Bridge the gap between strategy and impact with tools that move your institution from vision to action.
What You'll Gain
- Build a deep understanding of how to use design thinking to generate innovative and practical strategies that align with your institutional goals.
- Foster collaborative environments to ensure that your strategy creation and rollout generate inclusive solutions.
- Create a concrete roadmap with short-term wins and long-term milestones so that your strategies are implemented effectively and yield measurable results.
- Acquire the tools to lead teams through strategic changes with agility and innovation.
Overview
This two-day strategic planning workshop is designed to equip higher education leaders with the skills and tools necessary to create actionable, sustainable strategies that align with institutional ambitions. Using design thinking and collaborative approaches, you will engage in interactive sessions to define clear, winning choices that drive long-term success. The workshop will focus on moving from broad visions to practical steps, fostering a mindset of creativity and innovation while ensuring that strategic objectives are met.
You’ll learn how to create a dynamic strategy that encourages buy-in across teams and departments, enabling better execution and alignment with the institution’s long-term goals. Through case studies, workshops, and group discussions, attendees will gain insight into how to implement strategies that not only meet current needs but also anticipate future challenges and opportunities.
Session Descriptions
More details about the timing of the days can be found by clicking Learn More and Register, but session descriptions of the two days are below:
Anticipating the Future: Future Timeline
The world of higher education has changed fundamentally over the last few years and will likely continue to transform in new and unexpected ways. In this interactive session we’ll explore the events, trends, and issues that will impact higher ed over the next decade, and we’ll explore practical strategies to build and practice an anticipatory mindset.
Vision Crafting from Broad Concepts to Focused Priorities
By leveraging the anticipatory mindset, this session will guide you in turning broad, visionary concepts into focused, practical strategies that drive sustainable impact. The discussion will emphasize the critical role of engagement, understanding, and collaboration across teams, underscoring that effective strategies begin with the people who will bring them to life.
Designing for Buy-In: Engaging Stakeholders for Focused Priorities
Effective strategy hinges on more than just a great idea. It requires the active involvement of the right people and a compelling narrative to bring the strategy to life. In this session, you’ll explore how to design strategies that inspire buy-in and drive focused priorities through intentional stakeholder engagement.
Turning Strategy into Action
Successful strategies thrive on a balance of visionary planning and seamless execution. This session will explore how to transform strategic ideas into actionable outcomes by making clear choices, engaging stakeholders early, and building systems that support long-term success. You’ll learn practical methods for bringing abstract concepts to life through tools such as sketches, prototypes, and roleplay. These approaches not only refine strategies but also foster alignment among stakeholders and build the confidence needed for effective implementation.
Measuring Success and Building Metrics that Matter
How do we ensure our strategic plans lead to meaningful, measurable outcomes? In this session, higher education leaders will explore strategies for defining success, identifying the metrics that align with institutional priorities, and building a culture of accountability. Through interactive discussions and real-world examples, you’ll learn how to craft metrics that not only measure progress but also inspire action and reflect the evolving needs of students, faculty, and stakeholders.
Action Planning
This session will give you the opportunity to begin designing action plans to take back to your campus. In addition, this will provide the groundwork for you to create accountability plans.
Who Should Attend
- Senior Leaders: Presidents, Provosts, Vice Presidents, and Deans who are responsible for shaping and guiding institutional strategy, ensuring alignment with long-term goals, and driving organizational change.
- Middle Management: Directors, department heads, and other academic and administrative leaders who are looking to translate broader institutional visions into practical strategies that can be executed at their level.
- Strategic Planning Teams: Members of cross-functional planning groups who are involved in the development and implementation of strategic plans, ensuring that initiatives are collaborative and inclusive.
- Change Agents: Individuals tasked with leading change initiatives, implementing strategic frameworks, and fostering innovation in their departments or divisions.
- Aspiring Leaders: Emerging higher education professionals who wish to build their strategic thinking and leadership skills to prepare for future roles in organizational leadership.
Bring a team! Register 3 or more people and save more than $1,000! Discounts will be automatically applied at checkout.
Past Attendee Breakdown
Speakers
Amit Mrig
CEO, Academic Impressions
Sarah Seigle Peatman
Director of Partner Development
What makes our events different?
Academic Impressions workshops provide the opportunity for quality conversations and relationship-building through both formal and informal networking opportunities in an intimate setting. Our in-depth and hands-on approach to learning provides you with actionable takeaways.
Learn More About the Academic Impressions Workshop Experience ➞
Location
Academic Impressions’ Denver-based office
5299 DTC Blvd, Suite 1400
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Invest in Your Team Before Fiscal Year-End
Make the most of your budget and support your team’s leadership growth with Workshop Group Packs. For a limited time, save up to $795 per registrant with special fiscal year pricing—available through June 30. Discounts are automatically applied at checkout.
What Our Attendees Are Saying
“If you are new to strategic planning or even an expert, you will gain many practical tips to implement right away!”
“I found the Strategic Planning for Lasting Impact to be very valuable. There was a great mix of practical tools, learning about models other institutions are using, networking, and sharing my own expertise in this area. The emphasis on structuring conversations and processes to build buy-in and ownership of the work as you do your strategic planning and implementation really resonated.”
Pricing
October 28-29, 2025
Denver, CO
Starting at:
- Member Price: $2,245/person
- Non-Member Price: $2,495/person
- Team Discount: $2,000/person (for 3 or more)
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