Strategic planning in Texas community colleges

Introduction and Conceptual Framework. Factors outside community colleges have made effective planning a necessary requirement for the future. Demographic changes, reduced budgets, and calls for accountability have made college leaders aware of the need for more effective planning. Changes in accreditation standards have established a link between strategic planning and effectiveness and will require that colleges demonstrate that they are actively engaged in planning for the improvement of education. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the extent of strategic planning and the effectiveness of the planning process as perceived by Texas community college chief executive officers. Extent of strategic planning and perceived effectiveness were also correlated with institutional variables. Method. This field study was conducted in two parts. The first part of the study used a questionnaire mailed to the chief executive officers of the fifty community college districts in Texas. This questionnaire requested general information about planning, and assessment of extent of strategic planning, an assessment of impacts of the planning process, and information about colleges which planned effectively. The second part of the study required on-site interviews with administrators and faculty in two districts listed as planning effectively. [...]