Uses the systems approach to partially explain the organizational aspects of British universities that implemented a B.Ed. degree. (IRT)

This paper reports on a project undertaken at Humboldt State College, California, to estimate the coefficients of the so-called "induced course load matrix," perhaps the single most vital component of some models that are being developed to aid administrative planning and decisionmaking in institutions of higher education. Chapter I, the…

This paper discusses the nature, scope, and limitations of the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education's Planning and Management Systems Program (WICHE-PMS). (1) It summarizes the goals of the program which are the improvement of (a) higher education institutional management, (b) statewide coordination, and (c) decisionmaking processes…

Student discontent, faculty demands and the sometimes unwise behavior of boards of trustees have made the job of college president a difficult one. Because of the job's complexity, it is essential to redefine administrative functions, to base decision making on empirical findings, and to conduct institutional research and studies of governance to…

This conference report on legislative decisionmaking in higher education is primarily concerned with the financing of colleges and universities. Management systems information is provided, and sessions were held on "How can a state tell whether or not it is getting its money's worth?" and "How to allocate funds for various segments of higher…

Academic planning in higher education is strongly influenced by business management theories and practices. The author questions the usefulness of this approach because the nature of higher education differs from the nature of a profit-making business. However, rational planning to achieve efficiency is relevant if efficiency is not confined to…

The first part of this document describes the following four new managerial tools available to the educational administrator: Planning-programming-budgeting, systems analysis, PERT or the critical path method, and the Delphi technique which employs the systematic solicitation and collation of expert opinion to achieve consensus in the formulation…

The Management, Administrative Profile System (MAPS) was developed to permit assessment of a college on three levels. The detailed discussion of each level is preceded by a general process model which identifies the specific instrumentation, available options, and the major action steps associated with a particular level of assessment. Level "A"…

Higher education will be analyzed in greater depth in the future than at any time in the past. Comprehensive information systems will grow and be used for planning, budgeting, and coordination of all postsecondary education supported by public funds. As these information systems develop, educators and legislators must use the information to make…

Different approaches to evaluation are described: systems analysis, behavioral objectives, professional review, and case study. For an evaluation system to operate, it must be perceived as being fair; the legitimacy of evaluation is dependent on the issue of fairness. (MLW)

Describes a department-level budgeting system that uses computer assistance. (IRT)

Three decision-making models that have applications for college presidents and administrators are reviewed. While both individual and group decision-making are addressed, emphasis is placed on the importance of group decisions on institutional policy planning. The model of Edmund M. Burke (1979) presents specific decision-making strategies in…

Developed at Brigham Young University, Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) is a technique for enhancing the probability of success in any system by analyzing the most likely modes of failure that could occur. It provides a logical, step-by-step description of possible failure events within a system and their interaction--the combinations of potential…

Describes the Drexel University Computer Simulator of Operations with an Online Program (DUCSOOP), a computer program intended to provide instruction on the nature of simulation and its use in decision making, by generating discrete flow simulation models based upon parameters provided by model designer. Examples and four references are included.…

Institutional research is a practicing art, whose merits lie in its relevance to and influence on decision and policy making. A more positive attitude toward theory-related research would enhance its future development. (Author/MLW)