Bridging Strategy and Impact: A Case Study on Strategic Excellence in Higher Education

Strategic planning has become an essential mechanism for higher education institutions to achieve competitiveness, institutional resilience, and societal relevance. This case study examines the Faculty of Accountancy at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), focusing on the implementation of its Strategic Plan 2022 (PSFPN2022), which was designed in alignment with national policies, including the Malaysian Education Blueprint (2013–2025), and UiTM's Strategic Plan 2025. The faculty adopted an integrated approach that emphasised industry linkages, entrepreneurship, alumni engagement, and community involvement through 27 projects, including seven flagship initiatives under the Industry and Entrepreneurship Network. These projects, ranging from the Dynamic Linkages collaboration framework to the FACT IND-Zone Trading Hub, were systematically monitored using the FACT Scorecard, quarterly reviews, and risk management protocols to ensure alignment with institutional performance indicators (i-Score). The outcomes reveal that structured strategic planning, coupled with robust monitoring and continuous improvement mechanisms, enabled the faculty to achieve 99% of UiTM’s i-Score targets and secure a 6-STAR rating in 2022. The findings underscore the importance of bridging strategy and impact through stakeholder engagement, risk integration, and innovative project deployment. This case contributes to the literature by offering practical insights into how higher education institutions can operationalise strategic excellence to enhance global competitiveness and institutional sustainability.