Comparative measures across institutions can be useful but only if comparisons are made among colleges and universities with similar missions and operating conditions. As part of the second wave of education reform, there is almost universal agreement that these bonds must be broken if the schools are to be redesigned and reengineered to place learning first. The Nine Forces Shaping America 1. There is increasing diversity among the people in the US, and mass markets are fragmenting as people expect relatively customized products and services. Redefinition of individual and societal roles - Blurring of the former lines that separated the public and private sectors, as well as what people expect from institutions and what society expects from individuals.
Information is increasingly a valuable commodity.
Globalization - Global competitors, global markets, global information, global communications, global politics, global environment. Economic restructuring - Global competition, new telecommunications capabilities, changing consumer expectations, changing economic conditions all are forcing North American businesses to restructure. There will be increasing concern about, and action directed toward, environmental and social degradation, and increased ethical concerns. Countdown to the 21st Century, excerpted and adapted for use by the World Future Society, Presented by Bill Searle, Prof. of Management and Futures Studies, Asnuntuck Com. Contributions for future issues of the Strategic Planning Digest are solicited.