What Is Strategic Foresight in Higher Education?
Strategic foresight helps university leaders systematically examine change, uncertainty, and plausible futures so today’s decisions are less dependent on one forecast.
Insights
Higher Education Decisions Under Uncertainty
Practical answers for leaders who need to see change earlier, decide what matters, and move before circumstances force the decision.
Strategic Foresight vs. Strategic Planning
Strategic planning organizes commitments. Strategic foresight tests the assumptions those commitments depend on. Universities need both.
How Universities Should Make Decisions When the Future Is Uncertain
The answer is not to wait for certainty. Classify the decision, identify what would change it, test it across futures, and create a review loop.
The 70% Rule: When University Leaders Have Enough Information to Decide
For many reversible decisions, waiting for near-complete information costs more than acting with a strong but incomplete read and correcting as evidence changes.
Academic Program Viability: What Universities Should Actually Measure
Viability requires demand, outcomes, economics, capacity, external relevance, and mission. Enrollment alone cannot answer the question.
The Uncomfortable Truth About Academic Program Economics
A program can be academically valuable and economically fragile. Leaders need to understand both realities without pretending one cancels the other.
How to Conduct an Academic Portfolio Review Without Starting a Campus War
Define criteria, governance, decision rights, evidence, and action categories before individual programs are discussed.
When Should a University Close an Academic Program?
Closure is justified when the full evidence no longer supports a responsible commitment and redesign or consolidation cannot credibly correct the problem.
Scenario Planning for Higher Education: A Practical Guide
Use scenarios to expose assumptions, test strategic choices, identify no-regret moves, and define signals that should trigger adaptation.
Why University Strategic Plans Fail When Assumptions Change
Plans fail when institutions defend commitments after the assumptions beneath them have expired.
Board Alignment and Shared Governance During High-Stakes Decisions
Clear authority, shared evidence, defined consultation, and a consistent narrative reduce governance friction without erasing legitimate roles.
Executive Judgment: The Leadership Skill Higher Education Rarely Teaches
Executive judgment is the ability to make defensible choices before uncertainty disappears, then learn quickly enough to correct them.