Massachusetts Higher Education in the Eighties: The Long Range Plan for Public Higher Education. A White Paper. The Alden Seminars.

Statewide planning for higher education, with specific reference to Massachusetts, is discussed in a 1982 Alden Seminar position paper, comments regarding the position paper, and an overview of the overall seminar. In "One Half Revolution, One Half Status Quo: Remarks on A Long Range Plan for Public Higher Education in Massachusetts," Stephen Joel Trachtenberg discusses the Massachusetts "Long Range Plan" for higher education. This plan requires faculties and administrators to share the responsibility for academic planning not only with their own boards of trustees but with the statewide board of regents. In addition to reviewing annually the enrollments of the 27 taxpayer-supported institutions, the board of regents will undertake periodic systemwide reviews of selected academic fields or program areas, along with comprehensive institutional program reviews on a 5-year cycle. Personal perspectives are offered regarding whether this new system for Massachusetts higher education will succeed, and predictable stresses and strains that will occur as the new system goes into full operation are identified. In addition, the question of whether the plan is adequate in meeting the challenges posed by the current period is addressed. (SW)