Learning Resources

Abstract: Because technology is moving at a rapid pace, institutions are rethinking how they approach planning. Accelerated life cycles demand that attention be paid to planning on a continuous basis rather than on a "once every so many years" model. This publication, sponsored by Datatel, provides planners with a set of guiding principles as well as case study illustrations that put these principles into practice. If you need to know how technology is changing the way we plan for higher education, read this book and benefit from experts who have addressed today's challenges.

Abstract: In 1998, a Carnegie Foundation Commission Report criticized America’s 123 research universities for failing our educational system by ignoring undergraduate education. Notably absent from the Commission's list of recommendations was mentoring research university faculty as a strategy to improve their teaching. This article discusses strategic collaboration, a mentoring model that can contribute significantly to achieving this objective. Such a network can also create an environment conducive to interdisciplinary research that, because of its increased value and rewards at such universities, can provide an added incentive for faculty participation.

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: A strategic planning model for colleges and universities is presented which integrates competitive benchmarking and an adaptation of Hill’s manufacturing strategy model. Hill’s model is altered to focus on student-winners and is used to design programs of study and supporting services. Benchmarking is used as a key component of the planning process. This model is based on integrating program strategy with recruiting strategy to satisfy the needs of stakeholders including students, faculty and industry recruiters. A planning context is developed and a modeling example is presented. This paper responds to the need for improvements in traditional strategic planning in higher education to develop a more holistic and integrative approach.

Abstract: This article looks at how behavioral research can be an effective tool to use during the redesign process of university plazas. It also summarizes the research that was conducted at University Union Plaza at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), a 30-year-old plaza that is scheduled to be redesigned. Through the use of behavioral and cognitive mapping techniques, this research illustrates how people react to various design characteristics of the existing plaza and how this affects the way they use the space. The research was used as a tool to analyze the positive and negative design attributes of the existing plaza and to provide recommendations for its redesign. The research method described in this article was an effective way for Cal Poly planners to analyze the plaza’s existing design and provides justifiable recommendations for its redesign. This research has not only been beneficial to planners at Cal Poly but can also be useful for professionals at other university campuses interested in redesigning plazas and communal areas.

Abstract: In light of a new state-mandated performance-based funding mechanism for community colleges in California, this article discusses how one district sought to implement new internal evaluation procedures to improve student outcomes in line with systemwide goals outlined in the performance-based funding. These efforts introduced an evaluative environment on campus that reinforced self-serving behaviors among individuals—not an uncommon reaction to perceived external threats to capability and competence. This research concludes that in a climate of external accountability and performance mandates, an institution’s ability to understand and mitigate the need for individuals to take on protective or defensive behaviors in response to external demands for accountability becomes increasingly important in helping the organization to substantially improve its ability to use data and information to bring about positive change.