From Download to Culture Shift: Managing Sentient Knowledge Map Deployment on Campus

I’m excited to share my recently published book chapter from Metrics, Mapping, and Modelling for Masterful Management in Higher Education (Emerald Press, 2025) entitled Manage Sentient Knowledge Map Deployment.

Chapter 27 is a practical roadmap for deploying the Sentient Knowledge Map (SKM) on a campus in a way that’s sustainable, secure, and culturally successful. It explains the copyright landscape—what applies to the core SKM, community-contributed materials, and any commercial content—and clarifies the functional differences between the browser-based and client-based versions. Readers learn how to download and install TheBrain app and the SKM, then clone the map to create an institution-specific (and potentially proprietary) local version, with guidance on which SKM components to include or exclude depending on local needs. Because a full SKM implementation touches nearly every operational area and can meaningfully shift institutional culture, the chapter recommends an enterprise-style, phased rollout (similar to PeopleSoft/Banner deployments) spanning multiple stages and user groups over time. It details three rollout phases, the resources and timelines typically needed for each, what features to introduce when, and how to assign read vs. authoring access by group. Finally, it covers governance essentials—administration, content management, maintenance, and access controls for both the concept maps and any back-end systems reached through the SKM’s portal—so the SKM grows in a controlled way while remaining usable and not overwhelming for most users, who only need to master the subset relevant to their work.

This chapter has a companion video which can be viewed for free on the Higher Education Leadership Learning Online Community web site. Visit the site to see the complete list of our videos.

If you’re involved in higher-ed leadership, strategy, assessment, or institutional research, I’d love for you to take a look at the chapter and add your comments below. If you would like assistance implementing any of the ideas addressed, please compete a consultation request form – the first hour is free for any institution.