Learning Resources

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: The Ecosystem Project aims to develop tools and methodologies for depicting the complex ecosystems that surround and make up higher education. This is a collaborative presentation with one of the project's institutional partners, The State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz, and one of the project's founding partners, the Renaissance Center for Interdisciplinary Thinking, Knowledge Integration, and Advanced Applications of Imagination. Together we'll explore the Hudson Valley entrepreneurial ecosystem and reveal its inhabitants, value dynamics, and potential interventions that can help the ecosystem become healthier and grow the entrepreneurial economy of the lower Hudson Valley.

Abstract: Build Capacity for Integrated Planning

Whether you’re preparing a committee for an upcoming planning process or simply looking for directions for your own professional development, the Integrated Planning Competencies can help you determine the knowledge, skills, and dispositions your institution needs to advance integrated planning.

Integrated planning requires building capacity in the people who do planning so they have the necessary knowledge and skills for success. But higher education institutions that focus only on developing planning-related expertise often face hurdles when they attempt integrated planning. Why? Because colleges and universities are complex environments and using an integrated planning approach in those environments requires a wide range of knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Some of the required expertise might seem obvious (like writing goals or analyzing information). But some of it may be less so—particularly expertise related to “soft” skills or human skills, like communication or collaboration.

To provide more clear and specific guidance, SCUP identified competencies—knowledge, skills, and dispositions—that individuals need for successful integrated planning. We analyzed the experiences and viewpoints of around 300 planners and higher education administrators in order to surface the competencies—both obvious and inconspicuous—that underpin integrated planning success.

Abstract: A high-level document enumerating the institution’s five strategic goals and strategies for achieving each goal. The goals are framed as increasing and enhancing each of the following qualities:

1. Student Success
2. Intercultural Understanding
3. Research Capacity
4. Entrepreneurial Capacity
5. Sustainability

Abstract: “What will it take to change the course of more than 2,000 struggling colleges and universities in America?”

This is the opening question posed by higher education futurist Mary Landon Darden in her book Entrepreneuring the Future of Higher Education: Radical Transformation in Times of Profound Change. For colleges and universities that are grappling with an increasingly volatile landscape, Darden offers practical tools, achievable strategies, and a guide for navigating a realistic path towards progress and innovation. Join Lynn Priddy, president and CEO of Claremont Lincoln University, for a conversation with the author in which they explore how a culture of entrepreneurism can lead higher education into a brighter and more sustainable future.

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.

Abstract: The building sector contributes forty percent of carbon emissions globally. Given the climate crisis, it is imperative that campus facilities and planning departments address sustainability in a rigorous and fiscally responsible way. This session will explore Princeton University’s campus master plan, which engages an ethos of sustainability through the lens of carbon emissions, landscape design, energy, and water efficiency, from design through construction. Find out how you can apply Princeton's ambitious sustainability goals and lessons learned to your master plan and sustainably develop your projects for the benefit of your campus environment and community.