Learning Resources

Abstract: A collaborative approach allows building projects to open faster, reduces redesign, increases staff satisfaction, and produces a higher utilization rate than the traditional design process. This session details the collaborative Lean process involving over 100 people that allowed the Lauritzen Outpatient Center on the Nebraska Medical Campus to be completed 1.5 years early with few design changes. Come learn from our unique approach in which actual users participate in designing the facility, allowing implementation of new processes and efficiencies known only to medical center staff.

Abstract: For an integrated planning effort to succeed—particularly in higher education—collective commitment from all of the institutional stakeholders is critical.

To get that collective commitment, you need to do two things: 1) Design your planning process so it leverages your institution’s internal and external cultures, and 2) Involve your critical stakeholder groups in the planning process. Tapping into the stakeholder groups in meaningful ways will increase engagement, transparency, and commitment to the process and the products of integrated planning. Remember, institutional stakeholders are the carriers of your mission and institutional culture. Mission and culture are the key drivers of institutional success. If you do not respect your stakeholders, mission, and culture, your planning efforts will not yield a plan to enhance student success and institutional thriving.

This toolkit includes recommendations and worksheets to help you analyze your stakeholders and determine how to meaningfully engage them in the planning process.

Abstract: The boom-and-bust cycle of North Dakota's economy creates a difficult environment for physical planning. We will examine University of North Dakota's (UND) response to the decline in public funding along with a state mandate to increase space utilization and decrease deferred maintenance, demonstrating how it provided the impetus to focus investment on high impact, transdisciplinary projects. You will learn how compromise in a planning process can help achieve both individual and collective goals as well as contribute to a more holistic university vision.

Abstract: The consolidation of administrative services into a centralized shared services model is increasingly common. Unfortunately, this move can be a rocky one, often encountering resistance and skepticism. Our session will focus on the implementation and optimization of a shared services model for academic services from both sides of the change—a person on the team leading the change and a key stakeholder undergoing the change. This session will provide you with information, skills, and approaches to ensure a pain-free implementation of a shared services model.

Abstract: Timing and teaming are crucial for a successful construction project. We will take you behind the scenes of the programming, design, and construction of a $108 million, 890-bed, 290,000 square foot student residence hall, completed in a staggeringly brief 24 months. This required project planning that was decisive and fearless of making up-front decisions and investments to ensure smooth processes and effective teams. You will uncover strategies to strengthen your internal team and streamline the planning process on your campus.

Abstract: Assessment people speak their own (important) language, and if you're not in assessment, it can be hard to keep up with critical assessment-related terminology and trends. This session will help you define assessment-related terms (i.e. goals, outcomes, objectives, standards, etc.) and will provide an overview of assessment and accreditation trends that could impact your institution. Whether you're brand new to assessment or need a refresher, this session will bring you up to speed quickly.

Abstract: Many institutions are engaged in concurrent, overlapping institutional change initiatives. Being able to plan and align improvement efforts while including all stakeholders without duplicating effort requires new tools and skills. We will share how Olympic College used the planning for a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to design improvements in our student-facing systems. You will practice different techniques and tools to visualize institutional processes and identify alignment. We will discuss the use of traditional business management tools to map institutional structures, create cross-departmental capacities, and guide cross-functional teams.

Abstract: Post-occupancy evaluation (POE) of learning space is now an essential tool for institutions to align capital decisions with student performance. We will explore exemplary active-learning environments and the evaluation methodology we used to measure how these environments have elicited learning behaviors that foster student engagement. You will learn which aspects of the learning environment are important to measure, how to measure them, and how the collected data connects to metrics that matter to institutions.

Abstract: The path to carbon neutrality is clear: electrify everything and procure renewable energy. How to get to 100% electric power is less clear. Stanford University has been focused on this challenge, committing to all-electric buildings by June 2019. This session will give attendees a clear road map and strategies for converting the energy your buildings use from gas to electric—whether the energy heats the building, glass beakers, or dinner.