Difficulties encountered by policy makers as they seek to preserve and increase efficiency in university management are discussed, using the system of higher education in West Germany as a frame of reference. Topics include the training, research, and service functions of the university, educational finance, and the state-university relationship.…

Transitions in the social and economic circumstances of Western postsecondary education are: changing numbers of students and jobs; the shift from elite values to educational goals that promote equality; the growing significance of the school government relationship; and stability rather than expansion. (JMD)

Questions and issues related to the assessment of performance in institutions of higher education and the development of performance indicators are addressed. Topics include: institutional objectives, planning and control systems, non-profit performance evaluation techniques, multi-dimensional analysis, and performance indicators. (JMD)

Issues suggested by John Sizer's paper, an overview of the assessment of institutional performance, include: the efficient-frontier approach, multiple-criterion decision-making models, performance analysis approached as path analysis, and assessment of academic quality. (JMD)

The evolution of management information systems in higher education is traced, with contributing factors noted. Benefits are summarized and shortcomings are discussed with emphasis on their limitations as the basis for resource allocation during an era of budgetary stringency. (Author/JMD)

A planning process is advocated and the elements (strategic, operational, and budgetary), contents, and flow of the process are outlined. Necessary staff work and experiences in the use of various institutional planning techniques are discussed. (Author/LBH)

Results of two separate studies by the Center for Educational Management Studies at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst on the use of comprehensive models are reviewed. Current status of model use is summarized and the findings of a survey on the potential use of models are reviewed. Shortcomings and possibilities for future research and…

The origin and objectives of the HIS, MSAR, TUSS, and Gern models are explained and main characteristics are compared regarding: estimates of student numbers, teaching curricula, size of groups, hourly workload of teaching staff, calculation of space requirements, non-teaching staff, operating and capital budgets. Pooling of efforts is…

Quantifiable data planning systems and their characteristics are discussed. The need for system integration with institutional data systems for control and operations is emphasized, and prerequisites for such integration are identified. Resources and organizational changes necessary for implementing a planning data system are examined. (Author/LBH)

Any worthwhile approach to the question of costs in connection with planning must begin by considering not only what kind of costs will be relevant but also what kind of planning they are to be used for. Efforts being used in U.S. and European universities are reviewed. (Author/LBH)

This article proposes--and illustrates by actual example--the extent to which day-to-day facilities planning in universities must in the future be determined by the dynamics of change acting upon the university of tomorrow, whose objectives must be rethought and modified. Issues considered include the teaching, research, and especially the…

The merging of four British teacher training institutions and the accompanying severe reduction in teaching staff is described, focusing on the teachers' role in the process, developing an administrative structure, and making decisions about program redundancy. (MSE)

Switzerland's overall plan for planning and coordinating university functions, the administrative and funding trends noted since the plan was first implemented, and the experience of Fribourg University in implementing the national plan are outlined and discussed. (MSE)

Outlines the University of Ottawa's characteristics and special missions, the main features of the Ontario system of universities that have affected planning in each institution, and the main planning initiatives--successful and in-progress--taken by the University of Ottawa. (MSE)

Crucial changes in education, research, and society are decisive factors in a change strategy for university and research institution policy. Planning must now be more than physical planning and must include new qualitative features such as expert systems and new algorithms. (MSE)