THE INSTITUTE OFFERS COURSES AT VARIOUS CONFERENCE SITES WHERE FACULTY AND PARTICIPANTS CONVERGE FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY; AND EACH COURSE REFLECTS THE DIVERSITY OF DIFFERENT REGIONAL EXPERIENCES. COURSES ARE OFFERED IN MANAGEMENT ISSUES, LABOR RELATIONS, MEDIA RELATIONS, EXECUTIVE RESPONSE TO MISCONDUCT, EXECUTIVE TIME USE, PLANNING AND BUDGETING. EACH COURSE IS LIMITED TO APPROXIMATELY 25 PARTICIPANTS IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE INFORMALITY AND INTENSITY THAT SMALL GROUPS ENCOURAGE. PARTICIPANTS ARE THE CHIEF EXECUTIVES FROM THE NATION'S 500 LARGEST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. ABOUT HALF THE FACULTY FOR EACH COURSE ARE POLICE EXECUTIVES, REFLECTING THE INSTITUTE'S BELIEF THAT PRACTITIONERS AND RESEARCHERS PROVIDE COMPLEMENTARY PERSPECTIVES. THE INSTITUTE IS ALSO COMMITTED TO MIDDLE MANAGERS, AND SINCE 1977 HAS CONDUCTED A COURSE FOR SELECTED MIDDLE MANAGERS WHOSE CHIEFS HAD PARTICIPATED IN THE INSTITUTE. IT IS ALSO A FORUM FOR THE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS SINCE POLICE EXECUTIVES MEET COLLEAGUES WHO ARE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. IN 1978, THE INSTITUTE TOOK 13 POLICE MANAGERS TO EUROPE TO MEET WITH COLLEAGUES THERE. THE POLICE EXECUTIVE INSTITUTE, AS WELL AS THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE INSTITUTE SPONSORED BY THE FBI, ARE BOTH WITHIN THE COUNTRY'S DECENTRALIZED, AD HOC, AND VOLUNTARY TRADITION. THE PROFESSIONAL STAFFS OF BOTH INSTITUTES LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUED FLEXIBILITY AS THEY DEVELOP BROADER MEANS OF MEETING THE PRESSING NEED FOR MANAGERIAL TRAINING WITHIN LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. TABULAR DATA, A MAP, AND FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED. (MJW)