Learning Resources

Abstract: Build Capacity for Integrated Planning

Whether you’re preparing a committee for an upcoming planning process or simply looking for directions for your own professional development, the Integrated Planning Competencies can help you determine the knowledge, skills, and dispositions your institution needs to advance integrated planning.

Integrated planning requires building capacity in the people who do planning so they have the necessary knowledge and skills for success. But higher education institutions that focus only on developing planning-related expertise often face hurdles when they attempt integrated planning. Why? Because colleges and universities are complex environments and using an integrated planning approach in those environments requires a wide range of knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Some of the required expertise might seem obvious (like writing goals or analyzing information). But some of it may be less so—particularly expertise related to “soft” skills or human skills, like communication or collaboration.

To provide more clear and specific guidance, SCUP identified competencies—knowledge, skills, and dispositions—that individuals need for successful integrated planning. We analyzed the experiences and viewpoints of around 300 planners and higher education administrators in order to surface the competencies—both obvious and inconspicuous—that underpin integrated planning success.

Abstract: The ability to integrate planning at multiple levels—organizational, unit, and individual—strengthens our ability to formulate and implement strategies. This session will demonstrate how our Integrated Performance Excellence Framework (IPEF) guides planning at multiple levels of the institution, all of which are tied to our strategic policy, plan, and processes. You will be able to identify potential gaps and solutions within your institution's planning activities to create better alignment with your strategic plan and integrate the work at multiple levels of the organization.

Abstract: Solo climbing mountainous terrain is like managing change in higher education—it requires meticulous planning, considerable effort, and the ability to adapt to a changing environment. This session will discuss how to take key climbing skills—assessing a changing environment and determining which tools, resources, and expertise are needed to manage change—and apply them to higher education. It will share a framework to plan for and manage change so you can achieve your personal and professional objectives.

Abstract: Educational technology units must continually monitor their strategic plans to ensure that they are aligned with the evolving realities of their institutions. Strategic dissonance occurs when previously successful strategies are no longer achieving the same results. This article uses the Virtual Retina project as an example of strategic dissonance for the Academic Technologies for Learning at the University of Alberta. A number of methods for analyzing the strategies used by educational technology units are presented. These methods provide a means for units within institutions of higher education to conduct the ongoing task of renewing their strategic plans.