strategic planning models in higher education

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and how will you succeed? Jerry Brown rallying support for Proposition 30 on election eve, Grand Valley State University - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District. The Synario modeling engine communicates changes to your projected financial statements, including cash flow, as you make them. It is the game plan that contains answers to key questions, such as in what arenas will you engage (undergraduate, graduate; health care, humanities; liberal arts, professional; local, national, global; adult, traditional age, etc.) The opposite of “provide all students with a transformational learning experience”? ), Furthermore, we in higher education seem quite enamored with five-year plans. And historically in higher education, it has been overlooked in conversations about each. “Great,” we said, “but better at what? (For some, the answer is simply five years of reprieve before they have to go through the planning process again.). “Undergoing a strategic planning process can be a monumental task, especially for higher education institutions that are attempting a more contemporary model for the first time. Articulating the right things to do is difficult work. He co-directs the Penn Project on University Governance. The result for most institutions is that faculty members, administrators, trustees, alumni and others spend a lot of time and energy developing documents that give incomplete directions. How might we respond? A good strategic plan can improve student outcomes, keep great teachers and enhance the reputation of district leadership. Now they matter a good deal to the institution. But the more substantive the strategy meal, the better, yes? Thus, we have the title of this essay (which is an intentional overstatement, as we will explain below). How is the environment evolving and what does that mean for our competitive advantage? Strategic planning in higher education requires both reliable financial projections and a deep understanding of how various projects, initiatives, and scenarios will impact your college or university. To conclude, the title of this essay is a gross overstatement. During a recent workshop on strategy (and not planning), the following exchange occurred between an experienced administrator and one of us. Strategy has numerous definitions, and those people who work on strategy in other settings like health care or the corporate sector often disagree on its meaning. Although there is a general agreement on the conceptual note on the strategic planning process, the differences are conspicuous in its internal process of transformation from strategic formulation to implementation. In addition, we profile two successful strategic planning processes, including the timeline, participants, procedures, and lessons learned. Basic Strategic Planning Model. Perform low-impact research. University of Queensland student Robert Carrol participates in a surgery rotation at the Ochsner Clinical School in New Orleans. Most strategic plans tend to adopt an artificial focus of five years (the bold ones aim for 10 years or more). Our website uses cookies to improve your experience on our site. Be the first to know.Get our free daily newsletter. fields, source:iStock.com/clu uses: library digitization, source:iStock.com/CurvaBezier uses:federal funded programs, source:iStock.com/maxuser uses: academy-industry relationships, source:iStock.com/MTMCOINS uses: sergeant, source:iStock.com/SimplyCreativePhotography uses: student finance, source:iStock.com/tillsonburg uses: strikes, source:Wikipedia caption: Notre Dame Quad, source:Wikipedia/Lakshmansrikanth uses: law library, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, South Metropolitan Higher Education Consortium, South Orange County Community College District, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, State University of New York at New Paltz, Stella and Charles Guttman Community College, Student Community College of Baltimore County, Students at Community College of Baltimore County, SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Tressel speaks to students on campus. It’s also common to hear someone say, “Culture eats strategy for lunch (or breakfast),” which is fine. 8, No. Cathy Trower is president of Trower & Trower Inc. (a governance consulting firm). Peter Eckel serves as senior fellow and director of leadership programs at the Alliance for Higher Education and Democracy in the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. Too often strategic plans fall short of serving as a guiding light for the future. The discussion has been informed by three areas of concern common to many higher education institutions: the need to manage changing funding models, the need to seek more sustainable support from key constituents, and the need to improve student recruitment and retention. Institutions should recognize that strategy can be created from consistencies and synergies across efforts, and need not always come from a formal strategy-development process. “I’ve been involved in three different strategic planning efforts at my institution. The environment for most universities is volatile and variable, not static and predicable; it is challenge dependent and not time dependent. Framing the right questions can help craft strategy, as those questions can energize the collective will and creative good thinking across campus that is needed to address today’s pressing challenges. Please visit our contact page. As noted in an Inside Higher Ed article, some of the commonalities of successful strategic planning models for higher education include having an inspirational presidential vision with input from the faculty and a stamp of approval by the board. B. E. