie Report and the Paideia Proposal, are being piloted in some school districts, and professional organizations in the social studies and the disciplines are attempting to influence what is happening in American schools. An agenda of inquiry, if defined as the process of active learning and critical thinking and discourse which will help students become more humane, insightful, and active citizens, is supported. There are, however, problems with trying to take a radical approach to education: (1) radicals begin with conclusions; (2) radical writing contains mystifying jargon and abstract and deterministic analyses; (3) teachers are not equipped to use the Socratic dialogue; and (4) teachers and academics are not the only ones who can make decisions about curriculum content and teaching methods. (RM)

This paper describes the results of research conducted on the perceptions of college and university presidents relative to the perceived impact of the institutional research office on institutional effectiveness at their respective institutions. A national survey of 485 college and university presidents resulted in 261 responses. The survey focused on presidents' perceptions of effectiveness of some of the basic activities central to institutional research, planning, and assessment. Among these activities were: reporting of data to internal and external constituents, institutional planning support, student need and opinion evaluation, academic program planning and assessment, enrollment projection and analysis, and student learning outcomes assessment. Institutional research units were also evaluated relative to the degree to which they were reactive versus proactive, provided timely and accurate data and information, demonstrated understanding of data and information needs of campus decision makers, and the degree to which the president relied on the institutional research unit. (Contains 11 references.) (Author)

This study assesses how much control governments of the Commonwealth of Nations (formerly the British Commonwealth) are exercising over their universities. The study encompassed a review of the relevant literature, an examination of the acts and statutes which control universities, and a questionnaire sent to 70 university vice chancellors, which generated 53 responses. The review of the literature and the legal documents revealed considerable variation in the extent of government involvement in the affairs of universities, on a continuum which ranged from a controlling role for the state at one end to a more liberal supervising role at the other. The questionnaire responses were used to plot the relative positions of seven regions United Kingdom, Mediterranean, Australasia, Asia, Africa, North American (Canada), and the Caribbean on the same continuum. Sections of the report address sources of information and methodology, results by region, an overall picture, questions of state supervision or state control, and institutional autonomy and academic freedom. Appended are the questionnaire, a list of universities that completed the questionnaire, regional analysis of questionnaire results. A graphical presentation of the regional results, a list of the universities supplying legal documents, and a classification of questionnaire answers. (Contains 54 references.) (BF)

This paper proposes approaches for both strategic and operational reform and restructuring of higher education. An approach to strategic decision making requires a detailed examination of mission, clientele, programs, competitiveness, and strategic objectives. There are operational efficiencies that institutions can obtain with the proper discipline and commitment. The reform process has a role for trustees. Strategic decision making begins with answering five essential questions concerning: (1) the fundamental mission of the institution; (2) the clientele and their primary needs; (3) programs needed to meet these needs and prioritization; (4) identification of distinguishing characteristics of the institution which offer a competitive edge over other institutions; and (5) identification of the institution's strategic objectives. Decisions regarding future plans in these five areas depend on consideration of external influences, internal capabilities, and culture of the institution. Identifying and setting priorities occur at the university-wide and program-specific levels. Operational reform is concerned with how institutional changes are made such as the most appropriate approach to downsizing in a particular environment. (JLS)

This paper by the former president of the University of Liberia on building consensus for higher education reform in Africa begins by identifying three obstacles to reform: (1) lack of understanding of the complex African context which could result in setting the wrong goals for reform; (2) a political situation that inhibits freedom of thought and restricts the political participation of the majority of the continent's people; and (3) the lack of readily available funds to support reform. Approaches to removing these obstacles and facilitating reform are discussed in terms of consultation processes, organizational structures, and management decisions. Five specific management actions are urged: instituting proper financial management; computerizing student records; instituting overall personnel policies; establishing a university relations office; and establishing a planning unit. In addition, the roles of key actors and interest groups students, governments, graduates, other higher education institutions, and international donor agencies are addressed. (Contains 13 references.) (DB)

