Integrated Planning: How to Align the People, Places, Purpose, and Resources (P3R) of Your Division

Integrated Strategic Planning is an effective tool to assess departmental efficiency and effectiveness, plan for improvement in the division, and align the goals of the student affairs division with the priorities of the institution. The presenters will lead participants through the following items: implementing the Integrated Strategic Planning process, initiating zero-based budgeting, and creating an action plan for implementation at their institution.

Upcraft and Schuh (1996) define assessment as any effort to gather, analyze, and interpret evidence which describes institutional or departmental effectiveness. This effectiveness includes student learning outcomes, cost effectiveness, clientele satisfaction, and meeting clientele needs. By implementing Integrated Strategic Planning in Student Affairs, your division will be able to create a more efficient and effective operation that is able to meet its goals while potentially reducing costs. It is essential that resources, assessment and accreditation, and student learning outcomes are effectively communicated to both internal and external constituencies.

These efforts, when combined, become the division’s means to demonstrate why student services are an essential function of the institution. In effect, the departments should utilize these tools to show (1) what they are doing (2) how they are able to effectuate change, (3) how they are utilizing data to better their services, and (4) how they are continuously to improve deployment of resources. Many higher education institutions are experiencing flat or reduced funding. To maximize it's effectiveness, Integrated Strategic Planning should utilize a zero-based budgeting process that requires departments to demonstrate effective utilization of resources and that expenses are aligned with department, division, and university missions and goals.

This presentation will highlight the importance of Integrated Strategic Planning within Student Affairs to promote the importance of planning of strategic activities to better ensure division and student success. Integrated Strategic Planning can elevate the effectiveness and efficiency of a division, encourage colleagues to embrace progressive initiatives for the institution, and ensure all activities align with the priorities of the institution.

Being able to lead a division and/or institution through an Integrated Strategic Planning process is a needed skill for student affairs professionals. As a leader in student affairs, it is important to be able to be able to incorporate the priorities of the institution into the heart of student affairs. In addition, the Integrated Strategic Planning process naturally lends itself to collaboration. Collaboration serves two purposes: Gaining diverse perspectives and increasing ownership in the process. When participants feel they are valued and have a voice in planning, they are more likely to be advocates for the continued improvement of their area. 

Learning Outcomes

Participants in this live briefing will be able to:

• articulate the Integrated Strategic Planning process to colleagues; 
• lead Integrated Strategic Planning at their respective institutions; and
• implement practices at their institutions as they relate zero-based budgeting.