Evaluating the Impact of Strategic Planning in Higher Education.

Strategic planning can be broadly defined as a process used by organizations to define strategy and provide direction regarding future decisions. Grounded in the organization’s mission and vision, it is widely recognized as fundamental to an organization’s success over time. A growing number of higher education institutions are incorporating strategic planning processes at the institution-wide level, or for individual schools or programs. While there are multiple models of strategic planning, many of which include a periodic review of the resulting goals and objectives, there are few, if any, assessments of the impact of the process itself. This study of one intentional model for strategic planning at State University indicates that the program has been successful not only in assisting departments and programs in developing mission and vision statements, organizational goals, and action plans, but also in disseminating organizational information, promoting participation, incorporating new members, and heightening awareness of strengths and opportunities for improvement. INTRODUCTION With its range of missions, multiplicity of stakeholders and distinctive shared governance structures, higher education is a unique industry requiring special considerations when it comes to strategic planning. In his seminal work on academic planning, Keller (1983) set the stage for a new approach to management and organized change in higher education; campuses across the land are being pressed to inquire “What business are we really in? ” and “What is most central to us? ” and “How shall we proceed? ” (p. 72) In direct response to the host of challenges facing institutions of higher education, strategic planning is critical. While there are multiple models of strategic planning, many of which include a periodic review of the resulting goals and objectives, there are few systematic assessments of the impact of the process itself. This exploratory study evaluates the effectiveness of one model for strategic planning at State University. As will be offered throughout this essay, there is initial evidence that a structured strategic planning process involving a broad group of participants can have a positive influence on the organization in many ways. STRATEGIC PLANNING Strategic planning is defined by Allison and Kaye (2005) as “a systematic process through which an organization agrees on – and builds commitment among key stakeholders to – priorities that are essential to its mission” (p. 1). Rowley and Sherman (2001) similarly define it as “a formal process designed to help an organization identify and maintain an optimal alignment with the most important elements of its environmental set” (p. 328). These definitions, and others in the literature, depict strategic planning as an intentional leadership tool for setting future organizational directions in a dynamic environment through a process that takes account of – and ideally engages–key stakeholders. Organizational mission and vision lie at the center of strategic planning, and the process provides space for active consideration of the organization’s raison d'etre. Bryson (2011) suggests strategic planning is “a deliberate disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization (or other entity) is, what it does, and why it does it” (p. 26). It challenges all involved to simultaneously consider both “who we are” and “who we want to be. ” For Dooris and Rackoff (2012), assessment, planning, improvement, and resource allocation reflect an institution’s values, vision, mission, and goals. Similarly, Bryson (2011) captures the importance of mission, vision and values during the process. An organization’s mission reflects its unique identity and serves as the foundation on which to build a strategic planning initiative. A number of models for effective strategic planning currently exist. Hunger and Wheelen (2010) posit four essential elements in the process which include environmental scanning, strategy formulation, strategy implementation, and evaluation and control. Allison and Kaye’s (2005) model includes seven phases: 1) get ready, 2) articulate mission, vision, and values, 3) assess your situation, 4) agree on priorities, 5) write the plan, 6) implement the plan, and 7) evaluate and monitor the plan. As these models indicate, strategic planning calls for a 1 State University is used as a pseudonym for a large, public state university situated in the Northeast United States.