This paper summarizes the specialized requirements for management information of boards of trustees of theological seminaries. The well-designed information system is seen to take advantage of member skills, board structure, agenda setting, and both formal and informal information flows. Inadequacies of poorly-designed systems include: (1) administrative versus governance perspective; (2) lack of strategic relevance; (3) data overload; (4) inappropriate levels of detail; (5) individual trustee versus whole board education; (6) disregard for trustee time constraints; (7) reliance on the anecdotal and episodic; and (8) inadequate guidance for action. Board information systems aimed at correcting these inadequacies are addressed in terms of service mix, service quality, resource acquisition, resource management, and institutional mission. It is suggested that reports, both quantitative and narrative, will be useful to the board to the degree that they display sensitivity to values and mission, focus on strategic issues, selectivity in structure, use of norms and comparative data, and graphical displays. The timing of a board's consideration of its own process is also discussed. Appendices provide an outline of strategic decision making and a format for evaluation of board information systems. (BF)

Papers on library statistics, which were presented at the 1983 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference, include: (1) "Network Statistics and Library Management," in which Glyn T. Evans (United States) suggests that network statistics can be used to improve internal library decisionmaking, enhance group resource sharing decisions, and provide a common base for national and international information policy decisions; (2) "The Impact of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cutural Organization) Statistics on Nigerian Library Services," by J. A. Dosunmu (Nigeria); (3) "A U.S. (United States) Perspective on Library Statistics--Domestic and International," in which Robert Wedgeworth (United States) outlines activities intended to coordinate the collection and dissemination of American library statistics and the experience of the American Library Association (ALA) in collecting international library statistics; (4) "The Development of Library Statistics in the Caribbean," a description by Carol Collins (Guyana) of data collection activities and the need for further library statistics, particularly performance measurement data; and (5) "Evolution des Couts des Periodiques dans les Bibliotheques Universitaires Francais durant la Periode 1972-1982 (The Evolution of the Costs of Journals in French University Libraries from 1972 to 1982)," in which Gerard Thirion (France) reports a 5% and a 2% annual increase in foreign and French journal subscription costs respectively, based on a study conducted at the University of Nancy (paper in French). (ESR)

This paper discusses the future of education in relation to school trustees' responsibilities for public decision-making. Trustees should maximize local decision-making as the preferred alternative, the paper says, to try to avoid a depersonalized, highly bureaucratized, future society. Several authors' views of social and educational futures are cited. (Author/LD)

The first of the three papers which set the theme for this monograph on telecommunications is an examination of the implications of telecommunications developments for the learning society by Michael B. Spring. Marlowe Froke then looks at telecommunications development in institutions of higher education and discusses institutional change that might allow effective use of the new technology. Finally, Walter Radzyminski addresses the opportunities and obstacles higher education will need to consider in deciding whether or not to use cable telecommunications technology in planning for institutional futures. Several respondents provide formulated statements reacting to one or more of the initial three papers. These responses include perspectives from the cable industry, from a small university's telecommunications efforts, and from the development of a 10-institution consortium agreement. Other topics covered are the commitments necessary to participate in the telecommunications revolution, issues and trends considered in the principal papers, life-long learning issues, and institutional considerations. John C. Weidman provides a summary of the monograph and makes some concluding observations. (Author/LMM)

This occasional paper appraises the implications of occupational training families (OTF) for further education (FE) in Great Britain. In the early sections, the document sketches the background of OTFs and appraises the advantages and disadvantages of the concept. In so doing, four possible approaches to helping young people acquire flexibility, versatility, and the ability to learn are described: through general education, occupational grouping, occupationally based training, and basic skills. The paper identifies OTFs as a variant that groups jobs by 11 key purposes and concludes that in providing a broad-based youth training, OTFs have no particular merit. The report also discusses the usefulness of OTFs to job competence, progression, and skill ownership; the conclusion is that OTFs could be disadvantageous to skill development. The report describes the ways in which FE relates to OTFs. It is felt that in some cases there is little to be gained by using the OTF listings, but that there is some value in using the concepts related to training for skill ownership. The document is intended to place OTFs in perspective and to assist FE teachers and others in evaluating the usefulness of OTFs. (KC)

