Learning Resources

Abstract: Mobile is quickly becoming the dominant computing and communications platform. Starting in 2013, it is projected that smartphone shipments will outpace those of PCs. With this shift comes a corresponding shift in expectations from higher education users. We cannot afford to sit back and do nothing. Instead, we need to embrace this critical evolution in technology and harness it to the best advantage of our students, faculty, and institutions. An undertaking of this complexity and criticality requires a deliberate plan, but the plan will need to be highly flexible and able to quickly adjust to this constantly evolving and shifting landscape.

Abstract: The management of change and the evaluation of performance outcomes in higher education are most successful when a set of reference institutions against which to benchmark is identified. This article discusses a method by which a focal institution can identify other institutions that are most similar to itself. This methodology identifies the nearest institutional neighbors using a balanced set of measures from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). A case study is used to demonstrate the methodology. Readers will find this methodology to be robust and flexible, as well as easy to understand and explain to others. It is a hybrid method that integrates judgment and analytical techniques.

Abstract: College and university leaders currently face the most challenging fiscal, monetary, and legislative climate in memory. Leaders must manage the academic and financial resources of the enterprise with far more deft than their predecessors. For many campuses, additional resources will need to be created from within the existing financial boundaries of the institution. The overhead coverage matrix presented in the article is positioned as a tool to assist in making decisions related to strategic resource management. To demonstrate the utility of the overhead coverage matrix, a hypothetical example of resource planning is presented as a walkthrough.

Abstract: As an industry, information technology (IT) innovates constantly, and IT departments in higher education need to integrate new technologies into teaching, learning, research, and business practices in rapid succession while maintaining existing technologies without interruption. By pursuing complementary and interdependent processes for IT governance, strategic planning, and leadership development, a university or college can create foundational long-term IT planning capabilities that support the mission of the institution. This article describes a multifaceted approach to establishing long-term IT planning capabilities, explores the components of building long-range IT governance, identifies strategies for leadership development for IT professionals, and demonstrates how collaborative IT planning is a fundamental component of integrated planning for higher education.

Abstract: This article surveys the impact of state oversight and fiscal policy on universities’ revenue structures with special attention to tuition and state appropriations. It highlights the difficulties that arise for financial planners who face increasing state oversight, diminishing state support, and significant reliance on increases in tuition and fees. It also considers the impacts of restrictive state fiscal policies on financial planning. The author suggests that as institutional planners seek out the factors affecting revenues, it is sensible for them to consider the consequences of state oversight and state fiscal policy in their assessment of the internal and external fiscal environments.