Beyond Management: The SKM as Course, Onboarding, and Research Engine

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 Additional Applications of the Sentient Knowledge Map.

Chapter 30 zooms out to show that the Sentient Knowledge Map isn’t just a management and information-sharing platform—it’s also a versatile foundation for teaching, onboarding, and scholarship. The chapter proposes the SKM (paired with this book) as an ideal text and framework for a capstone graduate course in higher education leadership or management, because it offers a holistic, integrated way to understand institutional structures, operations, and core management practices. It also highlights SKM’s value as a student orientation and employee development tool: by classifying and “assembling” degree programs from their component requirements—and pairing that with CIP-based exploration and major-selection decision trees—the SKM can help students (and advisors) navigate complex credentials with less confusion and fewer missteps. For staff and leaders, the same model can support new-employee onboarding and even serve as the backbone of a management training institute. Finally, the chapter points to rich opportunities for scholarship: the SKM’s modeling and concept-mapping approach and the HELLO-C community’s resource-sharing ecosystem create a living laboratory for studying how institutions learn, improve, and reduce duplication of effort—welcoming researchers who want to explore and publish in this space.

Many of the book’s chapters have 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 and evolving list.

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.