In 2002 President Martin Jischke initiated a new era in strategic planning at Purdue. Under his leadership, strategic planning became a centralized activity with unit plans aligned to the university plan. Strategic goals were designed to have maximum impact, which would be measurable through metrics. Strategic planning at Purdue would be an…

An economically healthy continuing education institution thrives or declines on its ability to offer courses that sufficient numbers of students want to enroll in and do in timely fashion. A key metric associated with this is the percentage of courses offered in any given quarter that are cancelled. Low cancellation rates contribute to…

In this article, the author uses the occasion of the centennial of University Extension at Harvard to document how this unique educational institution came into being and why it became associated with Harvard University. He traces the prominent role played by the Lowell family in establishing the Lowell Institute of Boston in the late 1830s and…

Outreach, engagement, community involvement, student engagement, and economic development--the concept takes many related forms; but they all point to the fact that higher education institutions are responding to society's increasing requirements for accountability. Colleges and universities large and small, public and private have emerged from…

Higher education--and continuing education as one arm of that enterprise--is not just an economic engine; it contributes directly and in a multifaceted fashion to the common good. It generates and makes accessible a great deal of the knowledge that drives the economy; it helps develop an understanding of the society and the world for millions of…

Faculty instructional time is a critical resource at all universities, but particularly in a major research institution like Harvard. Operating on the periphery of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard's division of Continuing Education is often at a disadvantage when attempting to recruit senior faculty. However, through its distance…

Data from student evaluations of a master's degree program (n=139, 45 percent response) are used to demonstrate four techniques: factor, correlational, discriminant, and multiple regression analysis. Their usefulness in identifying causal factors related to program quality is discussed. (SK)

Interviews with 22 faculty teaching in off-campus programs showed (1) teacher role changed because of compressed time frame, student expectations, and existence of cohort groups; (2) professional and personal satisfaction diminished because of time pressures, diminished interaction with on-campus colleagues; and (3) faculty needed consistent…

Outreach is defined as one of six types of public service, along with inreach, university service, professional service, community/civic service, and consulting. Outreach is part of the academic core, cross-cutting teaching, research, and service. Its integration into the university mission changes the focus of continuing higher education. (SK)