A plan to establish an environmental scanning and forecasting system for colleges and universities is discussed as a way to maximize long-range planning. After proposing a program structure, attention is directed to methods of gaining organizational acceptance, developing a comprehensive taxonomy with an electronic filing system, identifying and assigning information resources, securing scanners, and training scanners and abstracters. Brief descriptions are included of activities involving the scanning committees, including conduct of meetings, training committee members in forecasting techniques, developing the scanning newsletter, and writing issue briefs. The primary purpose of an environmental scanning and forecasting system is to identify and analyze trends in order to uncover emerging issues that may affect the ability of colleges to perform their missions. The desired result would also be to provide the college's senior management with complete, objective, and detailed information about the external environment to help anticipate what is happening in the state, region, and nation. In support of the college's strategic planning process, the scanning committee would analyze and evaluate scanning abstracts on a monthly or bimonthly basis. (SW)