This empirical study focused on the level of application of strategic planning by senior colleges and universities in Arkansas. The study was designed to examine, analyze, and describe the extent of strategic planning practices by Arkansas higher education institutions, as reflected in the opinions and perceptions of the institutions' chief executive officers and based on the profile of characteristics validated by twenty experts in the strategic planning literature.

The primary problem in this study was to develop a comprehensive long-range plan for Arkansas Baptists to use as a guide in meeting their needs in the field of Christian higher education. These needs were viewed in two ways: 1. Need as related to the purposes and philosophy of Christian higher education of Southern Baptists; 2. Need as related to the number of persons to be served.