Blog Post

As we recognize our 60th anniversary, we honor six decades of member achievement, institutional service, and the development of SCUP’s integrated planning approach. From our earliest days, SCUP’s intention was to bring planning practitioners together. As stated by emeritus member Fred Mayer, “As a founding member of SCUP, I recall that one of our core principal objectives in establishing the Society was to create a vehicle that would permit campus planners to share with one another their experiences in dealing with various issues and problems which might confront them.”

Throughout SCUP’s history, we’ve learned that sustained success requires collaboration and communication, anchored in peer-to-peer learning. And while our anniversary milestone represents a significant accomplishment, we now look at the decade ahead which promises to be our most impactful yet. Through three interconnected principles, refined through decades of shared member experiences, we continue to shape how we approach integrated planning: the power of community, the necessity of integration, and the human-centered nature of planning.

Community of Practice: The Foundation of Excellence

The SCUP community’s collective success is strengthened when we build and support robust communities of practice. These networks of planning professionals sharing knowledge, experiences, and challenges create an ecosystem where ideation thrives. We see the power of community connection when cross-institutional knowledge sharing creates breakthrough solutions from unexpected and nontraditional collaborations. As learning programs form cohorts of peers from multiple institutions, we see an acceleration of personal professional development. And when we share these insights with our teammates, or when seasoned leaders share their experiences with emerging talent, we unlock exponential growth potential within our organizations.

Integrated Planning: A Game-Changing Enabler

Through the good work of SCUP members, the integrated planning approach has emerged as an important enabling condition for institutional success. When integrated planning is adopted across a college or university, it builds the organization’s capacity to transform itself through successful plan implementation. The approach fosters a culture and infrastructure that aligns resources, processes, and people toward realizing the institution’s mission and vision. All sectors of the academy—academic affairs, student affairs, business and finance, campus planning, IT, communications, development, etc.—work together toward the common vision. Once optimized, the integrated planning approach is how all units approach their planning, day-to-day work, and everything between. It is a culture driven by mission, informed by data, and focused on student success.

The Human Heart of Planning

At its core, integrated planning remains fundamentally people-focused and people-dependent. While we clearly benefit from technology and the use of data science, human discernment, creativity, and relationship building drive a plan’s most meaningful outcomes. The integrated planning approach honors our responsibility of shaping educational futures through planning that serves both institutional goals and human aspirations.

When we bring together diverse voices—from seasoned planners to emerging professionals, from large research universities to small liberal arts colleges—the blend of perspectives creates solutions that are creative, implementable, and supportive. Most importantly, when people feel genuinely heard and valued, they become invested champions rather than passive recipients of directives. This people-centric approach transforms planning from a mechanical exercise into meaningful practice that recognizes the profound human dimension behind every decision.

Moving Forward Together

The convergence of these three elements creates a powerful framework as SCUP embarks on its next decade of service. While higher education continues to face unprecedented challenges—from the political weaponization of federal funding, shifting demographics, evolving student needs, to questions about value and relevance—we must lean into community-based approaches that strengthen higher education’s positive impact on society at large. Institutions that cultivate communities of practice, embrace integrated planning approaches, and maintain focus on the human element of planning position themselves not only to thrive in an increasingly complex world, but to demonstrate the enduring value of educational excellence and societal contribution. SCUP’s community is uniquely positioned to lead this transformation. With 60 years of member experience as our foundation, we have the stability and wisdom to embrace this evolution boldly, turning our anniversary celebration into a launching pad for decades of community, learning, and impact.

If you haven’t logged into our new online community, the SCUP Exchange, I highly encourage you to take a few minutes to do so. It’s a great place to build connections and learn from each other!

Thank you for being part of our community. We appreciate you.

Mike Moss
President
Society for College and University Planning (SCUP)