Learning Resources

Abstract: When change in higher education isn’t managed in a human-centered manner, institutional leaders are unlikely to see the outcomes they intended to achieve. That’s because they didn’t invest enough in involving and supporting the individuals expected to operationalize a new strategy. Nobody wins in these situations: Executives, employees, and students all lose out on the benefits a change initiative could have produced. In this book excerpt, the author shares why strong change leadership must be at the helm of cultivating an environment where innovation is embraced and managed with compassion for the humans who are being asked to think and work differently.

Abstract: Planning processes must be versatile and nimble to accommodate changing priorities. This session will show how a design team developed a flexible data visualization tool that allows Dartmouth University to play out scenarios as priorities change over time. As Dartmouth renews its plans, we'll provide a comprehensive look at how the team considered parity, distribution, and student wellness in a three-part planning effort. Discover how you can apply our data visualization tool to describe complex variables to stakeholders, as well as use scenario planning to align cost, student experience, and institutional goals over the course of your plan's realization.

Abstract: In this SCUP fellowship project, Lisa Jasinski applies strategic foresight methods to explore what university planning could look like in 2040—and how we can better prepare for it today.

Informed by environmental scanning, futures thinking, and stakeholder engagement with SCUP members and campus leaders, she developed four plausible scenarios grounded in current trends such as AI, climate change, political polarization, and declining public trust. These scenarios aren’t predictions; they are planning tools that help teams and organizations stress-test strategies, surface assumptions, and engage in meaningful future-focused conversations.

Abstract: Higher education is infamously change-resistant. What’s needed is a new methodology: human-centered change. Informed by research and honed by practice, human-centered change is a flexible, pragmatic approach that works within higher education’s unique structures, practices, and culture. This book guides change leaders and practitioners through the application of human-centered change. A practical manual, it provides mid- and senior-level administrators the essential practices, examples, recommendations, and tools they need to lead change in their colleges or universities.

Abstract: Planning processes must be versatile and nimble to accommodate changing priorities. This session will show how a design team developed a flexible data visualization tool that allows Dartmouth University to play out scenarios as priorities change over time. As Dartmouth renews its plans, we'll provide a comprehensive look at how the team considered parity, distribution, and student wellness in a three-part planning effort. Discover how you can apply our data visualization tool to describe complex variables to stakeholders, as well as use scenario planning to align cost, student experience, and institutional goals over the course of your plan's realization.

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: 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.