Learning Resources

Abstract: Discover how the University of Pittsburgh delivers diverse expertise and support to communities in need through an off-campus community engagement center initiative. Colleges and universities have a responsibility to use their expansive expertise and knowledge to assist and inspire community members and to broaden the student's perspective. Through a candid discussion about our collective experiences and lessons learned in this new community outreach effort, we will provide you with a roadmap of the various obstacles you must consider at your own institution.

Abstract: Colleges and universities—especially those in urban areas—are often landlocked by their campus boundaries. Binghamton University has become a catalyst for transforming and revitalizing an economically-challenged community while maintaining its historical footprint. Come learn how to grow your academic programs and campus while assisting the community and putting students closer to employers. We will share our ideas for expanding your campus footprint and repurposing existing buildings to directly impact the surrounding community.

Abstract: Harvard University’s Smith Campus Center has repurposed an entire city block, providing innovative new spaces for collaboration and a welcoming “front door” to the university. The campus center has been transformative for Harvard, revitalizing a prominent site at the campus's crossroads and providing the wider community of 44,000 people with new central gathering and events spaces. Come learn how we successfully navigated stakeholder outreach and generated a design solution within the existing building.

Abstract: In this session, we will demonstrate how Rutgers University aligned its development model with city planning initiatives to be a partner in urban renewal at its Camden and Newark campuses. With cities around the country struggling to effect urban renewal, Rutgers University has shown how strategic off-campus development can play a significant role in revitalizing downtown centers. Come learn how large urban academic campuses can redefine their relationship to the city by partnering in the implementation of strategic urban planning initiatives, blurring their campus boundaries, and aligning campus development with community need.

Abstract: Both the City of Bridgeport and the University of Bridgeport were experiencing a renaissance before Superstorm Sandy struck in 2012. Now, they are working together to catalyze greater growth through a commitment to environmental resilience. The city and the university have partnered on a new project that achieves different, but compatible goals. This approach has created access to additional (and unusual) project funding and financing. In this session we will outline strategies for identifying multi-benefit projects, including finding potential partners and alternative avenues for project implementation.

Abstract: Have we heard from enough people? Sometimes leaders ask this question to seek consensus or in the hope of making a tough call easy with more data. But this is the wrong question to ask. A better question is, “Have we talked to the right people?” In this article, we discuss how institutions can research their “lead users” whose extreme behaviors today will be the norm tomorrow. Using a case study rethinking Georgia Tech’s library services, spaces, and staffing, we explain who lead users are, how to identify them, how to research them to uncover insights, and how they can champion innovation on your campus.

Abstract: This article describes execution of the balanced scorecard (BSC) strategic framework in a School of Nursing (SoN). The SoN strategy map was the outcome of the development phase. The two-year implementation phase incorporated balanced scorecards that linked outcome measures to the priority strategies. Thirty-two percent of the defined outcome measures were met. Factors in adopting the BSC framework included development of a strategic plan that supports the college mission and vision, improved communication within the SoN, a united effort to institute strategies to sustain the SoN’s future, and establishment of performance indicators to measure success in achieving those strategies.

Abstract: With North Dakota experiencing a significant shortage in all health care-related fields, the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences replaced its aging facility with a new school in order to (1) increase enrollment by 25 percent, (2) attract and retain top-tier faculty and staff, (3) encourage inter-professional collaboration, (4) colocate all eight medical, health sciences, and basic sciences in one building, and (5) retain more in-state graduates. The facility is now a shared collaborative learning environment, the result of the university “rethinking everything” about how it delivered health sciences education.