Learning Resources

Abstract: Chronic disease is rapidly diminishing the health of our nation as rates of serious physical and psychological conditions such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, depression, and emotional stress continue to rise. The urban agricultural movement is one strategy that has demonstrated promise in combating the increasing costs of chronic disease related to poor health behaviors. A half-acre urban farm is developed on a medical university campus and thrives in spite of an uncertain economic climate and skepticism among some stakeholders. Details related to planning, programming, and sustainability are described and successes as well as challenges are highlighted in this case study that might serve as a template for others seeking to develop campus gardens.

Abstract: Over the course of two years, The New School, a New York City university established in 1919 by philosopher John Dewey and other prominent Progressive Era scholars, partnered with the Stevens Institute of Technology, a private research university in Hoboken, New Jersey, founded in 1870. The partnering universities entered—and were selected as one of 20 finalists of—a biannual, international competition among higher education institutions to design and build an energy-efficient house. Typically, the competition draws significant public attention because of its focus on showcasing innovative technologies to advance energy savings. (All 20 finalist houses—this time, including the New School–Stevens “Empowerhouse”—are displayed on the National Mall in Washington, DC.) As well, the competition spurs innovation among students and provides an extraordinary “real-world” educational experience. Five of us who worked on this project discuss the challenges and benefits of an inter-institutional approach that also centered on collaboration with multiple community partners including Habitat for Humanity of Washington, DC, several DC government agencies, and community-based organizations in the DC neighborhood of Deanwood, where the competition house would ultimately be relocated and reconstructed as a two-family Habitat for Humanity residence. The project involved more than 200 students over a multiyear period working on and employing their academic preparation in areas including community engagement, advocacy, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, environmental policy, sustainability management, fashion design, lighting design, organizational change management, urban policy, environmental studies, architecture, and product design.

Abstract: Converging crises of climate destabilization, environmental deterioration, rising inequity, and economic turmoil call for extraordinary responses by organizations and institutions at all levels. Oberlin College, Oberlin City School District, and the City of Oberlin have launched a series of projects that join the many strands of sustainability including urban revitalization, green development, advanced energy technology, sustainable agriculture and forestry, green jobs, and education into an integrated response that serves as a model for others around the world who wish to pursue a more sustainable, integrated model for the design of a post-carbon economy.

Abstract: Member colleges of the Georgia Independent College Association sought to ease the burdens frequently associated with transferring among institutions by partnering with the technical college sector to create a single articulation agreement. The articulation agreement addresses students who may have only taken a few courses or received an associate’s degree at a Georgia technical college. The articulation agreement was created in response to Governor Deal’s request to focus on improving college completion rates without sacrificing educational quality. This unique partnership among private, not-for-profit institutions and the state’s technical colleges can serve as a model for other states.

Abstract: Most colleges and universities have well-developed strategic plans. But these plans may not be helpful if there is a sudden or unexpected leadership transition or crisis. Sadly, succession planning is the least understood and practiced form of planning in higher education. This neglect often results in leadership crises, confusion in leadership, disorganized search and transition processes, and a lack of appropriate professional development. This article provides a clear explanation of the meaning and purpose of succession planning as well as a guideline and process for implementing succession planning in any institution of higher education.

Abstract: The management of change and the evaluation of performance outcomes in higher education are most successful when a set of reference institutions against which to benchmark is identified. This article discusses a method by which a focal institution can identify other institutions that are most similar to itself. This methodology identifies the nearest institutional neighbors using a balanced set of measures from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). A case study is used to demonstrate the methodology. Readers will find this methodology to be robust and flexible, as well as easy to understand and explain to others. It is a hybrid method that integrates judgment and analytical techniques.

Abstract: College and university leaders currently face the most challenging fiscal, monetary, and legislative climate in memory. Leaders must manage the academic and financial resources of the enterprise with far more deft than their predecessors. For many campuses, additional resources will need to be created from within the existing financial boundaries of the institution. The overhead coverage matrix presented in the article is positioned as a tool to assist in making decisions related to strategic resource management. To demonstrate the utility of the overhead coverage matrix, a hypothetical example of resource planning is presented as a walkthrough.

Abstract: In this article we discuss the organizational impact of an academic unit’s move from an old adapted structure to a new building constructed specifically to meet its needs. We emphasize the interaction of user agency and building influence as the faculty sought ways to enact group values and goals in a new space that promoted some and frustrated others. In conclusion we discuss specific examples of the interaction between agency and influence and propose steps that planners and users might take prior to and following a building transition to better promote congruence between the purposes of academic units and the spaces that support them.