American higher education has traditionally refused to adopt modern management and planning techniques. However, now that colleges are facing a new era of declining enrollments, inflated costs, and shifting academic priorities, there is considerable self-reflection. This book details the nature and dimensions of education's dramatic reversal and the reasons behind it. The new role of strategic planning and its effect on professors, trustees, and college presidents is examined. Based on the author's visits to campuses across the United States, as well as on interviews with leading educators and planners, the book delineates the special requirements of academic management and is applicable for all organizations faced with change. Specific topics covered include the leadership crisis, curricular and technology changes, and the outlook for the future. Case histories are cited throughout. (LB)