Learning Resources

Abstract: This article critiques the diversity crises model of diversity planning in higher education and presents a decentralized diversity planning model. The model is based on interviews with the nation’s leading diversity officers, a review of the literature and the authors own experiences leading diversity change initiatives in higher education. The model proposes three-year cycles of diversity planning and implementation to achieve secondary or deep organizational change. Ten action phases are offered to help senior leadership, institutional planning professionals, diversity officers, and others, to establish a strategic diversity planning and implementation process that is multifaceted, dynamic, coordinated, and evolving.

Abstract: Smart change is a simple yet powerful means to help administrators, faculty, staff, and stakeholders better understand the issues surrounding change initiatives at their institutions. A comparison of three approaches to change: routine, strategic, and transformative provides the foundation for improved planning by focusing on the targeted change environment. This framework provides an approach to increasing planning effectiveness through the understanding of how change affects problem solving, planning focus, change mechanisms, leadership and corresponding core competencies, overall engagement, and accountability. Institutions need to cast off “control” as their main guidance system and begin to practice a broader understanding of change.

Abstract: What is the capacity of online programs? Can these types of programs enroll more students than their face-to-face counterparts or not? This article looks at research on achieving cost-efficiencies through online learning, identifies the parts of an online program that can be changed to increase enrollments, and discusses whether a program’s capacity can be conceptualized as limited, static, elastic, or infinite. Misconceptions that plague thinking about capacity issues are identified and a process for calculating program capacity is outlined.

Abstract: U.S. transportation data suggest that the number of vehicle miles traveled has far surpassed new capacity, resulting in increased traffic congestion in many communities throughout the country. This article reports on traffic congestion around a university campus located within a small town. The mix of trip purposes varies considerably in this context, with the majority of trips related to student movement to and from classes. The university itself becomes a major traffic generator, but in a complex way. This article describes how congestion in a university setting differs from that in a nonuniversity setting; what components drive this congestion; how best to reduce this congestion while adhering to overall university planning objectives; and how to set a foundation for traffic management strategies that provide environmental, social, and economic benefit to the university and, importantly, to the surrounding community. The information presented here applies beyond the campus setting to any community that contains nontraditional traffic generators and shows why context does matter when analyzing and managing traffic.

Abstract: When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in August 2005, Southeastern Louisiana University was spared the brunt of the storm and was fortunate that most structures on campus remained intact. However, the storm still affected the campus for weeks. This article reflects on the experiences of university leaders and facility managers as they provided shelter to over 3,000 disaster relief workers and worked to reopen the university's doors to faculty, staff, and students and resume normal academic operations. Insight into the management of campus facilities located outside the core geographic area affected by a natural disaster will assist other campus leaders in their disaster planning efforts.

Abstract: Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accreditation has had an important role in improving medical education as well as in verifying the quality of education in the nation's medical schools. In this manner, it also serves the interests of the public. Every eight years, medical schools undergo an accreditation process to determine whether they are in compliance with LCME standards. However, instead of resorting to cyclic episodes of compliance, medical schools should be in constant conformity with accreditation standards. This can be accomplished by establishing a formative accreditation process that ensures awareness of new standards or revisions and maintains ongoing compliance.