Adolescence is a developmental period that affords both risk as well as enormous opportunity. Ripple effects can extend far and wide and speak to the nuance and complexity in understanding and treating ADHD during the adolescent period. The studies in this special issue provide novel and important insights into the lives of adolescents with ADHD, and they collectively point to important areas for both research and clinical attention. Further, each of the studies underscore the importance of soliciting the perspective of adolescents with ADHD. In this commentary, I consider the value of self-report when working with adolescents with ADHD, the possibility of a self-perception bias in youth with ADHD, challenges in assessing social functioning in adolescence, and implications for school-based assessments and interventions. For treatment specifically, I raise the possibility of a modular intervention approach for adolescents with ADHD and shared decision making that solicits and incorporates the adolescent perspective. The voices of adolescents with ADHD may be crucial for understanding how to lower risk, promote resilience, reduce stigma, and improve our assessments and interventions. [This paper was published in "Canadian Journal of School Psychology" v35 p311-322 2020 (EJ1272591).]

Viable reading education programs require faculty who not only know the field but also remain sensitive to the many forces controlling program survival. A program will function well only if the administration clearly articulates the management process, responds intelligently to market trends, and includes faculty input in decision making. Among the issues that need to be addressed are (1) how curriculum issues should be controlled; (2) who should control the management aspects of reading education; (3) how resources should be allocated, and what part reading faculty should play in budget expenditures; (4) how other teacher education programs relate to reading education; (5) what external influences control reading education; and (6) how reading education is responding to the changing market. These issues combined with curriculum content analysis form the basis for solid review, planning, and renewal in reading education. (HOD)

Possible impacts of changing information technology on the role of the institutional researcher, who serves as a decision support intermediary, are examined. Attention is directed to measurement, human information processing, and decision support technology. It is noted that management information systems are dependent on measurement for data gathering, data processing, and the managerial inquiring and deciding subsystems. To illustrate a dimension of a measurement framework, seven maxims for institutional research (Hackman, 1983) are discussed; these are based on cognitive theory and provide insight on the trend in the role of the intermediary. In addition, concepts of the decision support system (DSS) are explained. Finally, the results of surveys of institutional research directors at Canadian and U.S. universities concerning the implementation of information technology and the use of DDS are described. It is concluded that the role of the intermediary is probably not threatened by existing information technology but that the intermediary should expand traditional activities to include aid for management's user-driven computing for decision support. The alternative is for these services to be run by data processing or administrative systems departments. (Author/SW)

The role of institutional research in the creation and operation of an information center is discussed, along with the ways in which the spread of information centers within higher education is likely to influence the future development of institutional research. Forces leading to the emergence of information centers are advances in computer hardware and software, and the emergence of the end-users (i.e., people who make productive use of the computer). To insure that the use of computer resources serves organizational objectives without constricting the flexibility of user independence, two components are needed: a systems review group to oversee and coordinate the growth of computer use, and information system development. The prerequisites for information center development are: the recognition of need, database considerations, a pilot test, definition of roles, and budget commitment and perceived benefits. One institutions's experiences in linking the institutional research office to performing information center functions are described. It is suggested that rather than providing information in a formal report, institutional researchers will increasingly assist decision makers in retrieving, analyzing, and reporting needed information directly via their own computer. (SW)

A working knowledge of futurist perspective is becoming essential to educators. While global education acquaints students with their responsibilities as members of a group extending beyond their personal and local boundaries, futurism awakens students to the interconnectedness of past, present, and future. Although debate exists over whether it is an art or science, futurism is defined by Toffler and others as a methodology that clarifies and communicates future possibilities to decision makers. A course entitled "History of the Future" taught at the secondary school and college level illustrates how this perspective can prepare students to make choices among perceived alternatives that may be considered when examining historical, contemporary, and future issues. The course begins with an introduction to the concepts of change, progress, and the future through a study of nuclear weapons capabilities. This is followed by an examination of 25 American historical myths, a consideration of historical fallacy, and an exercise in creating models of historical development. In the next phase of the course, a study of futures planning and problem solving techniques culminates in an exercise in which students play a future president faced with approving a Congressional bill which legalizes the manufacture and sale of renucleated ova. The course concludes with a survey of emerging societal trends. (LP)

