ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the strategic planning and accountability activities in the Arizona public university system and the role of institutional research (IR) to support the process. The Arizona public universities are primarily held accountable to the Arizona governor's office and the Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting (OSPB), the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR), and for accreditation, the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The IR office reaches out and coordinates with the president's office, libraries, financial services, the budget office, the health sciences center, and a myriad of other offices to collect performance measures and goals. The ABOR plays a significant role in shaping the universities' strategic planning processes. The board requires formal strategic plans from each of its three universities at a minimum on an annual basis. The chapter describes the current higher education landscape in Arizona and concludes with future directions of planning in the state.
