Learning Resources

Abstract: Higher education within the United States is in the midst of an evolutionary change. But colleges and universities were having their moment of reckoning long before COVID-19 disrupted life and accelerated change. In the fall of 2020, SCUP’s Pacific Region held five sessions over eight weeks to explore the core topics shaping higher education as colleges and universities adapted in response to the pandemic. This publication offers key insights, findings, and questions from this Virtual Pacific Region Fall Series.

Abstract: When a class is cancelled because of weather, faculty unavailability, IT outage, power outage, or pandemic-related closure, it can result in a loss of instruction. This article details best practices for instructional continuity for many short-term disruptions. Different types of short-term disruptions are identified, as well as how they impact instruction based on course modality. Finally, the article suggests responses for the circumstances, provides a pathway to collaborate with faculty to create a best practices guide for instructional continuity, and shows how to develop a communication and implementation strategy for the plan to reset expectations about instructional disruptions.

Abstract: The education sector is excluded from the 16 official “Critical Infrastructure Sectors” managed by the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency. As the world grapples with a pandemic, this omission lays bare a disconnection between critical infrastructures serving daily life and the ground plane of learning and knowledge creation on which they are built; such a severing between ground plane and structure does not bode well for the entire assembly. For us to flourish as a society, higher education institutions—already grounded in a landscape of learning and knowledge creation—need to be a foundational support to essential infrastructures sustaining daily life in communities small and large.

Abstract: In the second of two keynotes focusing on higher education’s “perfect storm”—the confluence of a global pandemic, financial crisis, shifting demographics, and a changing culture—a cross-disciplinary panel will discuss their integrated planning strategies for moving from a state of triage to transformation. Integrated planning is the foundation upon which we confront higher education’s current turbulent landscape and make the changes necessary for bringing about the “new normal.” Come learn new planning methods and tools for creating future scenario models, achieving operational flexibility and long-term resiliency, and communicating the value of integrated planning at your institution.

Abstract: In the first of two keynotes focusing on higher education’s “perfect storm”—the confluence of a global pandemic, financial crisis, shifting demographics, and a changing culture—a cross-disciplinary panel will speak to their current challenges in opening their campuses this fall, whether it be in-person, virtually, or in a hybrid capacity. The unique timing of this conference allows for sharing early lessons learned only weeks into the start of the academic year. Join us to find out which strategic and integrated planning frameworks your peers are using to guide their actions in navigating the most pressing issues of October 2020.

Abstract: The pace of change is getting faster, and it’s getting harder to anticipate what the future holds—and how your institution can prepare. Scenario planning can help your institution plan for a volatile and uncertain future. Scenario planning uses today’s forces and trends to imagine probable futures and what they could mean for your institution. It’s a flexible process that can inform your institution’s regular planning processes or be used as part of recovery planning in response to disruptions or catastrophic events.

An Integrated Approach to Scenario Planning is a toolkit that will walk you step-by-step through scenario planning. It includes instructions, examples, and blank worksheets that you can use to start scenario planning at your institution immediately. Don’t let your college or university get blindsided. Download your copy and prepare for the future.

Abstract: Freeman A. Hrabowski III has led a transformation of UMBC (University of Maryland, Baltimore County) from a young, regional institution to an innovative research university. In our opening keynote, he discusses his new book, The Empowered University, which probes the ways in which an empowering culture and shared leadership enable a campus to tackle tough issues when times are good and manage challenges when crises emerge. He discusses how—by taking a hard look in the mirror, understanding strengths and weaknesses, assessing opportunities and challenges, and engaging in difficult conversations—an empowered campus can innovate in course redesign, group-based and experiential learning, entrepreneurship and civic engagement, academic inclusion, and faculty diversity.

Abstract: While the pandemic pivot saw institutions racing to embrace new technologies on the fly, the lasting effects of COVID-19 have given rise to a new way of planning ahead and embracing the ability to see changing requirements as opportunities. Hear how Grand Valley’s Loren Rullman frames the changes to student life with the word “more”—more technology, more options, more outside-the-box thinking, and more action and cultural change—as we look ahead to the transformation of campuses for fall and beyond.

Abstract: As a campus built on standards of social justice and experiential learning, Roger Williams University used COVID-19 as an opportunity to think creatively about ways to serve its community.

True to its inclusive mission, the school showed its character throughout the crisis and its planning, coming up with personal ways to connect with prospective families, support off-campus communities, and open pathways to learning.