Strategic Planning for Economic Development [microform] / Warren H. Groff

The Ohio Task Force on High Technology (TFHT) was formed in 1982 to make recommendations in four areas: (1) the development of future scenarios for Ohio; (2) human resource development of providers and consumers of postsecondary educational services; (3) equipment and capital plan expenditures; and (4) implications of high technology for academic program development, approval, and evaluation. Through a series of meetings and creation of working papers and models, the TFHT developed 11 recommendations under these four goal areas. In general, the committee noted that the United States is experiencing the onset of a transformation from an industrialized to a technical society based on information. For Ohio, this trend will mean the loss of jobs unless the postsecondary establishment, in concert with other parts of society, accepts a commitment to strategic planning and management. Collection and analysis of data should begin with the Ohio Board of Regents undertaking an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities in order to clarify the role of technical education in economic development. From there, a multi-year action plan could be derived. The commitment to strategic planning and management should be paralleled by a commitment to human resource development. With regard to capital planning, additional money is required to support high technological equipment, and program development must be synchronized with such equipment purchase. In the area of program development and review, more emphasis should be placed on the requirements of high technology programs and the development of more innovative programs. Pulling together these four aspects of the educational process should result in a better system for Ohio to meet the challenges of an information-oriented technical society in the years to come. (A summary of recommendations is attached.) (KC)