Strong, skillful, and committed leadership is essential and the selection of the coordinator of the study is therefore of paramount importance. It is important to have a steering committee broadly representative of the institution in order that objectivity may be promoted. Also, those whose interests might be affected by the results of the study should in some way be involved. How the leadership and the participating personnel are selected, whether by election, appointment, or some combination of both, must be resolved in accordance with the tradition and climate of the institution. Whatever the method of selection, it is imperative that sufficient time for effective participation be cleared and that adequate staff support be provided.
Most institutions have multiple constituencies who have somewhat differing interests and values.
The faculty, staff, administrators, and students may group themselves around such issues as the relative importance of general, as contrasted with specialized, education or the broader outcomes of a liberating education as contrasted with skill acquisition. The relative importance of research productivity on the one hand, and teaching effectiveness on the other, is a commonly encountered basis for alignment, especially in the large, complex institutions. Another common division groups those who would expand the institution's range of activities and broaden its constituency against those who would advocate a more limited role. An institution organizing for self-study should have these groupings in mind as it makes its plans and staffs its committees. The role of the governing board in the self-study process should be carefully considered.