Strategic Planning in Higher Education
A National Study of Leadership, Alignment, and Implementation
The study examines how U.S. college and university strategic plans are developed, communicated, and implemented, how closely they remain aligned as they move through the institution, and the role leaders at every level play in carrying them out.
The study is open to academic and administrative employees at all levels at U.S. colleges and universities. The survey takes approximately 15 to 18 minutes. Responses are anonymous.
Not a convenient time?
Survey closes December 14, 2026
Purpose of the Study
Strategic planning is quite common in American higher education, yet its efficacy has received limited empirical attention. Existing studies rely largely on single-institution cases and small samples. Individual institutions can assess their own experience but have no external reference against which to interpret it, and the existing literature offers limited evidence on whether plans are implemented as intended, where implementation weakens as plans move through the organization, or which conditions distinguish effective implementation from ineffective implementation. This study addresses that gap. It examines:
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The extent to which institutional strategic plans are substantially implemented within their intended timeframe;
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How perceptions of plan development, communication, and efficacy differ across organizational levels, from senior leadership to the faculty and staff responsible for execution;
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The points at which plans lose fidelity and operational visibility as they move from the institution to its schools, colleges, and departments or teams; and
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The institutional, structural, and leadership factors associated with effective implementation.
Findings will be reported in aggregate by institutional type, Carnegie classification, and organizational role. Participants may register to attend the webinar revealing the findings and receive a copy of the report.
Who Should Participate
The study invites responses from individuals at all organizational levels of U.S. colleges and universities, including:
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Presidents and chancellors
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Provosts, chief academic officers, and vice presidents
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Academic deans, associate deans, and assistant deans
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Department chairs and program directors
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Tenured, tenure-track, and non-tenure-track faculty
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Professional and administrative staff
Participation does not require involvement in your institution’s planning process. The study is concerned with how plans are experienced across the organization, and responses from those who did not participate in developing the plan are as important as responses from those who did.
Multiple respondents from the same institution are welcome and are of particular analytic value, as the study examines how perceptions differ across organizational levels.
Participation
The survey takes approximately 15 to 18 minutes to complete. Participation is voluntary. No compensation is offered.
The survey is administered through SurveyMonkey. It closes December 14, 2026, with findings released at a public webinar on January 28, 2027.
Confidentiality and Data Handling
Survey responses are collected anonymously. The survey does not ask for names or email addresses, and the survey platform is configured so that IP addresses are not recorded in survey results. Institution name is optional and is used only to compare responses across roles within the same institution.
Findings are reported only in aggregate or by role category. No individual, institution, or individual response will be identified in any publication, presentation, or professional engagement. Because certain roles are held by only one person at an institution, no result is reported at a level of detail that could identify a respondent, and any subgroup containing fewer than five respondents is suppressed.
Participants who wish to register for the webinar or receive the findings report may do so on a separate form after completing the survey. That form is never linked to survey responses, is used only for those purposes, and is deleted at the conclusion of the study. De-identified response data is retained for up to three years to support publication and peer review, and is then destroyed.
The research team will not sell, share, or transfer individual response data to any third party. Read the full Research Ethics and Data Protection Statement.
Investigators
Nicki Nabasny, EdD, built her career inside universities for over twenty years, including serving as chief of staff to the provost and chief innovation and strategy officer at two top 10 universities. She then founded Beleza Advisors, a consulting firm that works with higher education and academic medical centers on strategy, leadership, and organizational effectiveness.
Kevin Sanders, DMA, ACC, has spent more than two decades in higher education as a faculty member, associate chair, director, and dean at regional public universities and at public and private R1 institutions. He now advises academic leaders on leadership and strategy through Cornerstone Leadership Group.
Findings and Webinar
Findings will be presented at a public webinar on January 28, 2027 and submitted for publication thereafter. On completing the survey, participants may register for the webinar and request a copy of the findings report, which will be sent by email when it is released.
Participants may also volunteer to be contacted for a follow-up interview of approximately thirty minutes. Volunteering is optional and does not affect participation in the survey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Participate in the Study
Approximately 15 to 18 minutes. Responses are anonymous. Survey closes December 14, 2026.
Questions about the study: info@higheredplanningstudy.org