Learning Resources

Abstract: Institutions constantly struggle with space, but having the right data can drive meaningful discussions about (re)allocating space and ultimately save a campus money. Beginning with the right quantitative and qualitative data and then layering on architectural analysis and operational considerations can help you produce the best solutions for your space-related challenges. Come learn how data-informed design can inform your next building project, guide space allocation, and minimize the need for new construction on your campus.

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: In 2009 the Arizona University System (supporting over 130,000 enrollments) through its Board of Regents directed its board president and the presidents of Arizona State University, University of Arizona, and Northern Arizona University to create an operational plan that reflected the board’s vision, goals, and strategic directions. A primary objective was to transform the system (or enterprise) vision into concrete goals and outcomes that would directly connect to financial decision making at the system and university level. The backdrop for higher education planning and budgeting expectations included the continuation of severe reductions in state funding, rapidly increasing student tuition and fees, and a call for greater accountability. The planning processes were characterized by the integration of board and presidential discussions, inclusion of constituent debate, identification of strategic choices, and approval of outcomes focused on measuring performance. The integration ran across and within three organizations or levels that included the Arizona Board of Regents, its system administration, and the three universities.

Abstract: This article explains the cost of education in public research universities. “Price,” meaning “tuition,” is often incorrectly substituted for “cost,” meaning expenditures by the university that make the education possible. University cost is disaggregated to enable readers to distinguish between the costs associated with providing education to students and the costs of other non-educational activities that tend to produce their own revenue. While tuition has increased rapidly, real cost per student for providing education has been roughly constant for nearly 20 years. Increased revenue from tuition has been almost precisely offset by reduced revenue from state appropriations.

Abstract: How have presidential leadership strategy, decision approaches, and institutional culture preferences influenced fund-raising effectiveness at a historically Black college for women? These conceptual dimensions guided a qualitative study that interviewed three recent Spelman College presidents and investigated documentary evidence to develop an understanding of each president's relative successes. Although generalizability is not possible when studying a single institution, the three very individualistic approaches to fund-raising adopted by these presidents indicate the contextual nature of fund-raising effectiveness and highlight the need for knowledgeable institutional planners who understand each of these conceptual dimensions to accommodate the varying contexts of their institutions.

Abstract: Book review of The Advancement President and the Academy, eidted by Mary Kay Murphy. ACE/Oryx Press, 1997. 153 pages. ISBN 1-57356-028-6. Pull quotes: "The advancement president must live out a commitment to intellectual life."

Abstract: Book review: Beyond Fund Raising: New Strategies for Nonprofit Innovation and Investment, by Kay Sprinkel Grace, John Wiley & Sons, 1997. 288 pages. ISBN 0-47-16232-9.