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, Vol. Not only do they educate and train students but they also create new ideas and knowledge for the short-term contemporary issues as well as long-term Strategic planning for higher education: plan for a better tomorrow, today . A short plan cycle may also mitigate the tendency to front‐load or back‐load goals during the planning process. Photo courtesy of New College of the Humanities/Simon Jones. By continuing to use this website, you consent to our use of cookies. Model and plan for financial KPIs such as net tuition revenues, in-state and out-of-state tuition revenues, and discounts. Three Stages of Strategic Planning 3.1. The strategy that is pursued comes through collective and intentional efforts as well as through emergent activities by colleges, departments and even individual faculty members. This article reviews the systems approach to strategic planning as a method to enhance the planning processes. Operations are the steps to implement strategy and therefore deliver on the mission. Rather, they came about because a few savvy faculty members saw the need to offer a doctoral program in a new format in higher education management (the where-to-play decision). Decide on short-term strategies that will allow you to reach milestones which clearly show progress towards achieving the company vision. Institutions would be better served to first start by articulating statements of strategy and then creating operational plans to deliver on those statements (see the University of Vermont’s College of Education and Social Services pathways in its planning document). This essay is based on a chapter in their new book, Practical Wisdom: Thinking Differently About College and University Governance. This guide reviews good practice in strategic planning in higher education (HE). University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, University of South Florida-Sarasota-Manatee, University of South Florida-St Petersburg, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, West Valley/Mission Community College District, West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, Bruce Springsteen and the Biden-Harris Victory, Teaching Online in the COVID Crisis: What We Have Learned, Responding vs. What is magical about 60 months? Institutions still need plans. The concept of strategic planning has extensively been used to formulate institutional objectives of higher education institutions into time bound deliverables. Operations address how to do things right, whereas strategy is about the right things to do. The model uses the concepts of the systems approach, combines elements of models in the literature, and shows the relationships and … That included adopting a system to address problems in education, human development, counseling and social work; focusing on the people, places and history of Vermont (the Vermont Distinction); and prioritizing its impact on a diverse, globalized society. Colleges and universities invest a tremendous amount of time and effort (holding many meetings with various constituent groups on and off campus to gain input) -- and sometimes also money (for consultants) -- in their strategic plans. The growth of international activities within higher education institutions takes place in a number of different ways ranging from the ad hoc (reactive) to the strategic (proactive). How well do the strategic choices in your institution’s plan pass this opposites test? What might happen if rather than developing and arguing over objectives, goals, timelines and key performance indicators, administrators, faculty members and trustees spent the time framing and asking a limited number of strategy-related questions? What do we not do or consider not doing? A strategy map is a visual tool designed to clearly communicate a strategic plan and … By framing different types of conversations as part of strategic planning efforts, our hope is that we can generate different, and more beneficial, outcomes from those processes. Request your custom consult below and a member of our team will be in touch. Yet unlike operational priorities, strategy is not time bound. Through synthesized research findings and teaching insights, the authors collaboratively devised a comprehensive communication planning model that is based on a series of strategic questions designed to focus a higher education institution’s communication approaches, and that includes a project-management framework guiding strategy and tactics along a continuum ranging from the most … Yet, most plans are time bound. These pitfalls can lead to unrealistic timelines and/or a loss of momentum. The problem with many college and university strategic plans is that they do not articulate choices; they are internally, not externally focused, and are muddied by operations. Between the key factors, specialized literature states it as the most important factor in … Strategy exists if some competitors choose different, if not opposite, paths. This report examines best practices in strategic planning at higher education institutions and profiles the strategic plans and planning processes in place at five specific institutions. master of New College of the Humanities. These operational plans can decouple operations from strategy, develop a short-term (12- to 18-month) road map, and ensure greater agility and responsiveness as needs arise and conditions change. And all the while, those who lead the planning process can be heard saying, “This plan will not sit on the shelf (this time).”