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Planning for Higher Education Journal

Published
July 17, 2025

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Co-Locate and Consolidate to Create Connected Campuses

Grow in Place Rather Than Add More Space Where Students Will Succeed

You can share spaces, support services, staffing, and technology systems within your institution and with external partners. This reduces costs while improving outcomes such as retention, graduation, and career placement rates.

From Volume 53 Number 3 | April–June 2025

Abstract: Colleges and universities have a traditional way to meet new needs. When there is a new research initiative, degree program, or student support function, institutions add space. Despite good intentions, their siloed structures, poor strategic planning, and history of continuous expansion mean that institutions adapt by adding. The result: Campuses are overbuilt and underutilized. Instead of shared spaces and seamless, supportive experiences, we’re left with sprawling campuses and spiraling costs. With enrollments, research funding, and our climate all changing, it’s time for a new model and a new mantra: Grow in place rather than add more space.

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Conference Presentations

Published
May 20, 2025

Delivering a Renovated Learning Commons for an Engaged Academic Community

Abstract: Integrated planning is essential for delivering campus facilities that support institutional vision and create a strong student academic experience. Juniata College was at a crossroads related to vision and curriculum direction while it was launching a comprehensive campaign that prioritized a library renovation. This session will focus on one provost's vision for planning and designing a learning commons around a new curriculum and share post-occupancy data to define what worked. Come learn how the planning, funding, and design process behind this inclusive facility has dramatically increased library use by students, faculty, and outside groups.

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Partner Content

Published
October 1, 2022

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Use Evidence to Plan Facilities That Drive Student Success

In this article, the author draws upon research from his book How to Get the Most Out of College to highlight the evidence that campus planners and designers can use to help drive student success.
Abstract: Colleges and universities are in the midst of a transition from an access mindset to a success mindset, and campus facilities can play a role in this shift. Institutions don’t have to guess at how—a large body of research can and should inform how we plan, design, and operate our campuses. In this article, the author draws upon research from his book How to Get the Most Out of College to highlight the evidence that campus planners and designers can use to help drive student success.

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Planning for Higher Education Journal

Published
April 6, 2022

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Teetering on the Demographic Cliff, Part 3

Different Conditions Require a Different Kind of Planning

Higher education has faced major changes for some time—COVID-19 accelerated that volatility—and now we’re anticipating the demographic downslope in student enrollment. How and when should institutions mobilize for the difficult work of planning in the face of wrenching change?

From Volume 50 Number 2 | January–March 2022

Abstract: Part 1 of this series described a major contraction in the pool of college-going 18-year-olds that will reverse decades of growth and stability for higher education. Part 2 explored how we can shape a planning context that supports success in the coming 10 or 20 years. Part 3 suggests how our approach to planning must shift to prepare for abrupt change.

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Planning for Higher Education Journal

Published
December 15, 2021

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Teetering on the Demographic Cliff, Part 2

Turning Away from the Challenge Is the Riskiest Strategy of All

Higher education has faced major changes for some time—COVID-19 accelerated that volatility—and now we’re anticipating the demographic downslope in student enrollment. How and when should institutions mobilize for the difficult work of planning in the face of wrenching change?

From Volume 50 Number 1 | October–December 2021

Abstract: Part 1 of this series described a major contraction in the pool of college-going 18-year-olds that will reverse decades of growth and stability for higher education. Drawing on the path-breaking analysis of Carleton College economist Nathan Grawe, it outlined how widespread but variable the change will be, and discussed some of the effects—on enrollment, revenue, facilities, staffing, and more—for which colleges and universities should be preparing. This Part 2 explores these implications: How can we shape a planning context that supports success in the coming 10 or 20 years? What attitudes and skillsets will remain useful, and what may need to change?

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Webinar Recordings

Published
September 21, 2021

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Libraries in Shaping the Future of Higher Education

Part Three: Libraries as Place in Institutional Transformation

In what ways will libraries continue to be the intellectual hubs where users interact with ideas in both physical and virtual environments to expand learning and facilitate the creation of new knowledge?
Abstract: In what ways will libraries continue to be the intellectual hubs where users interact with ideas in both physical and virtual environments to expand learning and facilitate the creation of new knowledge? The pandemic has illustrated the power of place and the need for the post-pandemic campus to integrate academic activities for lifelong learning and research.

This conversation will explore the place of the library to convene people for impactful connections, and the new emerging and transformational role of libraries as learning commons that shape the overall campus as a network for collaboration.

This is part three of a three-part webinar series.

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Planning for Higher Education Journal

Published
September 17, 2021

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Teetering on the Demographic Cliff, Part 1

Prepare Now for the Challenging Times Ahead

A long-term decline in birth rates raises fundamental planning questions for higher education as the pool of 18-year-olds contracts after 2025. How can planners and leaders use the time we have to prepare for some of the most wrenching changes in a generation?

From Volume 49 Number 4 | July–September 2021

Abstract: A long-term decline in birth rates raises fundamental planning questions for higher education as the pool of 18-year-olds contracts after 2025. This Planning for Higher Education series explores how planners and leaders can use the time we have to prepare for some of the most wrenching changes in a generation. This article, Part 1, surveys the planning horizon as we emerge from COVID-19 and describes the challenges ahead. Part 2 considers specific planning strategies institutions can adopt to meet the challenge. Part 3 tackles perhaps the most daunting challenge: how to mobilize institutions to actually do what needs to be done, however inconvenient (or worse) that may be.

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Conference Recordings

Published
July 16, 2021

The Changing Academic Workspace

In this session, we'll share how to develop a workspace roadmap that uses the lenses of people, space, culture, policy, and technology.
Abstract: Current research shows that 81% of employees want to work in a hybrid model post-pandemic. This presents us with the opportunity to re-imagine how we view the campus workspace and achieve institutional goals. In this session, we'll share how to develop a workspace roadmap that uses the lenses of people, space, culture, policy, and technology. Join us to learn from our process of using data collection, analysis, and consensus building to inform and solve space shortages with increased workspace utilization across campus.

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Conference Recordings

Published
July 16, 2021

The Process and Positive Outcomes of Indigenous Placemaking

Ryerson University's experience with indigenous placemaking offers valuable, practical insights into a process that can help your institution to respect and advance indigenous cultures while balancing many other contextual factors.
Abstract: North American institutions have traditionally viewed their lands and histories through a western-oriented cultural lens. Awareness and inclusion of indigenous cultures can be useful in achieving desired outcomes for members of indigenous communities. Creating meaningful indigenous cultural recognition and inclusion on campus is as much about the process as it is the outcomes. Ryerson University's experience with indigenous placemaking offers valuable, practical insights into a process that can help your institution to respect and advance indigenous cultures while balancing many other contextual factors.

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Conference Recordings

Published
July 16, 2021

Actionable Data

Creating Unit-level Dashboards to Drive Institutional Performance

This session will share how Binghamton University has established an integrated data collection and tracking process and the ways in which the pandemic has affected this process and shifted institutional priorities.
Abstract: Although many institutions have clear processes for collecting data at the institutional level, we often overlook unit-level data collection aligned with institutional metrics, resulting in hindered outcomes. In order to achieve institutional outcomes, we must collect actionable data on key performance indicators at different unit levels. This session will share how Binghamton University has established an integrated data collection and tracking process and the ways in which the pandemic has affected this process and shifted institutional priorities. Come learn from examples of departmental-, divisional-, and institutional-level dashboards and find out how to use them to inform planning and improve performance.

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