Causal Loop Diagram (CLD) As an Instrument for Strategic Planning Process: American University of Nigeria, Yola
American University of Nigeria (AUN), was established in 2005 and has emerged as Nigeria’s most preferred university. Located in Yola, Adamawa State, North-eastern Nigeria, the university was conceived in response to the need for a world-class university in sub-Saharan Africa. The university offers an American-style education modeled after the curriculum of American universities with corresponding approaches to teaching and assessing students. Nigeria with a population of over 160 million. It is estimated that 3 million students graduate from high schools every year. With 124 universities with less than 1million enrollment spaces. The implication is that there is a serious shortfall in the number of students that wants to further their education. With this prevailing situation every university must do everything possible to provide prospective students with placement. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to take a critical look at the possible ways that the university can strategically adopt to attract this huge number of high school graduates using the Casual Loop Diagram (CLD) for identifying, managing and utilizing Critical Performance Indicators (CPIs) in tackling existing problems through coordinated partnership and collaboration towards appropriate policy recommendations. The most useful tool for identifying the causes of problems is a cause-and-effect diagram, also known as a Fishbone or Ishikawa diagram which is very similar to the CLD. The results of the survey that was administered to a convenient random sample of AUN students (N=369). The results indicated that a large percentage believes that the university has a very good prospect of achieving its set goals as a development university if the standards and institutional characteristics can be sustained and improved upon. To better understand the KPI in relation to the results, the Casual Loop Diagram (CLD) was used to analysis the relationships between the results the KPI. This would assist in better approach in the recruitment process. Given that this is a pilot study, the results are only preliminary and merely indicate how to improve policy and program decisions especially for AUN as a development university. The short time outcome and impact of the study has provided some insight into the college choice process of choosing a college using the CLD. Also it is important for admission professionals understand the factors that shape the college decision-making process and the stages students move through as they make decisions.