Learning Resources

Abstract: To put their thinking about AI into practice, the article authors asked ChatGPT to help craft day-in-the-life scenarios for an invented higher education planner in the year 2030. Using a series of prompts, they requested an applied breakdown of that planner’s day. Initial ideas and about two-thirds of the scenarios were conceived by ChatGPT in response to those prompts.

Abstract: With over 100 programs and 113 sites across 28 states and multiple countries, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University faced mounting complexity in managing institutional changes.

Previously, each change we made required meetings with up to 30 participants from more than 20 offices, including Financial Aid, Facilities, Academic Affairs, IT, and Site Management.

Through integrated planning, we replaced that costly, time-intensive model with a SharePoint- based system for asynchronous collaboration. The shift fostered transparency, reduced delays, and empowered cross-functional alignment. The project exemplifies how intentional design and relationship-building can transform sprawling processes into coordinated, responsive systems prepared for institutional growth and change.

Abstract: This article presents how a small, resource-constrained university leveraged integrated institutional planning to launch a 30-credit completion strategy that significantly improved student momentum, graduation rates, and institutional planning culture. By coordinating cross-functional teams, employing real-time data, and strengthening communication systems, the university built a scalable and sustainable framework that bolstered student retention and completion without requiring new funding or staff. This case offers a roadmap for similarly situated institutions aiming to align credit accumulation initiatives with broader strategic goals to drive measurable student success outcomes.

Abstract: The president of Carlow University identified the university’s town-gown relationships as needing assessment as the institution embarked on a significant campus revitalization that required close coordination with the City of Pittsburgh. We developed a four-quadrant framework of best practices based on an extensive literature review. To assess town-gown interactions against the framework, we interviewed city and higher education leaders, reviewed the City of Pittsburgh’s and university documents, and analyzed the university’s social media presence. Our process generated specific, actionable recommendations that resulted in the university reorganizing senior leadership position descriptions and responsibilities, revamping its social media strategy, and aligning organizational efforts to increase its visibility.

Abstract: The value of collaborative planning is in the process and the outcome. An intentional, co-creation design improves your odds of developing a meaningful plan—a plan of action and impact. By leveraging connection and collective cognition, more voices are engaged, diverse viewpoints and ideas are collected, and shared understanding is fostered. This leads to enhanced plan quality and ownership of the direction and action. The article explores the benefits of collaborative planning, the amplification of social capital, and the application of a design framework and tools for purpose-driven collaboration.

Abstract: Georgia College & State University, a public liberal arts institution, began an integrated,
collaborative, and future-focused strategic planning process during a time of uncertainty (COVID-19, enrollment declines, financial shortfalls, etc.). This planning included shared leadership across campus to develop and implement the plan, data-informed decision-making by a diverse group of steering committee members representing all areas of campus, visits to strategically identified aspirant universities, and ongoing stakeholder engagement that included student input. These strategies leveraged the inherent qualities of a liberal arts institution while addressing the challenges and opportunities that exist in public higher education.

Abstract: Success in strategic planning requires decision-making that reflects the collective vision of diverse constituents. At California State University, Fullerton we leveraged data as the essential thread in engaging our community in an inclusive strategic planning process. Data played dual roles, serving as input and output, to provide a common framework through which the ideas and wisdom of our community are reflected and shared, anchoring the strategic plan firmly in the campus voices. Our engagement through data embodied our commitment to evidence-based decision-making and contributed to the success of our strategic planning process.

Abstract: Academic medical centers sit at the intersection of health care, education, and research in service of the community. New models of care delivery, work, and learning require these systems to adapt and innovate to remain relevant while addressing regional health care demands and advancing strategic priorities. We discuss planning strategies to empower institutions to align capital with their mission to achieve longstanding success. This article shares best practices for comprehensive integrated planning processes across tripartite missions to meet growing and evolving demands, build consensus and a shared vision, and successfully prepare for implementation.

Abstract: Triton College’s strategic plan focuses on short- and mid-term institution-wide neurodiversity efforts to create a neuroinclusive campus culture. Key aspects of success include a multi-year administrative commitment; connecting the work to the open-access mission; including committee members from across the college; and focusing on programming, space, and partnerships. Triton College built support and overcame barriers by amplifying advocates and identifying champions, tying the work to campus-wide initiatives, ensuring strategic and operational leadership, securing seed funding, including stakeholders, starting small, reducing risk, allowing for development time, defining the work, building on wins, and adhering to an open-access mission.

Abstract: Through the inception of the Division of Strategic Analytics and Data Illumination (SADI), Kean University has cultivated a capacity for data literacy and analytics, empowering its community to employ data for evidence-based decision-making to overcome barriers to student success.
Employing optimal practices in integrated planning, SADI unified disparate offices into one cohesive data team to strategically reframe and visualize student data, identifying specific needs for continual improvement. This article underscores SADI’s initiatives in democratizing data, merging planning processes, and harnessing analytics to dismantle impediments to student success, particularly in bridging equity gaps in higher education.