. Therefore, if the opposite of your strategic choices looks stupid, then all competitors are going to have pretty much the same strategy as you, doing you little good. Failure in strategic planning can be disastrous. At Morgan State University, listening sessions, town hall meetings, and a regularly updated website promoted involvement from a wide swath of the campus community. Identify (or re-identify) the goal of your organization, and make sure the mission statementis consistent with this. Once the program in higher education took root, others saw the potential for similarly structured programs in school administration, education entrepreneurship, medical education and for chief learning officers. For example, the University of Vermont’s College of Education and Social Services brought together faculty members, administrators and staff members to articulate its strategy. (Courtesy: University of Akron), University of Cincinnati-Blue Ash College, University of Cincinnati-Clermont College, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Maryland University College, University of Massachusetts Medical School, University of North Carolina at Asheville, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus. It is not the sole undertaking of faculty members, administrators or the board. Strategy as a field may have a lot to offer colleges and universities. Our newsletters are packed with helpful tips, industry guides, best practices, case studies, and more. Plans appear in highly visible places on websites. They need plans to operationalize their strategies. planning process of a typical commercial initiative, the framework of the higher education strategic planning deploys almost similar methodologies in strategic formulation and strategic implementation. A strategic plan in the education sector is the physical product of the strategic planning process and embodies the guiding orientations on how to manage an education system within a larger national development perspective, which is evolving by nature and often involves constraints. Roger Martin, former dean of the business school at the University of Toronto, has a wonderful test about plans versus strategy. Certainly, strategic plans are important to academic institutions. Furthermore, we in higher education seem quite enamored with five-year plans. Workday Adaptive Planning helps higher education teams accelerate budgeting and expense cycles, align resources against priority programmes and courses, and streamline critical processes like enrollment planning. 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The first model we will highlight is the "Basic" Strategic Planning … VISION. If strategy were easy, every organization would have a well-articulated and impactful one. And once answering those, developing a series of operational plans to deliver on strategy, such as linking budgets with priorities for the next two years? So if the results are less than impactful, then why do we invest so much in strategic planning? It includes a brief history of strategic planning, emerging challenges in higher education, basic models and steps of a strategic planning process, adapting strategic planning to unique needs of higher education, and a look into the strategic planning at the California State University system. What criteria is used to demarcate what is inside and outside those boundaries. A concentration on strategy might help institutions operate more efficiently, make smarter choices among competing priorities and set the course for a sustainable future. Strategic Planning in Higher Education Abstract Higher education institutions around the world are taking on more responsibility for their own future planning. New Approaches, Different Questions, Novel Outcomes. Who are our competitors -- both traditional and nontraditional -- and in what ways are they competing differently? Have questions? Given the demands on campuses and the complexities that academic leaders face, might institutions be better served by looking at the future through some new lenses rather than reinvesting in yet another round of similar work? As she realized during this exchange, the real objective shouldn’t be to improve planning, but rather to improve the institution and position it for success in the long run. As a result, they need to further strengthen their capacity for strategic performance. Institutions hold retreats, often over many days, to talk about plan implementation and progress. This approach includes the following steps: 1. The better ones convey particular actions with respect to target audiences, as well as articulate outcomes. Harpswell Foundation students. But other strategy emerges from the work on campuses, particularly among the faculty. Provide some students with a transformative experience or provide all students with a less than transformative experience. As we have said here, strategy is not planning. Maybe institutions would be better served by focusing on the other half of strategic planning: the strategy. At the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, the suite of executive programs is a key strategy. 