Learning Resources

Collaborating, ‘Speed Dating,’ Celebrating, and More

Augusta University Equipped a Core Team to Engage Stakeholders in Strategic Planning

By: Mickey Williford, MPA and Brittany Cipollone, MBA, MAT

University colleagues share techniques and tools they find effective in their strategic planning process—and in fostering participation and intentional conversations.

From Volume 52 Number 1 | October–December 2023

Institutions Mentioned: Augusta University
Planning Types: Strategic Planning
Tags: Alignment, Building (or Writing) the Plan, Engaging Stakeholders, Environmental Scanning, Institutional Effectiveness, Planning Processes, Project Management, Team Building, Unit Planning

Member Price:
Free | Login

Member-only Resource

Join now to have access

Quickly Building a Bridge

Use an Institutional Effectiveness Planning Model to Drive Strategic Planning

By: Jason Nicholas, MS, Daniel Cullen, PhD, and Ellen Koski, MPH

Executive leadership changes at Northern Michigan University led the interim president, interim provost, and Board of Trustees to call for a bridge plan to clearly articulate strategic work happening throughout campus. This article describes how the university was able to develop an interim strategic plan with broad campus engagement in less than half a year.

From Volume 51 Number 3 | April–June 2023

Institutions Mentioned: Northern Michigan University
Planning Types: Strategic Planning, Institutional Effectiveness Planning
Tags: Alignment, Assessment / Analytics, Bridge Planning, Engaging Stakeholders, Institutional Effectiveness, Institutional Planning, Institutional Research, Metrics, Planning Processes, Presidential Leadership, Response Planning, Selecting Metrics, Student Engagement

Member Price:
Free | Login

Member-only Resource

Join now to have access

Transforming Data into Meaningful Information

Put Methodologies in Action with Data-Driven Integrated Planning

By: Douglas Masterson, PhD, Christopher M. Davis, PhD, and Suzanne Carbonaro, MEd

Leaders in two different accreditation regions share best practices and lessons learned from their integrated planning evolution and its impact on operational efficiency and student learning.

From Volume 51 Number 2 | January–March 2023

Abstract: Institutional success depends on long-term sustainability, connecting investments with outcomes, and creating a culture that is data-informed. As the role of institutional effectiveness expands across higher education, designing a comprehensive integrated planning process is critical. Integrated planning requires a unified approach to utilizing academic and administrative data for continuous improvement. However, this can be an overwhelming process for institutions, with many unsure of where to start. Learn from leaders in two different accreditation regions as they share best practices and lessons learned associated with their integrated planning evolution and its impact on operational efficiency and student learning.

Institutions Mentioned: University of Southern Mississippi, University of Maryland-Global Campus
Planning Types: Academic Planning, Institutional Effectiveness Planning, Resource Planning
Tags: Academic Program Review, Alignment, Assessment / Analytics, Budget Planning, Dashboards, Data, Faculty Productivity, Metrics, Planning Processes, Planning Technology, Resource Allocation, Student Learning Outcomes, Student Success, SWOT Analysis

Member Price:
Free | Login

Member-only Resource

Join now to have access

The Future of Planning is . . .

. . . Aligned, Integrated, and Collaborative Institutional Effectiveness

By: Michael Ben-Avie, PhD; Kimberly K. Daugherty, PharmD; Lina Di Genova, PhD; Justin P. Hoshaw, MS; Erin M. Isaacson, MA; Nicholas R. Santilli, PhD; Megan Schramm-Possinger, PhD; and Robert Wilkinson, DEd

IE professionals are both translators and integrators—and universities need these people who know how to interpret the data. Within the context of an IIE office, they assist in developing data-informed strategic plans, financial forecasts, enrollment plans, and other assessments of institutional efficacy.

From Volume 50 Number 3 | April–June 2022

Abstract: The institutions that will thrive in the future will be those that use high-quality, relevant mission-driven data as part of their strategic, integrated planning process. Because of this it is imperative to create integrated institutional effectiveness (IIE) offices that serve as the connective tissue among all units within a college or university. The data and expertise of institutional effectiveness can be leveraged to benefit the institution as a whole. In this article, we discuss the value of creating an IIE office and challenges associated with a centralized infrastructure.

Institutions Mentioned: Quinnipiac University
Planning Types: Institutional Effectiveness Planning, Strategic Planning
Tags: Alignment, Assessment / Analytics, Data, Engaging Stakeholders, Institutional Effectiveness, Institutional Planning, Planning Processes

Member Price:
Free | Login

Member-only Resource

Join now to have access

Book Review: Big Data on Campus

Data Analytics and Decision Making in Higher Education

By: Brooke L. Guelker, MA

From Volume 50 Number 1 | October–December 2021

Abstract: Edited by Karen L. Webber and Henry Y. Zheng
Johns Hopkins University Press: Baltimore: 2020
324 pages
ISBN: 978-1-4214-3903-7

Planning Types: Institutional Effectiveness Planning
Tags: Assessment / Analytics, Big Data, Data, Institutional Research, Organizational Culture

Member Price:
Free | Login

Member-only Resource

Join now to have access

Using Big Data

How Moneyball and an Ardent Baseball Fan Shaped Successful Metrics-Based University Planning

By: Roy Mathew, Elsa Bonilla-Martin, Daniel Santana, and Erick Gonzalez

Over the last three decades, the University of Texas at El Paso has refined its planning system and integrated metrics within a comprehensive planning framework—to produce dramatic outcomes.

From Volume 48 Number 1 | October–December 2019

Abstract: Big data and analytics are promoted as an approach that can improve educational quality, student success, strategic and operational decision-making, and knowledge discovery. Over the last three decades, the University of Texas at El Paso has refined its planning system and integrated metrics within a comprehensive planning framework—to produce dramatic outcomes. The article describes the institution’s metrics-based planning approach and the context that produced it.

Institutions Mentioned: The University of Texas at El Paso
Planning Types: Institutional Effectiveness Planning
Tags: Assessment / Analytics, Big Data, Metrics

Member Price:
Free | Login

Member-only Resource

Join now to have access

Planning for Higher Education Journal

Published
January 1, 2017

The Creation of an Integrated Services Division to Advance University Strategic Initiatives

By: Kelli J. Armstrong,Jessica Greene,Gina M. Harvey,Michael V. Pimental

Combining the typically siloed services required to support the strategic work of universities into one department results in more effective integrated planning and institutional advancement.

From Volume 45 Number 2 | January–March 2017

Abstract: The services required to support the strategic work of universities often exist in silos, and this disconnection can impede the advancement of new initiatives. To prepare for a complex new program, a number of analytical processes need to occur—background research, environmental scans, and benchmarking. To develop the initiative, strong facilitation and project management skills are also required. To ensure the initiative’s success, careful space planning and financial planning must exist along with the development of evaluative measures to monitor progress. This article describes how one university combined these services into a single department to more effectively support the strategic work of schools, divisions, and campus-wide programs.