Learning Resources

Abstract: This Viewpoint examines how organizational culture, performance expectations, and decision authority interact as interdependent drivers of executive alignment and institutional effectiveness within colleges and universities. It is intended to contribute to ongoing discussions on institutional effectiveness, executive leadership, strategic planning, and organizational sustainability in higher education. Drawing on organizational culture theory and practitioner leadership experience across multiple executive divisions, the authors propose the Executive Alignment Framework as a conceptual model to understand both fragmentation and coordination in higher education.

Abstract: Community colleges must balance student transfer preparation with workforce alignment while remaining responsive to changing regional needs. At Coastal Bend College, leaders used an integrated planning approach to evaluate career and technical education programs amid shifting labor market demand. By aligning employer input, enrollment and student success data, funding considerations, and institutional mission, the college developed transparent criteria to guide difficult program sunset decisions. This planning story focuses on how cross-functional stakeholders were engaged, evidence informed choices, and the planning cycle supported adaptive academic decision-making rather than outcomes alone.

Abstract: As a master’s program in education shifted from a hybrid to a fully asynchronous delivery model, its program leaders used a structured planning approach to align recruitment, advising, curriculum sequencing, and accessible course design. Planning decisions were guided by cross-functional collaboration and aggregated program-level data across three academic terms. This article illustrates how future-focused, data-informed, and collaborative planning processes can support modality changes while sustaining graduate enrollment and student success.

Abstract: This research project explores how thoughtfully designed spaces can enhance the neurodivergent experience while advancing inclusivity on modern academic campuses. In this project, 2023–2024 SCUP Fellow Kathleen A. Kelly brought together neurodivergent students, architectural designers, neuroscience researchers, and campus stakeholders, establishing crucial cross-disciplinary relationships that typically operate in isolation. By developing evidence-based design principles informed by neurodivergent perspectives, the solutions create frameworks allowing institutions to transform their physical environments in anticipation of an evolving understanding of cognitive diversity. This forward-looking approach embodies SCUP’s emphasis on preparedness for change as a key component of integrated planning. Through this research, we advance an integrated planning model recognizing inclusive architecture not as an accommodation but as an essential aspect of campus design that celebrates the full spectrum of human cognitive experience.

Abstract: In Peak Higher Ed, Bryan Alexander takes us through a scenario that draws together the main drivers of academic change. Demographics, economics, politics, technology, and more are reshaping colleges and universities.

Abstract: This event is a collaboration between SCUP and the University Design Forum.

Please join to hear about the aims of the University Design Forum which are similar to SCUP but also how to redesign a historical building into a modern learning environment.

The Edinburgh Futures Institute at the University of Edinburgh is a major investment for one of the world’s leading academic institutions. Having purchased the City’s Old Royal Infirmary, the University embarked on a nine-year project to bring the dilapidated, but much loved, Grade A Listed building back to life as a centre for interdisciplinary teaching and research. After a short introduction to the building, this session will explore the project vision, realisation and lessons learnt along the way.

Abstract: This webinar is part of SCUP’s Sponsored Series and is presented in partnership with Ayers Saint Gross. Join us for an engaging introduction to LEEDv5 and what it means for the future of sustainable design. This session explores how the newest rating system reframes sustainability around climate action, ecological restoration, and quality of life while raising the bar on decarbonization, electrification, resilience, embodied carbon, and transparency. You’ll gain a clear overview of what’s changed across major credit categories, how performance metrics are shifting from cost-based to carbon- and outcomes-based measures, and what new expectations, like operational carbon neutrality for LEED Platinum, mean for your projects. Through real examples and practical discussion, we’ll unpack how LEEDv5 may impact scope, owner engagement, and team coordination so you can prepare your projects and partners with confidence.

Abstract: This article examines the leadership decisions and processes implemented by the Memphis College of Art (MCA), following the 2017 decision to close due to financial debt and declining enrollment. Rather than ceasing operations immediately, MCA leaders executed a three-year teach-out plan while liquidating assets, repaying debts, and laying off employees, all while ensuring a legally compliant dissolution. As many colleges face longevity pressures, this case offers a rare look at how closure can be managed transparently, strategically, and with commitment to student success through an integrated planning approach that aligns academic, financial, and facilities decisions during the institution’s final years.

Abstract: Join Nicholas Santilli and Ashley Strong-Green for a dynamic conversation exploring the external forces shaping higher education in 2026. Drawing from SCUP’s Spring 2026 Trends for Higher Education report, they’ll offer their perspective on what these trends really mean for your institution—and how to act on them. You’ll gain more than a list of trends. This session brings fresh insights, real-world context, and practical takeaways that go beyond the report. Leverage what you learn to enhance your team’s strategic, scenario, and contingency planning—and stay ahead of the curve in an increasingly volatile landscape.