Learning Resources

Abstract: Muskegon Community College’s (MCC) Goal in Focus communications program reshaped stakeholder engagement and strengthened institutional alignment, driving more effective strategic outcomes. Grounded in the Society for College and University Planning’s Integrated Planning Competencies, our approach fostered a planning culture that is transparent, adaptable, and collaborative. By strategically aligning monthly communications with its institutional goals, MCC increased engagement with students, employees, and the community while reinforcing a shared sense of ownership. A goal-focused communications calendar enriches sustainability, builds relationships, strengthens alignment, and improves preparedness for change.

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.

Abstract: Times of rapid change can interrupt operations and implementation efforts. Preventing this requires an ability to quickly adapt our programs and offerings to the changing landscape. Unfortunately, operational complexity and the disorienting nature of uncertainty become a hurdle to rapid response. Either we get overwhelmed trying to identify all that needs to change, or we respond haphazardly, missing crucial details.

Contingency planning can help. It is a method for preparing for potential changes that identifies how operations and action plans need to shift in response. It can also be used to respond to changes after they happen.

The Campus Contingency Planner is a template for lightweight, rapid contingency planning. It guides you through a process that identifies the impacts of change, how decisions during contingency planning will be made, and the operational components of programs and offerings that will need to be adapted in response.

Whether you manage student-facing programs (like academic programs or student affairs activities), or direct services that are internally supportive (like space management or IT), the Campus Contingency Planner can help you respond to change with flexibility, minimizing disruption and moving your institution forward.

Abstract: Climate justice seeks a more equal distribution of energy benefits and burdens within our communities. As universities decarbonize, they can advance climate justice by adopting solutions that reduce impacts and align with both university and community priorities. Decarbonization is a win-win for campuses, ending the carbon-producing combustion of fossil fuels linked to climate change while reducing operating costs. This session will demonstrate how the decarbonization process can be mutually beneficial for surrounding communities. Come learn how to incorporate community priorities into campus decarbonization efforts through shared-resource opportunities, a climate justice action plan, and resiliency to extreme weather and other events.

Abstract: The development of campus facilities, particularly research buildings, conflicts with the rise of decarbonization requirements to support a safe, healthy environment. We'll showcase a project that achieved balance by incorporating electric heating while enabling a campuswide transformation. Columbia University's sustainability plan aims for net-zero emissions and stands committed to responsible design and construction. The team behind the Vagelos Innovation Labs created a framework for the 2030 decarbonization plan, leading to New York City's first all-electric lab. Come learn how to navigate the visioning and execution of complex decarbonization projects, including the importance of an integrated approach from procurement through design.

Abstract: This session will demonstrate how to adapt a large existing campus to decarbonized central systems, including cost considerations, performance evaluation, resilience concerns, and equity factors. To achieve the University of California, Santa Barbara's (UCSB) climate goals, we developed a clean energy master plan that goes beyond a conventional utility plan to prioritize equity and environmental justice to sustain campus ecosystems and ensure student wellbeing. Implementing decarbonization plans can be disruptive, but we'll share how you can achieve successful buy-in and engagement, including uplifting students as interns on the project team and key contributors in the process.

Abstract: Despite growing interest among campuses in mass timber construction, there is a sea of conflicting information about the potential benefits and downsides of building with wood. For the first time, University of California (UC), Berkeley is using mass timber to construct a new undergraduate academic building. This session will explore the process for determining whether this project was a cost-effective strategy for achieving carbon reduction and resilience. Decision making has become incredibly nuanced, and while the understanding of global carbon emissions continues to evolve, we'll share the key opportunities a project team must consider in regards mass timber on campus.

Abstract: Traditional strategic planning can lead to a static plan that does little to inspire implementation or true change. This session will detail a process that promotes buy-in and engagement while providing structured frameworks to support implementation and assessment. Our framework provides support for a campus community to 'live' its institutional strategic plan through the strategic planning cycle (SPC) at the unit level, informing the realization of institutional goals and outcomes. We'll provide our tools and approaches for you to access and review, as well as the rationale for developing support for your own campus communities to 'live' their strategic plan.

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.

Abstract: This session will share lessons learned from United Tribes Technical College's (UTTC) master plan that serves as a living document and adapts to changing needs. We'll explore how this culture-infused master plan applied an integrated approach to campus development over five years, addressing five primary needs with a focus on culture, regenerative design, and phasing to support strategic alignment. Join us to discover how you can implement campuswide resiliency strategies to safeguard the campus environment and gain insights into the phased implementation approach for ensuring the plan's success and sustainability over time.