Learning Resources

Abstract: University “crisis management” can be more effective with prior planning and preparation. Campus leaders need to be sensitive to both the public relations and legal dimensions of the knotty issues they are likely to face. The two authors—an attorney and a public relations executive—identify seven steps that universities should take to be well prepared for that inevitable day when a crisis descends onto their campus without warning.

Abstract: Within the higher education community, there is increasing awareness of the need to plan for more frequent occurrences of natural hazards and the effects of climate change. Many institutions are recognizing the operational and financial risks posed by these threats. Case studies at the University of Christchurch, Canterbury, and The Ohio State University demonstrate the value of a campus plan for guiding decisions around resilience. Incorporating resilience planning into the campus planning process provides an opportunity to engage key stakeholders to address a campus’s vulnerabilities, align resilience-related investments with the broad campus vision, and ensure the long-term viability of the institution.

Abstract: The Glendale Community College integrated strategic planning model represents a significant paradigm shift at the institution. Rather than focus exclusively on the production of a strategic plan, the college now seeks to vertically integrate planning at the departmental, divisional, and college levels and horizontally integrate planning with resource allocation and assessment across the organization. This disruptive innovation allows the college to remain true to its mission and ensures the allocation of resources to strategic priorities linked to student success.

Abstract: Colleges across the United States have become greener, and efforts are underway to enhance their sustainability practices and reduce their carbon footprint. This article is not about the greening of our campuses. It is about planning and preparing for the effects of climate change. It concerns the need to adapt our campuses for the future. This article makes the case that life on our campuses will have to change. We will have no choice. We need to prepare for this change, adapt to it, and reengineer ourselves to be more resilient in the face of it. Moreover, it is our position that it would be fiduciarily and morally derelict not to do so. This article argues that one way to persuade boards of trustees and others within institutions of higher learning that the time to prepare is now is to present the science within the context of the coming effects on our own campuses. This article uses our own campus as a template and makes several suggestions for how to start both the conversation and the planning.

Abstract: State institutions of higher education in Connecticut are experiencing a dramatic and unprecedented period of change: the consolidation of four universities and 13 community colleges into Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU) and the creation of a new administrative structure. This article charts the early stages of this process, presenting events as they unfolded during Governor Dannel Malloy’s first term beginning in January 2011, through his November 2014 reelection, until his state budget was passed in June 2015.

Advocates of systemness in higher education are challenged to balance the promise of centralized leadership and localized prerogative in designing and implementing policy. Systemness offers the promise of synergy and innovation within and across the system guided by common purpose and vision.

This article discusses five specific implementation processes and challenges: a systemwide credit transfer articulation program; Southern Connecticut State University’s early Transform CSCU 2020 initiatives; an ongoing effort throughout CSCU to develop a systemwide identity; the potential impact of budget constraints on systemness; and difficulties selecting and developing administrators and leaders.

Abstract: Efforts to create a more sustainable campus need to address issues of transportation. While greater bike use provides environmental, economic, and social benefits, it still represents a small fraction of campus transportation. One way to increase the number of bike riders is through a bike-share system. This article reports on the potential demand for a bike-share system at Kent State University, a fairly large public university (28,000 students) in northeast Ohio. Like at many universities, Kent State students are not likely to use bikes for commuting purposes. Yet our survey indicates that while there is demand, there are also several impediments. An existing second-generation bike-share system has been very popular but has not quite addressed the issue of commuting. A new next-generation bike-share system—with station-to-station renting—may be just the program to promote the more practical use of bikes and help shift the dominant mode of transportation away from automobiles.

Abstract: American universities are engaging to a greater degree in experiential modes of learning—similar to Montessori education—to engage learners from the millennial generation. Faculty and staff at colleges and universities must adjust to new ways of offering active and hands-on elements in academic programs to help prepare students for knowledge acquisition and lifelong discovery.

Abstract: This article outlines the challenges faced and solutions developed by the project team to address resiliency in the systems and use of the Burrowes Building at Penn State University. The project is designed to transform the space for greater learning and scholarship by faculty and students, promote administrative efficiencies, ensure adaptability for future needs, preserve the central building’s historic appearance, and improve Burrowes’s face on The Mall.
The article is segmented into six sections that present a comprehensive discussion of this project’s planning process, funding, and design:
- Campus Context: The Iconic Mall
- Academic Purpose and Benefits
- Planning for Resiliency
- Programmatic Challenges
- The Planning Process
- Design Solutions
The article closes with a report on how a seemingly unremarkable project, a simple mechanical, electrical, and plumbing renovation, can transform a building from a serviceable, “make-do” space into one that encourages and inspires its users. Further, the conclusion discusses the many ways in which the renovation of the Burrowes Building demonstrates the university’s commitment to resiliency now and in the future.