A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF LONG RANGE PLANNING AT SELECTED INDEPENDENT COLLEGES IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN

Problem. Smaller colleges are predominant in the private sector of higher education in Michigan, are resources important to the state, and are vulnerable to the problems which are expected to face American higher education for the next decade. Many authorities in higher education administration regard long range planning as an effective means by which colleges can deal with these problems. Various planning techniques, models, and systems have been developed but must be modified in order to effectively serve institutions which differ in type and scale. Such modifications are to be based upon the planning currently conducted at these colleges. However, relatively little has been reported about long range planning at independent colleges in Michigan.;Background. Studies by Shoemaker and by Palola and Padgett developed frameworks for differentiating the planning approaches of colleges and universities. These studies described the planning conducted at selected American institutions and concluded that institutional planning of a decade ago was typically expedient, unsystematic, and operational rather than substantive, systematic and comprehensive.;Method. A questionnaire consisting of open-ended questions was used to collect data from a randomly chosen sample of 20 of the 47 independent colleges in Michigan. The respondents were the chief planning officers of these colleges. Responses provided descriptions of the long range planning processes, organizations, issues, and attitudes at the subject colleges. Long range planning at six of the colleges was examined more intensively in separate case studies. The study was not concerned with evaluating the effectiveness of institutional planning.;Analysis. Questionnaire responses were interpreted as reflective of informal or formalized approaches to long range planning. The characteristics of the cluster of colleges perceived as informal planners were compared to the characteristics of the cluster of colleges perceived as formal planners.;Purpose. To characterize long range planning at a substantial proportion of the independent colleges in Michigan by comparing long range planning processes, organizations, attitudes, and issues at these subject institutions.;Conclusions and Recommendations. Descriptors of structure and process provide definitive characterizations of institutional long range planning. Agencies assisting independent colleges might benefit from the use of instruments which analyze the long range planning of a college and compare its structure and process with similar institutions. Attitudes affect the status given long range planning as an administrative function. Studies dealing specifically with the relationships of administrator attitudes and planning are suggested. Independent colleges are increasingly receptive to long range planning but appear reluctant to accept standardized planning systems. Organizations which promote institutional planning should consider the development of programs which foster generation of long range planning by individual colleges rather than the installation of packaged systems at the colleges. Social values as well as administrative values appear to be derived from long range planning at colleges. Formalized long range planning was also viewed as a significant factor in resolution of financial problems at several colleges. However, these findings should be regarded as hypotheses to be tested in future study.