Empowering Student Success and Institutional Sustainability Through Integrated Planning

By Mike Moss, CAE

Higher education is an ecosystem that prepares educated citizens, develops career-ready graduates, provides socioeconomic mobility, and strengthens local economies and communities. This ecosystem requires a systems-thinking approach to prepare our students for lifelong success and complement the communities we serve.

This is why at the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP), we advocate for the integrated planning approach that aligns an institution’s academic plan and strategic goals across all campus units. We recognize that developing successful student enterprises requires collaborative planning between faculty, administration, business services, student affairs, career development, and community partners – making integrated planning essential for student success and institutional sustainability.

As higher education professionals, our responsibility extends beyond traditional academic boundaries to include learning environments where student-led entrepreneurial thinking can thrive. SCUP’s community of practice approach brings together leaders across higher education who are pioneering future-leaning approaches to create successful student outcomes. Through practitioner experience sharing, we're building a cross-institutional network where practical, implementable frameworks emerge from real successes – whether it's integrating business incubators and academic programs, developing workforce development initiatives, or co-creating sustainability solutions with our local community partners.

Through continuous learning and experimentation, we're embracing an agile approach to developing planning frameworks that help institutions of all types launch and scale student programs. Our learning-centric methodology encourages testing new ideas, sharing outcomes, and refining approaches based on real-world results (do – reflect – do differently). We're committed to making these learning moments accessible to all higher education disciplines through our emerging association partnership network.

Ultimately, SCUP’s purpose is to assist in the acceleration of your institutional mission through the adoption of integrated planning – developing learning opportunities that are integrated, sustainable, adaptive, and impactful, creating an amazing future of possibilities for all students.

Mike Moss, CAE, serves as president at the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP). He will be speaking at this year's Pathways to Prosperity Summit.