Strategic Planning Leadership for Aspiring and New Presidents: Essential Elements, Strategies, and Tools

Abstract

The post-COVID environment has left colleges and universities with uncertain futures. Changing student demographics, enrollment patterns, strained budgets, and curriculum preferences combined with enhanced use of technology present challenges for aspiring and current college presidents. Traditional long-range plans that provided a model for institutional programming and fiscal stability are no longer useful to presidents for charting an institution's future. Agile, data-informed plans addressing the current context, both within the institution and beyond, are required. In this chapter, the authors present a history and critique of traditional planning, a review of multiple planning models for the new environment, and related case studies, all emphasizing the imperative of presidential leadership in the strategic planning process. Resources cited in this chapter acquaint aspiring presidents with essential planning elements, approaches, and real-life examples. They also offer strategies and models for new and current presidents launching, implementing, or monitoring a strategic plan.