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Blog Post

Published
September 2, 2025

How Strategic Is Your Strategic Plan?

Identify Its Shortcomings and Ask Key Questions

By: Sarah L Collie, PhD, Associate Vice President for Organizational Excellence, University of Virginia

Today, strategic planning in colleges and universities is more crucial than ever. Yet many strategic plans in higher education lack a clear strategy, instead resembling a long-range plan.

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Blog Post

Published
August 4, 2025

The Campus Planner in a Time of Turmoil

Your Role Is as Adviser, Not the Ultimate Decision-Maker

By: Frederick W. Mayer, Campus Planner Emeritus, University of Michigan

A founding member of SCUP shares some of his experiences and thoughts on how to deal with the challenges and turmoil facing higher education.

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Planning for Higher Education Journal

Published
December 11, 2024

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Strategic Planning for the Uncertain Road Ahead

Collectively Set Your Institution’s GPS to the Future

By: Diana L. Young, PhD, and Holley Morris Roberts, EdD

A public liberal arts institution began an integrated, collaborative, and future-focused strategic planning process during COVID-19, enrollment declines, and financial shortfalls. Committed leadership, listening to stakeholder voices, and studying best practices from other universities paved their strong path forward.

From Volume 53 Number 1 | September–December 2024

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.

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Planning for Higher Education Journal

Published
October 31, 2024

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Leveraging Data to Engage Our Community

Data Play Dual Roles in Facilitating Inclusive and Evidence-Based Strategic Planning

By: Su Swarat, PhD, and Gina Park, PhD

Success in strategic planning requires decision-making that reflects the collective vision of diverse constituents.

From Volume 52 Number 4 | July–September 2024

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.

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Conference Presentations

Published
July 23, 2024

Bison Blueprint: Building An Integrated Planning Culture At Gallaudet

By: Kristin Mulrooney, Strategic Planning & Integration Officer | Guthrie Nutter, Strategic Communications and Planning Manager| Jennifer Powers, Sr. Project Manager

A successful integrated plan requires the broad engagement within an institution.
Abstract: A successful integrated plan requires the broad engagement within an institution. In this session, we'll demonstrate how we taught key leaders about integrated planning by breaking down the integrated planning process to enable plan creation for different programs and divisions. We'll share our Bison Integrative Planning Toolkit, which provides an 'evergreen' resource for onboarding colleagues into the integrated planning process and also serves as a manual that walks through the process of creating a plan. Join us to gain teachable, no-cost resources that you can easily disseminate at your institution to foster necessary skills for building an integrated planning culture.

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Conference Presentations

Published
July 22, 2024

Charting the Future of Education: Expedited, Experiential Strategic Planning

By: Ryan Evans, Senior Service Designer | Colin Gerrity, Design Strategist | Jessica Sears, Director, Academic Planning & Accreditation

As higher education operates in an increasingly complex world, charting a path forward requires a clear vision. An inclusive, comprehensive strategic planning process for educational programs is both just and necessary for institutions to stay relevant.
Abstract: As higher education operates in an increasingly complex world, charting a path forward requires a clear vision. An inclusive, comprehensive strategic planning process for educational programs is both just and necessary for institutions to stay relevant. We'll present a three-phase expedited, practical, inclusive approach that Tufts University used to lead a strategic planning process and develop an educational vision. Join us for experiential, mixed methods to include all voices in the strategic planning process, build community across schools in a decentralized university, and participate in a simulated co-design session.

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Planning for Higher Education Journal

Published
July 8, 2024

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Expediting a ‘Mini’-Master Plan

In Fewer Than Five Months, a University Transforms Its On-Campus Student Housing

By: Carson Dinger, MS, and Thomas Carlson-Reddig, MArch, AIA, LEED AP

Collaborative planning for a residential housing transformation at Texas Wesleyan University ensured that the institution and its partners were responsive to the needs and aspirations of its stakeholders.

From Volume 52 Number 3 | April–June 2024

Abstract: In a dynamic higher education landscape, attracting and retaining students becomes paramount amid projected enrollment declines. This article explores Texas Wesleyan University’s journey in assessing student life needs on campus, engaging key stakeholders, and implementing an expedited, cost-effective mini-master plan design process. The authors demonstrate how the university and design team gathered research and developed and presented program recommendations to enhance TWU’s overall student experience and meet evolving student needs.

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Planning for Higher Education Journal

Published
June 20, 2024

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Why Strategic Plans Aren’t Working in Uncertain Times

Because Strategic Planning Should Be a Dynamic, Robust Process

By: Daniel Seymour, PhD

The author’s approach to his research-based Strategic Planning in Uncertain Times Fieldbook began with a sampling review of 50 strategic plans. What emerged was the development of an organizational learning cycle used as a template to assess the effectiveness of strategic plans on more than 250 college and university websites.

From Volume 52 Number 3 | April–June 2024

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.

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Conference Presentations

Published
March 5, 2024

Launching the Duquesne College of Osteopathic Medicine From the Ground Up

By: Rodney Dobish, Duquesne University | Neil Martin, The S/L/A/M Collaborative | Karen Parzych, The S/L/A/M Collaborative

Establishing a new college within a university requires coordination with the accrediting body, other university disciplines, the city, donors, and neighboring landowners. We’ll outline and discuss how we navigated the process, challenges, and opportunities related to Duquesne University’s new College of Osteopathic Medicine, including the collaboration with the City of Pittsburgh’s Forbes Avenue Improvement Initiative.
Abstract: Establishing a new college within a university requires coordination with the accrediting body, other university disciplines, the city, donors, and neighboring landowners. We’ll outline and discuss how we navigated the process, challenges, and opportunities related to Duquesne University’s new College of Osteopathic Medicine, including the collaboration with the City of Pittsburgh’s Forbes Avenue Improvement Initiative. Through practical, implementable approaches to growth-focused programming in a new urban facility, this session will offer lessons learned, priorities, and planning tools for flexibility and improvement.

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Planning for Higher Education Journal

Published
January 9, 2024

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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

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