The integration of religious and educational perspectives on "career" in a life work/career planning process would enable persons to exercise their talents, skills, and spirit through meaningful jobs. If career is understood to mean a course of continuing progress, then vocation becomes those meanings which a person makes or discovers throughout a lifetime of working and living. The vocation which a person must anticipate is not only a progression of occupations, it is also the way a person derives meaning repeatedly from non-occupational as well as occupational activity. The following topics are central to the clarification of the concept of vocation, (1) the swing from an occupational to a career psychology; (2) development of a decision-making framework with two aspects--anticipation, which involves problem exploration, crystalization, choice, and clarification, and accommodation, whose stages are induction or initiation, reformation, and integration of self and group; (3) development of self awareness in decision making through "I" power and language; and (4) the concepts of intuition and evolution and their role in structuring reality. This model of vocation has implications for personal living as well as for the community colleges in their development of career guidance and educational programs. A bibliography is included. (Author/MB)

Major public policies for institutional governance in France, Sweden, and the United Kingdom over the past two decades are reviewed, and factors that may account for differences in policy developments in the three countries are considered. In France and (although only recently) in Sweden, politics have aimed at increasing institutional autonomy in higher education. British universities are considerably more independent from central government than are their counterparts in either France or Sweden. It is suggested that both demands and policies directed at increasing participation and autonomy in higher education are manifestations of broad social and policy trends in these countries. The concept of political culture is proposed to aid in understanding the variable feasibility of comprehensive reform in the three countries. It is also suggested that the contents of policy proposals may be attributed at least partially to the variations in participation by specific interest groups in policy formulation. The diverse efforts in each country to evaluate and explain reform implementation regarding institutional governance are also examined. An attempt is made to show that the transformation of institutional governance has been linked both to the development of systems of higher education from elite to mass systems and with broad social and policy trends toward participation and decentralization. (SW)

The objective of this booklet is to present an integrated picture of the philosophy, process, and practices of strategic planning in an organizational context. It is based on the premise that planning includes the design of a desired future as well as effective ways of bringing it about. Specifically, the document illustrates a planning process-the Planning-Allocating-Monitoring Cycle (PAM). The PAM cycle consists of seven steps: (1) setting goals and objectives, (2) determining principal factors which influence these goals and objectives, (3) identifying likely future changes, (4) identifying choices, (5) assessing consequences, (6) deciding the best ways to allocate resources in light of various consequences, and (7) monitoring these processes so that they work toward desired results. Within a corporate context, the PAM cycle focuses on identifying most important factors influencing specified goals and objectives, identifying the best information about each factor, getting a clear picture of the situation as a whole, and determining the impact of alternative strategies on bottom-line performance measures. Four case studies are presented as examples of PAM uses within a corporate context. The case studies involve conducting a survey of corporate managers to determine how they view the relationship of their organizations with society, forecasting world oil prices in the 1980's, projecting scenarios of investment in the United Kingdom in the 1980's, and creating a simulation model for a new high technology project. For each case study, information is presented on pragmatic application of PAM principles, processes used which highlight PAM principles, and evaluation of survey/model/forecasting results in light of PAM principles and other available data. (BD)

Contracting for public services (e.g., social services, administrative functions, maintenance services, and health and security) is an attractive alternative for communities which could potentially undergo the boom/bust cycle of energy development. Typical communities surrounding new or proposed energy development projects (especially in the western United States) have extremely low population densities and often are located considerable distances from a metropolitan center. The labor force for the new development has to migrate into the area, which creates severe dislocations for communities and residents. A community's ability to supply services is influenced by a variety of factors; frequently, in energy development communities, these factors are unknown and changing rapidly. In these circumstances there are at last four potential advantages to private contracting: there is an incentive for entrepreneurial efficiency; local governments can take advantage of economies of specialization and scale; it is often difficult to establish the minimum cost of goods or services provided by the public sector; and there is the potential for increased government responsiveness to public preferences. Many communities are utilizing the private contracting system, but communities considering contracting for service delivery should investigate the details of writing and letting contracts, as well as the means of service evaluation and enforcement. (BRR)

