The Language of Strategic Thinking

Administrative staff and faculty are selected for campus planning committees, institutional accreditation self-study teams, and other campus-wide task forces. Such efforts require strategic thinking, not just long-range planning. What do we mean by strategic thinking?

The starting point for strategy is purpose, the mission of the institution, and the goals set for its fulfillment. We assess the success of goal-attainment by monitoring the alignment of the following elements:

• Purpose or mission.
• Goals desired.
• Strategies followed.
• Alternative courses of action to achieve the priorities set.
• Principles and Priorities that guide decision-making.
• Assessment of assumptions and alignments.
• Allocation of resources in support of strategies.
• Rewards offered to honor achievement.
• Timeline, including milestones and time for reflection; and
• Results attained.

These are the elements of strategic thinking.

By mission, we mean the trustee-proposed, state-approved, and regionally accredited statement of purpose. This legal charter is a guidepost that can be amended but only through a process involving multiple steps. For example, an amendment might be sought to offer new levels of degree programs. Or perhaps the change would be sought to offer degree programs at a new site. The mission is both a picture and a frame, a description of and a cap on ambition.

Colleges and universities have numerous goals because they have multiple stakeholders. Goals are approved by and monitored by the board of trustees. These goals include:

• Student recruitment and retention at all levels.
• Faculty and staff hiring and development.
• Net tuition revenue.
• Academic program development, reviews, and accreditation.
• Administrative efficiencies and effectiveness.
• Fundraising for projects, endowment, and buildings.
• Alumni participation
• Local, state, federal, and private foundation grants; and
• Athletics, among others.

The setting and tracking of goals involve aspirations, historical trends, and peer or other comparisons.

Strategies are influenced by context and those employed to achieve goals are both various and standard. They must be adaptable and flexible, and consider the internal and external forces at play, including strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Important considerations are both longitudinal and national data. The data can be compiled in a fact book available for campus planning and preparing for accreditation visits. It can be the foundation of a dashboard of critical elements for regular analysis and early warnings. In addition to data, it is important also to seek local knowledge gained by engaging faculty, staff, students, and alumni, and listening.

Alternative courses of strategic action are influenced by the local and the larger context. In both cases, demographic trends, local conditions, and public policies help shape the context. The most vulnerable institutions are those that enroll 1,000 or fewer students, have a local rather than regional or national reputation, recruit students from an area with a limited population, and manage a small endowment.

With limited time and resources, principles and priorities must be established. A top priority might be to enroll a first-year class of a certain size. But what are the principles to be followed? Is student preparation an important principle? Does the institution engage in enrollment by design, the process in which student graduation rates are considered along with the size of the entering class and the yield rate on offers of admission. Is there a principle guiding which sources of funding will and won’t be approached? What is the role of the faculty in such decision-making?

An important principle in strategic thinking is assessment. Effective institutions have a regular process and schedule for the periodic review of academic programs and administrative units. These reviews include both external comparisons and follow-up reports on the status of recommendation received. Financial ratios are routinely reviewed for historical trends and external comparisons for the alignment between goals and results.

Resource allocations are critical. Do cost control measures include partnerships and joint purchasing? What are the plans for revenue generation? Is resource allocation aligned with mission, goals, and desired results? For example, board members and others might like it when they see campus advertising in national newspapers or the campus sponsorship of a prestigious sporting event. Do these allocations support the mission for student success and goals for student graduation? There may be more newspaper coverage for Division I sports but does the cost of mounting such teams justify the expense when the money might be better spent on quality enhancements and student financial aid.

In other words, the return on investment needs to be understood. What does it cost to recruit a student, to raise a dollar?

Rewards require resources, too. One of the most prominent rewards offered by colleges to faculty is released time from teaching. How does funding large release time support the strategic goals?

A timeline, including milestones, is essential for monitoring progress. Significant actions such as mergers or acquisitions require time for planning and execution, including state, federal, and accrediting approvals. The timeline should also include a period for reflection and community-wide reviews of goals and progress.

The results desired are that approved goals are achieved and the mission fulfilled.

The alignment of mission and results requires that the participants be knowledgeable about their roles. This includes the board of trustees who govern and monitor, the executive team that executes plans, and faculty, staff, and student leaders who provide observations and advice.

The alignment of these elements is what we mean by the language of strategic thinking.