Auxiliary Enterprises: Asset or Albatross?

Oh, no! You won't be getting a printed SCUP–45 Preliminary Program in the mail this year. Instead, SCUP is going green and regularly updating this digital version (PDF), which you can download at any time.

Check it out! You don't want to miss higher education's premier planning conference, and your one chance this year to assemble with nearly 1,500 of your peers and colleagues: July 10–14, Minneapolis.

---

---

SCUP Link

It's not too hard to think of "auxiliary enterprises" as a place under the rug where we sweep all the stuff that doesn't seem to fit anywhere else. Lisa March Ryerson, president of Wells College (NY) writes that Wells'

auxiliary enterprises aren’t auxiliary at all; they’re part and parcel of what Wells is. They improve the Wells experience for our students, faculty, and staff; contribute to our financial position; and, as we are one of the primary drivers of our local and regional economy, benefit our community’s health. Still, managing such a diverse set of enterprises well depends on a committed board, the generosity of philanthropic partners, and a skilled team.

Although she doesn't use the term "integrated planning," she's clearly talking about that when she writes:

[T]here are challenges inherent in deploying a small staff and limited resources to cover such a range of properties and services. It requires prioritizing and re-prioritizing as challenges and opportunities present themselves. Careful cooperation and coordination, as well as precision separation, are called for depending on the degree of shared resources, common talents or specialized needs at any given moment or on any given project. Orchestrating all of the moving pieces is not for the faint of heart—nor for those short on talented staff.

---

---

SCUP's Planning Institute: Enjoy the F2F company of your colleagues and peers while you engage in one of the three SCUP Planning Institute Steps. In addition to being offered on demand, on campuses to teams of campus leaders, the institute steps are also offered to all professionals at varying times and venues. Currently scheduled are:

• May 22–23, Ann Arbor, MI - Step I
• July 10, Minneapolis, MN - Step I (in conjunction with SCUP–45)
• October 2, Ann Arbor, MI - Step I
• January 21–22, Tuscon, AZ - Step II and Step III