Learning Resources

Abstract: This report was produced by the researcher awarded the M. Perry Chapman Prize for 2014–2015.

While face-to-face collaboration has been theorized to be a key element in intellectual development and cognition, no formal method of quantitative measurement has been applied to understand collective face-to-face learning in academic institutions or how patterns of interaction and individual reflection may reveal information exchange among students within educational institutions. To address this gap, this study introduces a novel tool and framework to promote the systematic study of peer collaboration for general use in education.

Results of this applied research will be useful to architects, interior designers, librarians, educators, and researchers interested in obtaining empirical evidence and applying it to the design of learning environments and the assessment of how well spaces intentionally relate to learning. This research project introduces a common means for researchers in space design, education, and information science to develop principles and best practices to improve return on investment in the design of informal learning environments.

Abstract: Succeeding at integrated planning at colleges and universities is a challenge. Many planning models do not work in higher education because they are not designed for higher education. Planning processes designed for corporations or non-profits do not account for the complex environment of higher education nor its unique challenges.

Many institutions struggle to leverage planning into lasting change because they create plans in a vacuum. They do not grasp the institution’s strategic issues or create a sound value proposition. They are not prepared for good planning.

To provide guidance on where to prioritize efforts, SCUP partnered with the Baker Strategy Group in 2015 to conduct a study with more than 2,200 leaders who plan at colleges and universities, and ran quantitative analysis on their responses. Several themes emerged around planning challenges and how to respond, which are explored in this report.

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: The focus on information exchange and collaboration is defining a sea change in the evolution of the campus into a technology-rich virtual learning environment. The rapid advances of technology in the last decade, the rise of cohort-oriented inquiry-based pedagogies, and the future of virtual learning are redefining the planning issues for learning space. Near-term and future technologies offer the potential for education to become a continuous, interconnected, and integrated process that allows students to succeed in a perpetually changing world. The themes of upcoming SCUP conference events make it clear that the society is again focusing on advances in collaboration and educational processes that will have an immediate impact on our members who are planning for the inevitable ongoing learning space evolution.

Abstract: Postsecondary institutions are increasingly becoming more diverse. To ensure that the campus culture is appreciative of such diversity, many institutions are including language in their policies and implementing programs that demonstrate their commitment to diversity. One such means for communicating institutional commitment to diversity is through the strategic plan. As the basis for establishing institutional priorities and determining which initiatives get funded, the strategic plan can reflect the institution’s true commitment to diversity by purposefully incorporating plans for diversity throughout the document. This research sought to understand what was already being done in regard to diversity and strategic planning at both the system and individual institution level so that information can be relayed about what works and has the greatest impact and therefore should be considered when developing a strategic plan that pays attention to and appreciates diversity. Findings suggest that although institutions are including diversity initiatives in their strategic plans, there needs to be greater attention paid to diversity within the strategic plan.