Learning Resources

Abstract: A reprint of the 1976 article with a new 2015 introduction by the author.

Original abstract: Drawing on his experience as Provost for Planning at West Virginia University, Raymond M. Haas deals in the following article with the importance of a proper charge to the Planning Office as a means of achieving integrated planning. He further proposes that the role of the Planning Office should be clearly coordinative in the nature--to the point where its only responsibility for actual planning should be in planning the planning process. Finally, he argues that "... integrated planning can be achieved only when planning is a regularly scheduled activity which occurs frequently, and which produces results that manifest themselves in the allocation, reallocation, and effective use of resources within the institution." The author's remarks have been adapted from his presentation at the Society's 11th Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.

Abstract: These are times of unprecedented change in higher education. Routine or even strategic change will not be enough to sustain institutions in the near future. Challenging times require leaders with strong skills for problem solving, crisis management and resiliency in rapidly changing environments—in other words, transformative leadership. Transformative leadership skills are distinctive among leadership skills. Based on an ABC framework, the article describes connections between the As (analytics, accreditation, accountability), Bs (decisions whether to build, buy, or buddy with partners), and Cs (culture, collaboration, and courage) that it takes to be transformative.

Abstract: This report synthesizes the trends observed by more than 90 members of SCUP’s planning academies through the 2013 fall concurrent session proposal review process for SCUP’s 2014 annual, international conference (SCUP–49). This document is a flash report of the continuing and emerging issues of interest to SCUP. It’s a reflection of what was in the minds of the academy members who participated as reviewers for the SCUP–49 concurrent proposal selection process, and of those desiring to contribute to SCUP’s body of knowledge through their program submission.

Abstract: This report synthesizes the trends observed by more than 90 members of SCUP’s planning academies through the 2012 fall concurrent session proposal review process for SCUP’s 2013 annual, international conference (SCUP–48). This document is a flash report of the continuing and emerging issues of interest to SCUP. It’s a reflection of what was in the minds of the academy members who participated as reviewers for the SCUP–48 concurrent proposal selection process, and of those desiring to contribute to SCUP’s body of knowledge through their program submission.

Abstract: All universities need an integrated plan to chart their path through these turbulent times and amidst the changing expectations of higher education. This is especially true for universities in developing countries. Such universities operate with very scarce resources and limited depths of expertise, but still seek to respond to surging demand. The result is a strain on these universities and a threat to quality. This article introduces the processes and concepts of planning and development for universities in developing countries, focusing mostly on the African context. Our premise is that the basic planning processes and concepts that work in North America and Europe are still valid for universities in developing countries, even if the nature, content, and resulting strategies are very different. Therefore, this article draws from published work in planning applied in the context of the authors’ experience in higher education in East Africa. We conclude that good strategic planning is necessary for universities in developing countries, as is operational planning for programs, resources, and capital. The information in this article is more fully explored and explained in the authors’ book Planning and Resource Guide for Higher Education in Africa.

Abstract: Many institutions of higher education develop assessment systems to demonstrate evidence of value added and to meet accreditation requirements. The sustainability of such assessment systems is usually defendant on creating a culture of assessment, which entails establishing shared values and principles and implementing practices designed to meet organizational goals. A survey of 119 assessment professionals revealed both the challenges and facilitating factors in creating and sustaining a culture of assessment. This article presents the survey results organized by an institution’s stage of development in establishing a culture of assessment: beginning, progress, or maturation. The article also provides specific examples to help institutions move along the continuum or improve their current practices and concludes with a discussion of policy implications

Abstract: How have presidential leadership strategy, decision approaches, and institutional culture preferences influenced fund-raising effectiveness at a historically Black college for women? These conceptual dimensions guided a qualitative study that interviewed three recent Spelman College presidents and investigated documentary evidence to develop an understanding of each president's relative successes. Although generalizability is not possible when studying a single institution, the three very individualistic approaches to fund-raising adopted by these presidents indicate the contextual nature of fund-raising effectiveness and highlight the need for knowledgeable institutional planners who understand each of these conceptual dimensions to accommodate the varying contexts of their institutions.

Abstract: New subscribers to the Harvard Business Review receive as a bonus with their first issue a compilation of fifteen classics, which appeared in previous HBR issues. One article, “Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail”, by John P. Kotter, first appeared in the March-April 1995 issue and is often referenced as a guide to strategic change in organizations. It is the purpose of the article to evaluate a change process undertaken at a large comprehensive baccalaureate institution in the context of Kotter’s suggested eight steps in transforming an organization.

Abstract: Four distinct waves can be discerned in the history of American higher education. The 85 years before the Civil War were characterized by the founding of hundreds of liberal arts colleges. The post–Civil War era saw the majority of these small colleges disappear, replaced by public land-grant schools. Around the turn of the last century, the giants of American industry led the founding of the great private research universities. The term "megaversity" entered the American lexicon after World War II, when thousands of returning GIs swelled the ranks of higher education; the second half of the 20th century also witnessed the proliferation of community colleges. The fifth great wave is now breaking, with for-profit competition and revolutionary teaching technologies among its main characteristics.