Learning Resources

Abstract: Leaders across higher education have had to confront the collision of three pandemics—health, economic, and racial. No institution has escaped worrying about the wellbeing of staff, students, faculty and alumni; no school has gone untouched by the economic fallout of going online or staying in place; all anticipate new costs whether instruction is online or hybrid. Most know they have an obligation to address racism and inequality. Where does diversity, equity, and inclusion fit in this world? Should it fit?

Abstract: If a facilities master plan cannot keep up with rapid change, it becomes just another big book on the shelf. The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor’s (UM) College of Engineering did away with a static master plan in favor of a one that is data-driven and reflects the latest trends in engineering education. In this session, you will learn how UM created this responsive master plan that acts more as an interactive set of tools than a static document.

Abstract: It has often been said that culture eats strategy for breakfast. While that can often be true, it does not have to be that way. Culture and strategy can be close companions and highly complementary when positioned as mutually reinforcing parts of the planning process. When strategy is developed with an appreciation for cultural strengths, it has a better chance to move beyond words on a screen or on paper. At the same time, organizational strategy can strengthen and reinforce an improved organizational culture.

Georgia Tech is using a technique called appreciative inquiry to build a positive, productive culture through the strategy development and implementation process. This approach reinforces the positive elements of the current culture while clearly defining the cultural attributes needed for success in the future.
This discussion will explore ways to draw out the best in organizational culture to create an effective strategy while also using strategy to steer culture in a positive direction.

Abstract: This session will share a portfolio-based approach to space management as an institutional, governance-based framework for aligning space—its allocation and use—to meet priorities and program needs. You will learn how we aligned space governance with our institution's organizational hierarchy through defined portfolios, allowing central planning units to use a streamlined process and adaptive planning tools to arrive at an unbiased, data-driven perspective.

Abstract: Designing libraries based on student experience rather than book storage provides the potential to cater to a wider variety of students and learning styles, transforming libraries from an afterthought for prospective students to an asset for recruitment. This session will use recent library projects to study the effect of major program shifts on student behavior and discourse. We will look at both larger capital improvement projects and “small wins” that can be readily executed.

Abstract: In 1966, Frederick W. Mayer joined the staff of the University Planner’s Office at the University of Michigan. In 1968 he was named “university planner”—a position he held until his retirement in 2003. In this position he was responsible for the preparation and updating of master plans for all of the university’s campuses.

The material included in this work is presented as a case study of one university’s successful program of campus planning and implementation over a period of 40 years. It is hoped that it will prove instructive and useful to other institutions and individuals engaged in the process of campus planning.

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 evaluates administrative bloat, the ballooning growth of administrative functions and personnel, in American higher education. This evaluation was undertaken through a review of the available literature describing administrative bloat. Though unintentional, increased spending and government requirements for accountability may have contributed to overall growth and cost in higher education. Similarly, the changing composition of faculty—in terms of tenure-track faculty, annual contracts, and adjunct faculty—may have also played a role in the increased influence that administration has over campus policy and curricular decisions. Strategies to mitigate the cost of administrative bloat and to balance campus decisions between faculty and administration are suggested.