Abstract
The Virtual U Project is a simulation product created to help improve the management of the nation's university systems. Virtual U simulates running a university or college and assists management in allocating resources within the university. It is a powerful and user-friendly software tool that models the attitudes and behaviors of an academic community. The tool is driven by a powerful simulation engine that draws on an extensive compilation of data concerning the U.S. higher education system. Players determine policies for resource allocation, faculty hiring, enrollment management, and consider other decisions that college and university administrators face. Virtual U is the beginning of a new genre of interactive tools for educational systems.