Learning Resources

Abstract: Middle managers are often blamed for change failure and portrayed as change resisters or saboteurs. However, what looks like obstructionist behavior could actually be the observable effects of role ambiguity. Absent clear expectations, middle managers might assume their own unsanctioned change leadership path or take on no role at all because they lack understanding about their responsibilities. This article explores the complexity of middle managers’ experience, examines how middle managers at a two-year college navigated the uncertainty of their role within the context of institutional change, and provides readers with suggestions for equipping middle managers to become effective change agents.

Abstract: The planning team for Portland Community College will discuss lessons learned while practicing equity to create an inclusive Facilities Plan for Oregon’s largest higher education institution on thresholds of global, local, and institutional shifts. Portland Community College, a multi-campus institution constantly navigating academic, workforce, and social change, offers critical and timely lessons for effective and inclusive integrated planning. Attendees will be encouraged to consider relationships between educational equity, campus planning, and institution-wide shifts. They will feel empowered to balance uncertainty, flexibility, and specificity in planning equitable futures.

Abstract: What do strategic plans do? Who are they for? What does it mean to be “strategic”? These are among the questions addressed in a recent year-long study of 108 active college and university strategic plans (and the basis of the 2021 book What Makes a Strategic Plan Strategic). Hear directly from the researchers as they highlight a few important insights they discovered during their analysis, like how to avoid the many pitfalls of strategic planning and ensure a process focused on strategy and outcomes.

Abstract: The article explores campus design implications for socially equitable college and university environments. Two institutions that carry the value of social equity as dominant themes in their mission and strategic plans are showcased. Bellevue College’s equity plan acts as the cornerstone for social justice on campus. Oregon State University’s new Strategic Plan 4.0 includes sense of belonging and inclusion as core values. For both, the physical campus framework plans, used to guide campus development and design over time, fully integrate social equity through processes of engagement and physical solutions that improve a sense of welcome and inclusion.

Abstract: Institutions will need to restructure at an unprecedented pace to achieve results vital for student success and institutional sustainability. Join us for an intimate discussion with Jamienne Studley, president of WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), former college president, and deputy undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Education (2013–2016). Synergy between strategic integrated planning and accreditation review can drive meaningful and efficient analysis in our institutions and become a catalyst for quality, continuous improvement for change, and pursuit of the results we want.

Abstract: A Practical Guide to Strategic Planning in Higher Education is a resource for anyone engaged in college or university strategic planning; it is also an excellent primer for planning committees. Using clear definitions, practical tips, and examples drawn from actual situations, this short book acts as a manual for both experienced planners and those who are new to the process. This second edition also contains new strategies for using an institution’s strategic plan during times of institutional upheaval, and additional techniques for jump-starting various parts of the planning process.

Abstract: “In 2013 TRU established ‘increasing sustainability’ as one of its five strategic priorities for 2014-2019. This Strategic Sustainability Plan (SSP) is aligned with the university’s strategic plan, and provides a focus for TRU’s efforts toward sustainability over the same period. The SSP is comprehensive in nature, and includes more than 130 recommended strategies across four key focus areas: Operations & Planning, Advocacy & Engagement, Learning, and Administration. The SSP is intended to provide a framework for each TRU department and operational unit to incorporate sustainability initiatives into their own planning processes (the structure of the plan is illustrated on the opposing page). . . . Unlike some strategic documents, the plan takes a comprehensive approach of documenting strategies over the next 5 years. These strategies are not all the responsibility of one department or office, but rather are shared among many. This comprehensive approach will allow each office or department to see where and how it can play a role in TRU’s sustainability journey.”