Environmental scanning activities in higher education were described in forums at the 1986 annual meetings of the American Association for Higher Education (AAHE), the Association for Institutional Research (AIR), and the Society of College and University Planning (SCUP). The forums were held to determine the extent of environmental scanning activities in U.S. higher education and to form networks of individuals interested in adapting the techniques to their schools. Environmental scanning is increasingly being used by colleges to promote planning. The major benefit of an environmental scanning/forecasting system is to provide critical information for strategic planning. Such a system allows the institution to detect social, economic, technological, and political trends and potential events that define the context of the future. In turn, decision-makers can anticipate what is happening in the state, region, nation, and world that will affect the nature and quality of the institution and its educational programs. Summaries of environmental scanning activities at 15 colleges and 3 additional projects/systems are provided, based on descriptions by individuals who attended the 1986 forums. Plans for sessions on environmental scanning at the 1987 annual meetings of AAHE, AIR, and SCUP are also described. (SW)