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Planning for Higher Education Journal

Published
April 16, 2026

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From Institutional Advancement to Termination

Leading the Memphis College of Art Closure

The college’s closure demonstrates that integrated planning is not limited to growth and expansion. It also offers a practical framework for aligning people, resources, and obligations when an institution must contract and ultimately close.

From Volume 54 Number 3 | April–June 2026

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.

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Webinar Recordings

Published
February 11, 2026

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Beyond Guesswork

Strategic Insights from the H2 2025 Space Utilization Index (SUI)

Join Occuspace, the leader in higher ed occupancy intelligence, for an exclusive look at the data that defined the latter half of 2025. In this webinar, we will unpack key findings from our latest Space Utilization Index (SUI), analyzing H2 2025 trends across millions of square feet of academic and administrative space in North America.
Abstract: This webinar is part of SCUP’s Sponsored Series and is presented in partnership with Occuspace. As we navigate 2026, higher education institutions are moving beyond simple recovery and into an era of strategic optimization. With fiscal scrutiny tightening and student needs and enrollment evolving, the ability to align physical asset planning and management with actual usage is no longer just an advantage, it is a financial necessity. Join Occuspace, the leader in higher ed occupancy intelligence, for an exclusive look at the data that defined the latter half of 2025. In this webinar, we will unpack key findings from our latest Space Utilization Index (SUI), analyzing H2 2025 trends across millions of square feet of academic and administrative space in North America.

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Webinar Recordings

Published
September 23, 2025

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Beyond Budget Cuts

How to Drive Savings and Efficiency through Space Optimization

This webinar will demonstrate–with real-world data and examples–how real-time occupancy data is transforming higher ed space management, HVAC, and custodial cleaning strategies.
Abstract: Part of SCUP’s Sponsored Series, presented in partnership with Occuspace. This webinar will provide higher education real estate planners, facility managers, and financial administrators with a proven roadmap for navigating these challenges. We’ll demonstrate–with real-world data and examples–how real-time occupancy data is transforming higher ed space management, HVAC, and custodial cleaning strategies.

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Conference Presentations,Conference Recordings

Published
June 17, 2025

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Revitalizing the Workplace

Office space makes up about a third of all non-residential space on campuses.
Abstract: Office space makes up about a third of all non-residential space on campuses. Post-COVID, many institutional offices struggle with providing enough office space while simultaneously creating a sense of workplace vibrancy due to the rise in remote and hybrid employees. Promoting change in higher education is tough—is it possible to fulfill the needs of all institutional offices through one style of workplace or is it necessary to consider unique needs of offices and individual employees? Join us to explore two institutional workplace case studies and apply the lessons learned on your campus.

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Tool

Published
May 13, 2025

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Campus Contingency Planner

This tool is a template for lightweight, rapid contingency planning. It guides you through a process that identifies the impacts of change, how decisions during contingency planning will be made, and the operational components of programs and offerings that will need to be adapted in response.
Abstract: Times of rapid change can interrupt operations and implementation efforts. Preventing this requires an ability to quickly adapt our programs and offerings to the changing landscape. Unfortunately, operational complexity and the disorienting nature of uncertainty become a hurdle to rapid response. Either we get overwhelmed trying to identify all that needs to change, or we respond haphazardly, missing crucial details. Contingency planning can help. It is a method for preparing for potential changes that identifies how operations and action plans need to shift in response. It can also be used to respond to changes after they happen. The Campus Contingency Planner is a template for lightweight, rapid contingency planning. It guides you through a process that identifies the impacts of change, how decisions during contingency planning will be made, and the operational components of programs and offerings that will need to be adapted in response. Whether you manage student-facing programs (like academic programs or student affairs activities), or direct services that are internally supportive (like space management or IT), the Campus Contingency Planner can help you respond to change with flexibility, minimizing disruption and moving your institution forward.

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Conference Presentations

Published
October 23, 2024

The Future is Hands-on: Repositioning a Polytechnic Campus

As pedagogy and market demand shift toward experiential and applied learning, this session will demonstrate practical methods for evaluating and repurposing existing space and the benefits of optimizing underperforming facilities.
Abstract: As pedagogy and market demand shift toward experiential and applied learning, this session will demonstrate practical methods for evaluating and repurposing existing space and the benefits of optimizing underperforming facilities. University of Wisconsin (UW)-Stout, Wisconsin's Polytechnic, has a tradition of career-focused learning. Through data-informed planning, the university is repositioning its campus through strategic space reduction, disciplinary cluster reorganization, and industry-focused labs. Come learn how to focus on your institutions' unique strengths in the market by applying Building Information Modeling (BIM), Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis, and utilization metrics to inform realignment of space.

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Blog Post

Published
August 9, 2024

Slight Differences and Lots of Similarities

Two Conference Presenters Both Advocate for Developing and Improving Planning Culture

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Conference Presentations

Published
July 23, 2024

A School Without Walls: The Architecture of Data Science

Data science is a rapidly developing discipline and serves as a catalyst for the future development and management of institutional faculties.
Abstract: Data science is a rapidly developing discipline and serves as a catalyst for the future development and management of institutional faculties. This session will examine the unique engagement process behind the University of Virginia's (UVA) 'School without Walls', as well as its dynamic programming and design for serving an emerging discipline. This project plays a special role in providing a venue for community and industry interaction and research. We'll explore points of engagement with an expanding faculty throughout the design process, which inspired flexible internal planning, and reflect on the appropriateness of wider contextual influences on the design solution.

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