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Webinar Recordings

Published
October 2, 2025

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Learning to Plan

Building a Practical Skillset

If you’re stepping into a role that involves planning—or trying to sharpen your skills—you’re not alone. This session is a conversation with higher education professionals who will share candid stories about how they got started, what supported their growth, and what they’re still figuring out.
Abstract: If you’re stepping into a role that involves planning—or trying to sharpen your skills—you’re not alone. This session is a conversation with higher education professionals who will share candid stories about how they got started, what supported their growth, and what they’re still figuring out.

You’ll walk away with practical ideas on how to approach planning as a skillset—where to focus, how to build confidence, and how to make progress even when the path isn’t clear. Whether you're new to planning or simply looking to grow, this conversation will show that building capacity is a process—and it’s one you don’t have to navigate alone.

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$45

Conference Presentations,Conference Recordings

Published
June 18, 2025

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Architecture + Education Raises Awareness and Supports Community Collaboration

Community collaboration hasn't always been a priority in design education.
Abstract: Community collaboration hasn't always been a priority in design education. This session will showcase a program that leverages the public school system as a learning environment for professionals and graduate students in architecture to identify socioeconomic opportunities. The Architecture + Education Program provides institutions opportunities to work actively with the communities they serve, and raises awareness of design careers among public school kids to increase and diversify its talent pipeline. This unique program involves multiple generations, including design professionals alongside public school and university students and instructors. Join us to discover opportunities for innovative community programs in your own backyard.

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$50

Conference Presentations,Conference Recordings

Published
June 16, 2025

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Designing a Flexible and Resilient Research Building Through Integrated Planning

This session will highlight how a collaborative team promoted innovation to enable decision making throughout the Plant Sciences Initiative design process at North Carolina State University (NCSU).
Abstract: This session will highlight how a collaborative team promoted innovation to enable decision making throughout the Plant Sciences Initiative design process at North Carolina State University (NCSU). Built pre-pandemic, this future-proofed building continues to successfully serve as an energizing hub for innovation. NCSU's integrated planning and data-driven process for designing a flexible academic research building has inspired cross-functional collaboration, leading to increased industry partnerships and innovations. Come learn how leveraging benchmarking, analytics, and an integrated planning process can produce a successfully designed, forward-thinking research building.

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$50

Conference Presentations,Conference Recordings

Published
June 4, 2025

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Designing for Intentional Community: Dartmouth’s Housing Transformation

Planning processes must be versatile and nimble to accommodate changing priorities.
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.

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Report

Published
May 23, 2025

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The Future of University Planning in 2040 (and Beyond)

I Used Foresight Analysis to Help SCUP Look Ahead, Adapt, and Innovate

This is a SCUP FellowResearch Project Final Report for the 2023–2024 program. This report explores how foresight analysis can be used to prepare and plan for uncertain futures in higher education.
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.

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Free

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Free

Conference Presentations

Published
April 8, 2025

Designing for Intentional Community: Dartmouth’s Housing Transformation

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.

Member Price:
$35  | Login

Non-Member Price:
$50

Conference Presentations

Published
April 7, 2025

Architecture + Education Raises Awareness and Supports Community Collaboration

Abstract: Community collaboration hasn't always been a priority in design education. This session will showcase a program that leverages the public school system as a learning environment for professionals and graduate students in architecture to identify socioeconomic opportunities. The Architecture + Education Program provides institutions opportunities to work actively with the communities they serve, and raises awareness of design careers among public school kids to increase and diversify its talent pipeline. This unique program involves multiple generations, including design professionals alongside public school and university students and instructors. Join us to discover opportunities for innovative community programs in your own backyard.

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$35  | Login

Non-Member Price:
$50

Conference Presentations

Published
April 7, 2025

Turning Campus Green Space Into Student Success

Abstract: Creative use of campus green space does more than enhance curb appeal; it has a major impact on recruitment, active learning, and student success. The science behind green spaces is based on the idea that exposure to nature can improve performance. Academic green spaces serve as settings for physical activity, recreation, and social interaction, all of which enhance student health and wellbeing through respite from academic life. This session will demonstrate how to maximize the impact of campus green space on student success, focusing on small, practical steps, and develop a plan for future collaborative opportunities in student engagement.

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Planning for Higher Education Journal

Published
January 10, 2025

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Include, Unleash, Excel

Embed Collaborative Practices in Planning

The value of collaborative planning is in the process and the outcome. An intentional, co-creation design improves your odds of developing a meaningful plan.

From Volume 53 Number 1 | September–December 2024

Abstract: The value of collaborative planning is in the process and the outcome. An intentional, co-creation design improves your odds of developing a meaningful plan—a plan of action and impact. By leveraging connection and collective cognition, more voices are engaged, diverse viewpoints and ideas are collected, and shared understanding is fostered. This leads to enhanced plan quality and ownership of the direction and action. The article explores the benefits of collaborative planning, the amplification of social capital, and the application of a design framework and tools for purpose-driven collaboration.

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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

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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