Effective Use of Models in the Decision Process: Theory Grounded in Three Case Studies

Abstract

Mathematical models have gained wide acceptance in higher education administration over the past decade. These years have seen a shift in emphasis from the large, comprehensive models such as the Resource Requirements Prediction Model (RRPM) to flexible modeling software and smaller problem-oriented models of the sort described by Hopkins and Massey in their recent book, Planning models for Colleges and Universities (1981). The years have also seen a shift in interest from the technological structure and mathematical validity of models to factors which facilitate utilization.