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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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Planning for Higher Education Journal

Published
August 20, 2025

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Adopting a Human-Centered Approach to Change

Prioritize the Perspectives and Experiences of Those Individuals Who Will Be Affected

By: Nicole H. Gahagan, EdD

The people impacted by change must be involved throughout the change lifecycle and empowered to navigate change every step of the way.

From Volume 53 Number 4 | July–September 2025

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.

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Planning for Higher Education Journal

Published
August 18, 2025

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Strategic Alignment for Degree Completion

Leverage an Integrated Planning Approach to Improve Credit Momentum and Student Success

By: Nicole DeCapua, EdD, Mildred Mihlon, PhD, and Tracy Louisse S. Chacon, MEd

By coordinating cross-functional teams, employing real-time data, and strengthening communication systems, a university bolstered student retention and completion without requiring new funding or staff.

From Volume 53 Number 4 | July–September 2025

Abstract: This article presents how a small, resource-constrained university leveraged integrated institutional planning to launch a 30-credit completion strategy that significantly improved student momentum, graduation rates, and institutional planning culture. By coordinating cross-functional teams, employing real-time data, and strengthening communication systems, the university built a scalable and sustainable framework that bolstered student retention and completion without requiring new funding or staff. This case offers a roadmap for similarly situated institutions aiming to align credit accumulation initiatives with broader strategic goals to drive measurable student success outcomes.

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Blog Post

Published
August 11, 2025

From Promise to Progress: Join the Inter-association Well-being Collaborative (IWC)

Elevating Campus Well-being through Collaboration and Systems Thinking

By: SCUP

SCUP is participating in the the Inter-association Well-being Collaborative (IWC)—a new, unified movement to transform well-being in higher education from siloed efforts to systemic impact. You're invited to share your stories and examples of how your institution is taking systems-level approaches to support campus well-being.

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ebook

Published
May 19, 2025

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Essential Practices for Organizational Change in Higher Education

By: Nicole Gahagan, EdD

Filled with guidance, recommendations, examples, and tools, this book is a practical manual for anyone seeking to lead change in a college or university.
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.

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Conference Presentations

Published
April 7, 2025

When City Parks Are Your Quad: Urban Campus Planning for Safety and Wellbeing

Abstract: As security remains of paramount concern for campus communities, how should institutions thoughtfully engage the urban fabric? Urban campuses are constrained by their verticality and publicly-permeable urban edges. This session will delve into a 2023 SCUP Fellows report with additional updated analysis of campus responses and overreach to protests this past year. In-depth analysis of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles through a lens of student development theory will provide you with insight into student wellbeing and sense of security through campus design.

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Planning for Higher Education Journal

Published
March 4, 2025

Collaborative Planning Deepens Town-Gown Relationships

Carlow University Develops a Best-Practice Framework with the City of Pittsburgh

By: Lisa Witzig, PhD, EdD, Michelle Figlar, EdD, and Joy Pugh, EdD

Implementing a four-quadrant assessment of purposeful communication, participatory engagement, collaborative planning, and shared resources produced actionable, impactful, and relevant improvement recommendations for the urban university.

From Volume 53 Number 2 | January–March 2025

Abstract: The president of Carlow University identified the university’s town-gown relationships as needing assessment as the institution embarked on a significant campus revitalization that required close coordination with the City of Pittsburgh. We developed a four-quadrant framework of best practices based on an extensive literature review. To assess town-gown interactions against the framework, we interviewed city and higher education leaders, reviewed the City of Pittsburgh’s and university documents, and analyzed the university’s social media presence. Our process generated specific, actionable recommendations that resulted in the university reorganizing senior leadership position descriptions and responsibilities, revamping its social media strategy, and aligning organizational efforts to increase its visibility.

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Webinar Recordings

Published
February 5, 2025

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Building the Capacity for Planning: The Integrated Planning Competencies

By: Sadie Wutka, Director, Content Development

Integrated planning in higher education requires a broad set of skills, knowledge, and qualities. Some of these might seem obvious (like planning knowledge).
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.

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Planning for Higher Education Journal

Published
December 20, 2024

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Planner and Counsel

Engage an Influential Partner to Advance Integrated Planning

By: Christian Osmeña, EdD

Planners and attorneys might be natural colleagues. Higher education trends are making this alliance even more critical.

From Volume 53 Number 1 | September–December 2024

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Conference Presentations

Published
October 23, 2024

A Successful Model for Integrated Strategic Planning and Implementation

By: Hannah King Boyles, Sr. Strategic Planning Manager, Ohio State University-Main Campus | Derrick Wyman, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Ohio State University-Main Campus

This session will delve into the creation of a strategic plan at The Ohio State University (OSU) and its academic medical center. The plan leverages program development and integration of enrollment as well as DEI plans to advance goals and meet workforce needs.
Abstract: This session will delve into the creation of a strategic plan at The Ohio State University (OSU) and its academic medical center. The plan leverages program development and integration of enrollment as well as DEI plans to advance goals and meet workforce needs. We'll share approaches for cross-functional collaboration and aligning up, down, and across an organization through stakeholder engagement. We'll also provide an overview of how an integrated academic plan shifts from development to implementation. Join us to learn from OSU's project roadmap, which includes tools to engage internal and external partners and drive implementation.

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