Learning Resources

Abstract: There are a multitude of internal and external forces that impact higher education, but how can you be intentional about examining and understanding these trends? From finding your way post-pandemic, to demographic shifts and political changes, to social movements and the evolving economy and technology, regular environmental scanning will inform decisions around your strategic plan development or plan implementation.

Join Jim Downey, senior strategy consultant, and Nick Santilli, SCUP’s senior director of learning strategy, as they use SCUP’s Spring 2022 Trends for Higher Education report to explore “What If?” questions in a practical format that will allow your team to pinpoint areas for institutional advancement.

This webinar is a must for anyone serving in a planning capacity in higher education, be it academic, institutional research, institutional effectiveness, campus planning, student affairs, etc.

Abstract: Part 1 of this series described a major contraction in the pool of college-going 18-year-olds that will reverse decades of growth and stability for higher education. Part 2 explored how we can shape a planning context that supports success in the coming 10 or 20 years. Part 3 suggests how our approach to planning must shift to prepare for abrupt change.

Abstract: Higher education is entering a period of unparalleled turbulence. By 2030, a global knowledge, work, and learning ecosystem will revolutionize work and learning. It will empower individuals to fuse learning, living, and work over 60-year time spans. Tens of millions of additional learners—or even more—will be added to the global learning force. To compete in this rapidly expanding arena, traditional institutions will need to transform, starting now.

Transforming for Turbulent Times: An Action Agenda for Higher Education Leaders will help you support your institution in its efforts to rise to these challenges.

This book outlines a proven, eight-step process for planning, leading, navigating, and orchestrating the transformations necessary to thrive in this new ecosystem. Whatever your role in your college, university, or learning enterprise, you’ll learn the principles, techniques, and actions that will make you indispensable to its transformation in these turbulent times.

Abstract: There are a multitude of internal and external forces that impact higher education, but how can you be intentional about examining and understanding these trends? From demographic shifts to political charges to social movements, the evolving economy and technology, regular environmental scanning will inform decisions around your strategic plan development or plan implementation.

Join Jim Downey, former vice president for planning and institutional effectiveness at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and senior strategy consultant, and Nick Santilli, former provost at John Carroll University and SCUP’s senior director of learning strategy, as they use SCUP’s Fall 2021 Trends for Higher Education report to explore “What If?” questions in a practical format that will allow your team to pinpoint areas for institutional advancement.

This webinar is a must for anyone serving in a planning capacity in higher education, be it academic, institutional research, institutional effectiveness, campus planning, student affairs, etc.

Abstract: “What will it take to change the course of more than 2,000 struggling colleges and universities in America?”

This is the opening question posed by higher education futurist Mary Landon Darden in her book Entrepreneuring the Future of Higher Education: Radical Transformation in Times of Profound Change. For colleges and universities that are grappling with an increasingly volatile landscape, Darden offers practical tools, achievable strategies, and a guide for navigating a realistic path towards progress and innovation. Join Lynn Priddy, president and CEO of Claremont Lincoln University, for a conversation with the author in which they explore how a culture of entrepreneurism can lead higher education into a brighter and more sustainable future.

Abstract: We’ve organized Trends using STEEP: Social, Technology, Economic, Environmental, and Political. Each trend includes a brief trend summary, a footnoted source, and discussion questions to help you analyze and act on the trend.

Abstract: Dr. Michael J. Sorrell is the longest-serving president in the 148-year history of Paul Quinn College. During his near 14 years of leadership, Paul Quinn has become a nationally regarded institution for its efforts to remake higher education in order to serve the needs of under-resourced students and their communities.

Abstract: Institutions are currently operating in a VUCA environment, requiring them to manage immediate pressures while still advancing long-term goals. In this session, we'll share how Lakehead University developed a phased strategic approach to guide implementation of its strategic plan. Come learn how a revised approach can serve as a foundation to support a community-informed strategic plan implementation in a VUCA world.