Learning Resources

Abstract: Many institutions of higher education develop assessment systems to demonstrate evidence of value added and to meet accreditation requirements. The sustainability of such assessment systems is usually defendant on creating a culture of assessment, which entails establishing shared values and principles and implementing practices designed to meet organizational goals. A survey of 119 assessment professionals revealed both the challenges and facilitating factors in creating and sustaining a culture of assessment. This article presents the survey results organized by an institution’s stage of development in establishing a culture of assessment: beginning, progress, or maturation. The article also provides specific examples to help institutions move along the continuum or improve their current practices and concludes with a discussion of policy implications

Abstract: Linear planning and decision-making models assume a level of predictability that is uncommon today. Such models inadequately address the complex variables found in higher education. When academic organizations adopt paired-down business strategies, they restrict their own vision. They fail to harness emerging opportunities or learn from their own mistakes. Better models do exist, however, and can help educational planners improve planning practice. Strategies employed in design professions (like architecture) incorporate non-linear, iterative, synthesizing processes. Iterative techniques can help organizations (and their leaders) understand and deal with change in proactive ways. This article defines and illustrates iterative planning strategies and metaphors that may help, such as decision-making spirals, interactive learning methods, design thinking, improvisation, chaos theory, and the collaborative design-studio format.

Abstract: In 2009, Herman Miller, Inc., a Zeeland, Michigan-based furniture manufacturer, convened a leadership roundtable intended to identify trends that would affect higher education in the year 2015. Representatives from research universities, state colleges, community colleges, private institutions, and architectural and design firms participated in the roundtable discussion and, from a series of exercises, determined a list of 12 future trends. Among those trends, the roundtable concluded that globalization will influence and shape all aspects of teaching and learning. Plus, advancements in technology will drive ongoing changes throughout college and university life and offer new opportunities to enhance and broaden learning experiences. Students will take greater control of their own learning as proactive producers and managers of their own learning solutions, materials, and portfolios. Roundtable participants also concluded that the competition for students and resources will force colleges and universities to sharpen their brands and identities and to distinguish themselves in new ways. Lastly, accountability and assessment tools will continue to become common in defining institutional effectiveness. In conclusion, it is important for colleges and universities to be aware of future trends in higher education so that they can provide students and faculty with a strong, resilient, and vibrant academy for generations to come.

Abstract: The research presented in this article demonstrates how to investigate the competitive position of an institution’s academic programs or services through an analysis of the Websites of other higher education institutions. By using information from research/doctoral, master’s, baccalaureate, and community colleges across 40 states, this study looked at nine data elements that identify competitive advantage for a hypothetical online degree program. This process can be applied to either one’s own institution to determine how well it provides information important to students or to competing institutions to determine where competitive advantage may lie.

Abstract: Strategic planning is critical to ensuring that institutions of higher education thoughtfully and systematically position themselves to accomplish their mission, vision, and strategic goals, particularly when these institutions face a myriad of risks that can negatively impact their continued financial viability and compromise their ability to achieve their goals. This article argues that it is both logical and desirable to integrate risk management and strategic planning into one coordinated, holistic process to create a synergistic effect that leverages the benefits of both processes and makes them mutually reinforcing. The article notes that strategic planning and risk management unfortunately appear to be mostly undertaken as separate activities, something seemingly borne out by the plethora of writing on the disparate subjects and the dearth of writing on their integration.The article also discusses how to integrate risk management and strategic planning into a holistic process by sharing the experience of The PennsylvaniaState University’s Mont Alto campus as a potential best practice.

Abstract: Strategic planning is an important tool, but the sole dependence on it across departments and campuses has resulted in the underutilization of equally important methods of analysis. The evolution of higher and postsecondary education necessitates a systemic industry analysis, as the combination of new providers and delivery mechanisms and changing social parameters gives rise to increased competition and innovation. This article tests the applicability of Porter’s five forces model to the higher education industry. While the model provides significant insight into the industry, it has been revised in this article to incorporate government as a prominent sixth force in the analysis.

Abstract: The contemporary university operates within a global context characterized by ever-increasing uncertainty and complexity. Strategic planning must, therefore, be cognizant of future trends and how those trends will affect the university by creating both threats and opportunities. Our hypothesis is that an approach we refer to as “strategic foresight” can provide us with the tools, methodology, and process to creatively address uncertainty and complexity in our working environment. Dublin City University has taken the lead in Ireland in terms of its emphasis on strategic planning. Its 2005–2008 strategic plan, Leadership Through Foresight, was part of an ambitious foresight exercise that was aimed at informing subsequent strategic cycles. This article reports on this process in the context of the wider literature examining the value of foresight/futures thinking as applied to universities. The article commences with a review of current uncertainties and complexities in the current operating environment. It broadly outlines foresight/futures thinking and then examines universities specifically. It continues by focusing on Dublin City University’s foresight exercise as an example of how foresight operates in practice. Finally, the article concludes by exploring what a strategic foresight approach to planning might look like based on that experience.