Learning Resources

Abstract: Join Jason Nicholas and Tina Dee for a dynamic conversation exploring the external forces shaping higher education in 2025. Drawing from SCUP’s upcoming Trends Outside Higher Education | Fall 2025 report (available September 15), 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.

Abstract: Many campuses face real estate pressures, reduced funding, and aging assets, but often lack complete data sets or tools for visualizing the connection between campus priorities. Bold strategies and tools can help us find commonalities and opportunities in a time of limitless needs and constrained resources. We will detail an approach that considers cost, campus vision, and asset management goals to enable flexible solutions with a data-driven analysis of capital planning alternatives. Come learn how to determine which data matters and how to approach your campus's challenges in a way that better supports the institutional mission and adaptation to change.

Abstract: Integrated planning prepares your institution for change by ensuring its decisions are informed by realities in the external environment.

What are key movements and trends within higher education? From addressing pandemic learning loss to grappling with generative AI in the classroom, learn the forces and changes directly impacting higher education, now and in the future.

This issue curates and summarizes 40-50 trends happening inside the world of higher education that could impact colleges and universities. Each trend includes a brief summary, a footnoted source, and discussion questions to help you analyze and act on the trend.

Abstract: Integrated planning in higher education requires a broad set of skills, knowledge, and qualities. Some of these might seem obvious (like planning knowledge). Others may be less so—particularly expertise related to “soft” skills or human skills, like communication or collaboration.

Build capacity for integrated planning more efficiently with SCUP’s Integrated Planning Competencies. This framework identifies the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for successful integrated planning across the institution. We will provide an overview of the competencies, describe how they were developed, and share insights from competency research.

Whatever planning activities you’re involved in—whether you’re responsible for planning across your institution, coordinating your institution’s next strategic plan, implementing your campus master plan, working within your department to improve student success, etc.—an integrated planning approach is key. Join us and demystify the skills, knowledge, and dispositions you need to get there.

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: Join Dr. Lynn Akey and Salvador Aceves, Ed. D. for a conversation highlighting insights from SCUP’s Fall Trends in Higher Education Report. This document provides an overview of the important external forces that impact institutional operations—it’s an essential tool for strategic planning, scenario planning, and contingency planning.

Abstract: Integrated planning prepares your institution for change by ensuring its decisions are informed by realities in the external environment.

How is the world outside your institution changing? From the growth of microschools to the decline of digital platforms and services, colleges and universities continue to face an environment that is uncertain and rapidly changing. Learn the key trends and movements that might impact your institution.

This issue curates and summarizes 40-50 trends happening outside the world of higher education that could impact colleges and universities. Each trend includes a brief summary, a footnoted source, and discussion questions to help you analyze and act on the trend.

Learn more about SCUP’s Trends for Higher Education report.

Abstract: Planning for certainty in higher education's unpredictable climate is impossible. The living framework, a geographic information system-based (GIS) tool, gives institutions agency to adjust scenarios and measure impacts against set metrics to facilitate decision making and guide capital plans. Georgia Institute of Technology (GT) applies this integrated planning process for long-term relevancy as campus priorities and external factors evolve, the impacts of hybrid work emerge, and unexpected ideas develop. You can use GT's innovative planning tools and strategies to meaningfully respond to dynamic stakeholder needs, manage institutional complexity, measure sustainability and growth outcomes, and build an effective governance model.

Abstract: A strategic plan is supposed to “bring the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.” Almost every college or university has such a plan because accreditors and governing boards require one. The question is: Why do so many higher education institutions seem to be unprepared when they take drastic actions (e.g., eliminating programs, cutting faculty and staff members, etc.) in uncertain times? The author studied more than 250 colleges and universities and suggests the answer in this article.