An analysis of college programs that extends beyond cost comparisons and that may improve academic decision-making is described. The framework is based on the program cost elements presented by Gonyea and Harper (1978). A hypothetical college of urban affairs is used to illustrate the program cost elements. The program includes four constants: program, students, faculty, and costs. If the four constants are translated into categories of values, emphasis may be directed to the following four academic qualifiers: programs with special meaning, programs with potential for growth, programs with regional/national prestige, and programs with "valued" faculty. A continuum is presented that describes each program by the average credit hours taught by full-time faculty. When this continuum is balanced with a program distribution that considers actual program costs, a different pattern emerges. It is concluded that there is a need to augment traditional criteria and cost measures with "value need" assessments, since budgetary decisions and program continuance are at issue. Program decisions involve the following principles: a creative approach to evaluating the role of the institution as it relates to community need; a subject weighting of quality and potential; and the institutional role in motivating both the community and the institution to address needs that might improve the quality of life in the community. (SW)

The self-correcting process in higher education, which provides a basis for predicting institutional decisions related to personnel, curriculum, and the environment, is discussed. Since group process is important to influencing personnel decisions in higher education, the institutional researcher can make predictions based on the actions of search, tenure, and promotion committees. A brief case example demonstrates the attempt of faculties to balance leadership, a powerful element of the self-correcting process. Two examples are also presented of institutional responses to tenure issues and demands for career-oriented programs. It is suggested that the process of questioning what type of programs should be offered by colleges is important to the self-correcting process, since the competition for high technology industry among states is anticipated to influence college curriculum development. In addition, many institutions have reinstituted core curriculum requirements. The institutional environment includes communication, problem-solving, administrative style, and the way that information is collected, maintained, and reported. For 13 issues pertaining to personnel, curriculum, and the environment, potential implications of two contrasting college environments are identified. (SW)

An agenda to make historical analysis an integral part of public policy analysis in higher education is outlined. It is argued that the history of higher education should have a prominant place within higher education as a field of research, planning, development, and administration. Rather than claiming that a knowledge of the history of higher education provides lessons to prevent bad decisions, it is suggested that serious study of the history of higher education should provide contemporary leaders with a grasp of the complexities, not the simplicities, of the past. To achieve this aim, graduate students and future leaders need to be exposed to studies that disprove convenient stereotypes. In addition to knowing the important episodes of the history of higher education, it is proposed that contemporary administrators and policy planners use the methods, sources, and logic of the historian in considering higher education issues. For example, historical research can be essential for reconstructing the origins and rationale for low tuition and no tuition policies at state institutions. Historical research on administration and campus structure can also be useful in constructing organizational theory. (SW)

Intended to help those interested in developing ways of coping effectively with the wide variety of meeting and decision-making styles that are available throughout the world, the booklet integrates a number of ideas and approaches discussed at a recent convention of the Society of Intercultural Education, Training, and Research (SIETAR). An introductory section discusses implications of the correlation between language, thought, and behavior as related to meeting styles for intercultural groups. The next section, "Learning Together through Intercultural Dialogue," warns that in many cases the very structure and conventions adopted during meetings can significantly reduce the level of participation of the less dominant group and that such structure can be changed and can eventually lead to a change of attitudes as well. A section on traditional meeting styles presents examples of meeting styles of the Maaga of Nepal, the Barai of Papau New Guinea, the Ibo of Eastern Nigeria, the Mapuche of Chile, and the peasants of Malay. The examples highlight cultural diversity in leadership roles, the presence or absence of periods of silence, levels of participation, and the presence or absence of food or drink. Nine flexible aspects of the structure of meetings are briefly discussed: participant roles, sequence of participation, topic control, decision-making process, pace, space orientation, punctuality, language choice, and amenities. In the final section, examples of artificially reconstructed meeting styles are given to demonstrate the possibility of developing new styles to better facilitate meetings between intercultural groups. (LH)

Possible future developments in artificial intelligence (AI) as well as its limitations are considered that have implications for institutional research in higher education, and especially decision making and decision support systems. It is noted that computer software programs have been developed that store knowledge and mimic the decision-making abilities of experts. In order to picture possible future developments in AI and the possible effects on institutional researchers, an exercise in creative imagination for decision-making in the year 2001 is presented. It is noted that AI expands the capacity for memory, recall, association, and other capacities of human intelligence. AI is limited in terms of the function of integration. In addition to integrating the individual aspects of the mind itself, human intelligence can integrate other functions such as the emotional, sensory, and experiential domains, all of which may be important in decision-making. The institutional researcher of the future may help design sophisticated AI software that will require knowledge across a number of disciplinary fields and the ability to integrate these fields with expert system decision-processing software. 33 references. (SW)