3. Section 1 examines best practices in strategic planning for higher education institutions. 72) facing institutions of higher education, strategic planning is critical. 2. Strategy, as a concept, sits between mission and operational plans. It originated in a consultation exercise which we held in 1998 to review our approach to strategic planning. For example, the opposite of “performing high-impact research”? Kaufman’s Strategic Planning Model • systems framework model by Kaufman • model has undergone extensive improvements during the last 2 decades • initially presented in systems analysis of 6 steps • Organization Elements Model (OEM) – systems framework of 4 major clusters of 13 steps & improved into 3 major clusters of 12 steps 34. Enter your email address below to opt in: Visit one of Hanover’s COVID-19 Resource Centers for clear, actionable information to help you design your response to the pandemic, Copyright © 2020 Hanover Research / All Rights Reserved /. An institutional mission statement says why a college or university exists; it’s the purpose. Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, Missouri University of Science and Technology, North Dakota State University-Main Campus, North Orange County Community College District, Northern Virginia School of Therapeutic Massage, Northern Wyoming Community College District, Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute, Oklahoma State University - Center for Health Sciences, Patient simulation at Springfield Technical Community College, Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus, Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington, Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg, Rancho Santiago Community College District, Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing, San Joaquin Delta Community College District, San Jose/Evergreen Community College District, San Mateo County Community College District, source: istock.com/CEFutcher uses: Student, source: iStock.com/FlashSG uses: faculty retirement, source: iStock.com/hocus-focus uses: open education resources, source: iStock.com/marekuliasz uses: ethics, source: iStock.com/monkeybusinessimages uses: adult education, source: istock.com/nigelcarse uses: Finance, source: Lauren Rouppas uses: affordable care act, source: Wikipedia/Janto Dreijer uses: tablet, source: Wikipedia/Ludovic Bertron caption: gay students, source: wikipedia/strngwrldfrwl uses: remedial education, source:iStock.com/AnthiaCumming uses: S.T.E.M. Strategy is the purpose for which you will be taking these operational steps. Strategy is what we say we will do, but it also is about the cumulative effect of what we have done. We discuss common pitfalls and guiding principles for gaining buy‐in, implementing the plan, and financial planning. “Educate students for the global 21st century,” anyone? A caveat: strategy questions, as the right-things-to-do questions, are difficult to frame and to frame well. Some are triumphs of form (or wordsmithing) over substance. English, British – ANZ; English, British – UK; Need to respond to change as it happens? But what is clear across many competing definitions is that strategy: 1) is the link between mission and the realities of the external, competitive marketplace, 2) is about choices associated with organizational direction and 3) differs from operations. Strategy is the pathway to deliver on that mission. The Strategic Planning in Higher Education(SPHE) approach provides a seven-step blueprint for establishing planning priorities, guiding the process, and bringing the plan’s goals to fruition. They were not created through a committee or market analysis. Their key points often are expected, and they share much in common with those of similar, but also dissimilar, institutions. Heres what we know about strategic planning in education including a brief history, what works now and where its heading in the future. Why should time matter more than other variables that might define strategy and its direction? for strategic planning in high er education which is modif ied fro m Jonson’s model Keepin g in mind the differen ce in context between business and governmental higher education organization. Most strategic plans tend to adopt an artificial focus of five years (the bold ones aim for 10 years or more). 2. The examples they provide support using data to inform planning and striving to balance aspiration with reality. The higher education landscape continues to experience change. Involve more people, develop new metrics, hire different consultants, have leaders say earlier in the process that “this plan will not sit on the shelf.” But what if improving planning is the wrong focus? The solution, tried and tried again, on most campuses is to improve planning efforts to create better strategic plans. Now there’s a way to run your college or university with speed and agility . Separate products to serve distinct purposes. The report comprises the following two sections: Receive industry-leading insights directly in your inbox. What is magical about 60 months? But plans are not strategies. Drawing again on the work of a range of strategy thinkers, examples of potentially impactful questions include: In the end, as Martin and his colleagues suggest, strategy is fundamentally about answering two key questions: 1) Where to play and 2) how to succeed.

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