Learning Resources

Abstract: A reprint of the 1976 article with a new 2015 introduction by the author.

Original abstract: Drawing on his experience as Provost for Planning at West Virginia University, Raymond M. Haas deals in the following article with the importance of a proper charge to the Planning Office as a means of achieving integrated planning. He further proposes that the role of the Planning Office should be clearly coordinative in the nature--to the point where its only responsibility for actual planning should be in planning the planning process. Finally, he argues that "... integrated planning can be achieved only when planning is a regularly scheduled activity which occurs frequently, and which produces results that manifest themselves in the allocation, reallocation, and effective use of resources within the institution." The author's remarks have been adapted from his presentation at the Society's 11th Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.

Abstract: The focus on information exchange and collaboration is defining a sea change in the evolution of the campus into a technology-rich virtual learning environment. The rapid advances of technology in the last decade, the rise of cohort-oriented inquiry-based pedagogies, and the future of virtual learning are redefining the planning issues for learning space. Near-term and future technologies offer the potential for education to become a continuous, interconnected, and integrated process that allows students to succeed in a perpetually changing world. The themes of upcoming SCUP conference events make it clear that the society is again focusing on advances in collaboration and educational processes that will have an immediate impact on our members who are planning for the inevitable ongoing learning space evolution.

Abstract: A successful collegiate strategic planning process ensures the long-term viability of an educational institution, but the reasons why some efforts succeed and others fail are myriad. This reflection, rooted in observations from the field, suggests that there may be three essential ingredients that contribute to a successful strategic planning program: leadership, context, and productive conflict.

Abstract: The technical education system in Tennessee has received significant accolades for its students’ high completion and job placement rates. Key to this success is an integrated approach to planning that links academic programs to strong employment sectors in the region each campus serves. The 2014 Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology Statewide Master Plan combines regional job market analysis with input from faculty and administrators to generate recommendations for capital investments that respond to real needs in the local economy and ensure student success on campus and after graduation.

Abstract: More comprehensive than most master planning processes, Vision Integrated Planning (VIP) results in the broad and detailed development of a campus master plan framed by the realities of the institution’s internal and external environment. Beginning with and embracing the college’s vision, VIP sets out to understand the forces and issues that affect a college’s program offerings and the facilities used to serve the learning experiences of those programs. It then uses that understanding to develop a well-supported, integrated, and informed campus master plan. This article lays out the VIP process, citing examples where VIP has been employed and demonstrating the logic that frames the planning effort.

Abstract: Instructors have a responsibility to maximize student learning. Thus, to the extent that the characteristics of a classroom’s space facilitate or promote learning, instructors should be actively involved in the design and use of the space. This is especially the case as active learning activities are becoming more common. Principles are discussed in relation to functional seating arrangements; focal points and sight lines; acoustics; movement around, into, and out of the classroom; lighting; and windows. A list of principles for good classroom design from the instructor’s point of view is given at the end, and readers are invited to modify this list in a wiki.

Abstract: Public higher education in the United States has become more privatized over the last half-century. One way it has adapted to this privatized environment is through the use of a new funding model, the public-private venture (PPV). PPVs are increasing rapidly in Georgia’s higher education system, and yet little is known about the implications of their use. This issue is significant because billions of dollars are invested in Georgia alone. Leaders must be able to utilize privatized financial tools and understand the best conditions for their use.
With the goal of contributing to the literature about how PPVs are used, there were four research questions that guided this study: (1) how has the PPV model been used in an urban public university? (2) what are the internal and external forces that cause a public university to use the PPV model? (3) what is gained and lost by using this model? and (4) what strengths and challenges have resulted from the implementation of PPVs? A qualitative case study was conducted on the Georgia Institute of Technology and specifically three of its housing facilities, two that are PPVs and one that is not.
Six themes regarding the breadth and extent of PPV use at this institution were identified: (1) determination of control, responsibility, oversight, and autonomy; (2) the need to balance risk and debt; (3) how closely to follow the market model; (4) the effects of decreased state support; (5) the connection between strategic planning and the use of PPVs; and (6) the creation of new, even more privatized, financial models.
The seventh and most significant finding was the identification of three distinct pressures present in the PPV model—control, responsibility, and oversight—or a “triangle of pressure.” This newly introduced concept emphasizes the three pressures that must be carefully balanced when engaging in partnerships that involve both public and private entities in public higher education.
The trend of privatization in the academy is here for the foreseeable future, and leaders should carefully consider the implications for their institutions, their state systems, and their students and plan accordingly.

Abstract: Postsecondary institutions are increasingly becoming more diverse. To ensure that the campus culture is appreciative of such diversity, many institutions are including language in their policies and implementing programs that demonstrate their commitment to diversity. One such means for communicating institutional commitment to diversity is through the strategic plan. As the basis for establishing institutional priorities and determining which initiatives get funded, the strategic plan can reflect the institution’s true commitment to diversity by purposefully incorporating plans for diversity throughout the document. This research sought to understand what was already being done in regard to diversity and strategic planning at both the system and individual institution level so that information can be relayed about what works and has the greatest impact and therefore should be considered when developing a strategic plan that pays attention to and appreciates diversity. Findings suggest that although institutions are including diversity initiatives in their strategic plans, there needs to be greater attention paid to diversity within the strategic plan.