The use of computers by institutional researchers is considered, with a focus on West Germany and Europe. Two developmental stages concerning higher education's political and economic contexts and information technology are addressed, along with the emerging tasks of instititutional research in higher education, and the functioning of microcomputers as decentralized computing power. Databases at the institutional level and statistical databases on the state and federal level operate mainly for government decision-making. Institutional research in Germany does not mean self-study for strategic planning of an individual university. Stages of information technology (batch systems, the online-system, and microcomputers) are considered. New roles for institutional researchers in Germany are projected: to enhance institutional planning, policy formation, and decision-making; to manage information; to help the end-users at the operational and strategic levels use their computers; to promote empirical investigations and the use of databases by the institutional research office; and to automate offices within the university. (SW)

Empirical hypotheses about organizational change are compared with actual case studies of change and leadership at the University of California (UC) system. The hypotheses are based on the sociological literature on complex organizations and are derived from three perspectives: (1) rational choice and analytic approaches, (2) cognitive perspectives, and (3) cybernetic approaches. Rational choice and analytic approaches posit organizational change as an outcome of leadership exercised through planned responses to environmental change, and/or in the management of internal interests through a dominant coalition. Cognitive perspectives view leadership and change as artifacts of the subjective assessment of objectively random events, while cybernetic approaches explain change as the result of the selective action of the environment on organizational "trials and errors." Reorganization of the UC library system, the development of UC's Early Outreach affirmative action programs, and Martin Trow's 1983 study of reorganization of the biological sciences at UC are discussed as examples of organizational change and responses to environmental changes. (SW)

Teaching moral behavior in schools is particularly difficult today because there is a diversity of standards reflecting the diverse elements of the culture. Even if consensus on morality could be assumed, however, past experience suggests that students would reject much of it, and neither arguing with them nor joining their rebellion is particularly constructive. A totally different way of looking at moral codes has been developed in the work of Lawrence Kohlberg. Kohlberg established two principles: (1) the process of thinking in reaching a moral decision is more important to educationists than the content of the decision; and (2) all people through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood develop through stages of moral decision making. He identified three levels of thinking, within each of which were two stages. The six stages progress from "obedience and punishment orientation" to "conscience or principle orientation." Awareness of the moral content of decision making is an important part of college life; the process should be taught to students and used by faculty in arriving at decisions for the college. (KC)

The results of a 2-year study on the interactions between government and private sector information activities are presented in terms of principles and guidelines for federal policy to support the development and use of information resources, products, and services, and to implement the principles. Discussions address sources of conflict between the public and private sectors; the roles of private enterprise, libraries, and government in providing information; and a summary of recent policy statements to avoid or resolve conflicts of interest in information dissemination. Definitions of key terms are provided. Appended are a list of Task Force members, definitions used in previous policy statements and publications, and a list of cases illustrating the application of the principles and recommendations of the task force. An extensive bibliography is included. (RBF)

Reflecting on a career spent in assessment in personnel selection and managment, the author lists 12 things (items) that he wishes he knew about assessment. The first four items are underdeveloped ideas set aside because of the field's preoccupation with equal employment opportunity. A second set (items five through eight) comes from intellectual neighbors in other disciplines. Items 9 through 12 grew from pure frustration. The author wishes that he knew: (1) how to handle predictions of different criteria when predictions are inconsistent; (2) how to individualize assessments in making employment decisions; (3) what personality variations to assess for what kinds of performance problems, how they might be assessed, and what their assessment would add to the accuracy of predictors of performance or other job-related behaviors; (4) how to select teams or replacement members of existing teams; (5) what a "standardized" test really is; (6) whether excellence in measurement is really much better than excellence in non-metric assessment; (7) more about test-taking strategies; (8) more about program design and evaluation; (9) whether simulations and related content assessments really work and aid traditional aptitude assessments; (10) more about the physical demands of jobs; (11) why it is no longer assumed that decision makers have brains; and (12) how to handle those who do not recognize the need for improved assessment. Included are two tables, an eight-item list of references, and one flowchart. (SLD)