Strategic planning and strategic management are two sides of the same coin, each serving a unique but essential role. Strategic planning is the process of envisioning the institution’s ideal future and charting the path to get there. It’s a 10-step journey that answers five crucial questions about the institution’s future, current status, and the strategies to achieve set goals. This process provides a roadmap and cultivates a sense of direction and purpose among the stakeholders.

Strategic Management: The Key to Success in Higher Education. It’s a continuous cycle of planning and implementing strategies, deeply embedding these processes into the organization’s culture. However, it’s important to note that only a small percentage of higher education institutions achieve this level of strategic integration.

The length of a strategic plan typically ranges between 5 and 10 years, depending on the institution’s objectives and external factors. A 10-year plan allows for ambitious long-term goals, while a 5-year plan may be more suited to environments experiencing rapid change, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. Institutions engaged in strategic management can adapt their plans annually, allowing them to remain flexible and responsive. This adaptability ensures that the strategic plan can weather any storm and continue to guide the institution toward its goals.

An implementation plan is vital as it allocates the necessary resources to reach strategic goals and ensures that daily operations are consistent with long-term objectives. It also enhances accountability by setting measurable targets that can be evaluated during performance reviews.

Successful strategic plan implementation relies on several key committees:

• The executive leadership team focuses on the top yearly priorities.
• The Accreditation Expert Consulting steering committee, meeting regularly, oversees the refinement and execution of the plan.
• The program management office coordinates strategic projects, particularly in IT, to ensure they align with overall goals.
• An internal support cadre handles day-to-day implementation activities, focusing on strategic changes.

1. The strategic planning process in higher education encompasses ten critical steps:

   1. Developing strategies and actions for achieving the desired vision.
   2. Establishing metrics to measure success.
   3. Conducting a current state assessment.
   4. Creating departmental plans that support the overall strategy.
   5. Planning budgets for both short-term and long-term goals.
   6. Developing a detailed implementation plan.
   7. Assessing the future environment for operation.
   8. Conducting risk planning to mitigate potential disruptions.
   9. Evaluating current brand positioning.
   10. Defining the ideal future vision (vision, mission, values, goals, and objectives).

Signs that a strategic plan may need revision or replacement include a lack of shared vision, premature goal achievement, outdated assumptions, insufficient risk planning, new leadership desiring changes, unmet objectives, and significant changes in the external environment.

Institutions should review their strategic plan annually to monitor progress, reassess assumptions and risks, and make necessary updates. This practice is part of strategic management and ensures the plan remains relevant and effective.

The board’s role in strategic planning is pivotal. Some boards are deeply involved in the planning process, while others focus on approving the strategic plan and associated budgets. From a strategic management perspective, boards typically assess plan achievements during their annual retreat, with some delegating ongoing reviews to specific committees. The board’s primary responsibility is to oversee the administration and ensure accountability for the plan’s execution, making it a crucial part of the strategic planning process.