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By Jody Gordon, Senior Managing Consultant, ̽»¨Â¥ Consulting, and Laura A. Wankel, Senior Consultant, ̽»¨Â¥ Consulting

Dear ̽»¨Â¥ Consultants,

Signed, 

Campus SEM Planning Team

Dear Campus SEM Planning Team,

As we explain in our book, “,” completing the writing of a SEM plan is often a gratifying experience.

"And like other major accomplishments, it might create the sense that you arrived at your destination and the journey is over. Nothing could be further from the truth; in fact, the real journey is just beginning. Completing one’s SEM plan simply means you are done mapping the initial route, which is, of course, different from having arrived at the final destination. Nevertheless, completion of the initial plan is a significant milestone that should be broadly communicated and celebrated. In this way, the plan can serve to galvanize the efforts of the campus community. Sustaining the holistic and active engagement of your campus requires ongoing attention and action."

SEM planning implementation is most effective when the following SEM pillars work in concert: Structure, Engagement, and Leadership.

Committee Structure: Will the SEM plan committee structure used to develop the plan roll over to provide oversight into the implementation of the plan, or will some or all of the committee structure need to be dissolved and newly created? There is no single model for this, so your own campus organization and culture will determine how to organize for implementing the plan. But some committee structure will need to be in place to support the implementation of the plan.

Campus Engagement: When you have “,”

"Data often provides the necessary stimulus to motivate and energize colleagues across the artificial boundaries and silos that are sometimes present on campuses. Achieving engagement is typically easier when evidence, rather than anecdote, is available to make the case. Engaging all stakeholders and leveraging the assets of your educational ecosystems is a fundamental tenet for SEM plan implementation." 

Collaboration and coordination are also critically important to ensure a successful transition from plan development to plan implementation. But buy-in is not the same as engagement. The former is passive, while the latter is active. Aim for engagement. And aim for enterprise-wide engagement and collaboration when implementing your plan.

Willing Leadership: Strong support from campus leadership for SEM planning was needed during the development phase, and it is just as important during the implementation phase. Leadership can help manage expectations when it comes to results from implementing the plan’s strategies and tactics. 

For example, learner success-related goals, such as improvements to retention rates or increases in graduation rates, take time. The cycle is often 12-18 months before positive results are seen. Having strong leaders supporting the implementation of the plan ensures that expectations for outcomes are reasonably managed across the institution. 

As you put “,” remember that:

"The success of any great plan is in the execution. Being able to move forward with new strategies and tactics, and continuing to nurture and grow existing ones, is critical to achieving the stated outcomes in your SEM plan." 

So, you are at the start line … Get ready. Get set. Go!

Signed,

Jody, ̽»¨Â¥ Consultant

̽»¨Â¥ members, do you have a question for our team of higher education consultants? Send your  "Ask a Consultant" question to consulting@aacrao.org.

For more information on how ̽»¨Â¥ Consulting can assist your campus with the implementation of your SEM plan, visit our website or contact us via email at consulting@aacrao.org

Also, visit the Ì½»¨Â¥ Bookstore to order the SEM trilogy of books: