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What is Environmental Scanning?
Environmental scanning is the ongoing tracking of trends, occurrences and new developments in an organization's internal and external environment that may have an impact both now and in the future. The results are extremely useful in shaping goals and strategies. Topics of interest include:
- Demographics
- Politics and Public Policy
- Economies
- Labor Market
- Education/Academic
- Technology
- Research
- Philanthropy
Recently Posted Environmental Scans
NASBO Fiscal Survey of States, Spring 2022 Edition
The National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) released a semi-annual report analyzing the fiscal condition of the states, including summary tables of general fund revenues, expenditures, and balances. This spring edition provides an overview of governors' budget proposals. Among the key takeaways for Fiscal 2022:
Online Education's Reputation Jumps, Survey Says
For six years New America has been collecting data on Americans’ views about higher education for its Varying Degrees survey. Surprisingly, despite significant social, cultural, political, and economic changes, there was remarkably little change in views on the value and opportunities provided by higher education. One area that did change was the perception of online education.
Under Audit: Equity Audits in State Higher Education Finance
MDRC published a policy brief titled Under Audit: Equity Audits in State Higher Education Finance in June 2022. This brief discusses the potential use of equity audits to identify and address inequities in the distribution of state funds to public institutions of higher learning. Community colleges and other broad access public institutions disproportionately enroll students from underserved populations and rely more heavily on state funds.
Ranking 4,500 Colleges by ROI (2022)
Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce published a report on Ranking 4,500 Colleges by ROI (2022) using data from the College Scorecard. The rankings include a metric that compares earnings ten years after enrollment with those of workers with a high school diploma as their highest credential.
Colleges Will Face Economic Challenges This Fall: Moody's
According to InsideHigherEd.com, a report released by Moody's, Converging Forces Will Squeeze Budgets for Many Colleges and Universities, projects institutional expenses will skyrocket in the 2022-2023 academic year due to wage inflation, labor shortages, and a nationwide hiring push.