Vendor Partnerships in Higher Education

As the cost of delivering higher education continues to skyrocket, and institutional operating budgets continue to decline, many colleges and universities are turning to service partnerships with vendors to help serve students. Of course, there are a number of questions surrounding the melding of academic and corporate America. Institutional leaders face a number of challenges in this new paradigm; from determining what services to keep in-house to getting buy-in from all stakeholders to understanding the new roles of the institution and their service providers.

AUDIO | Understanding Disaggregation and Service Partnerships

Paul LeBlanc | President, Southern New Hampshire University

The first step institutions need to take to evolve from the traditional postsecondary model is to understand their own weaknesses, then look for the best way to address those gaps.

What the Flattening Industry Means for Higher Education

Mark Greenfield | Director of Web Services, University of Buffalo

Partnerships provide institutional leaders with a genuine opportunity to redefine their businesses for a 21st-century student population.

AUDIO | Vendor Partnerships Central to Fast Launches

Andrew McCullough | Associate Provost for Teaching and Technology, University of Florida

Vendor partnerships for peripheral services were key to the University of Florida launching an online division in seven months’ time.

To Outsource or Not to Outsource?

Leon Wyden Jr. | Vice President for Finance and Administration, Tiffin University

Front-end responsibilities should be retained by the institution, but secondary services equally critical to students are good candidates for outsourcing.

Open Source Options are Providing Alternatives for Core Services

Daniel Hickey | Associate Professor and Program Head of the Learning Sciences Program, Indiana University School of Education

As technologies become more ubiquitous, vendors will have to compete with open source providers for core service products.

Technology Partners, Big Data and the Future of Privacy

Barmak Nassirian | Director of Federal Relations and Policy Analysis, AASCU

While partnerships on technology matters are critical for operational efficiency, institutions must be well aware of their obligations regarding information security and privacy.

Capitalizing on Niche Markets in Higher Education: A Look at International Education

David Stremba | Managing Director for North America, INTO University Partnerships

When accessing niche and emerging markets, higher education institutions can find success by working with service providers who are experts in the field.

Seven Responsibilities Perfectly Suited for Vendors

Joseph Ugras | Associate Provost of International Education and External Affairs, La Salle University

There are a number of functions that, though critical to student and operational success, fall outside the expertise and central scope of institutions.

AUDIO | Cross-Platform Functionality Critical to Success in Postsecondary Marketplace

Bob Weinschenk | Chief Executive Officer, SIPX

A vital element of the equation for any postsecondary leader is to ensure that any outsourced solution is interoperable with other services and technologies.

Differentiating the Players in the Online Education Marketplace

Deb Adair | Managing Director and Chief Planning Officer, Quality Matters

While new entrants in online education may look for vendors to provide comprehensive services, institutions with mature online offerings are more likely to use vendors for tools that increase operational efficiency

AUDIO | Differences Between For-Profit and Non-Profit Providers are Slim

Phil Hill | Market Analyst, MindWires Consulting

While there is a wide variety of service providers competing in the higher education marketplace, deep down they may not be as different as they might appear on the surface.

Why a Partnership? Assessing Motives and Needs for a Good Fit

Ken Udas | Deputy Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer, University of Southern Queensland

The higher education space plays host to a wide range of vendors who all serve different institutional needs and priorities.

Seeing the Forest and the Trees

Shaul Kuper | Chief Executive Officer, Destiny Solutions

Vendors do more than sell products; they can provide insights and perspectives that support the growth of the institution.

Couponing Theory and Low-Cost Pathways: Service Providers Widening Access

Burck Smith | Chief Executive Officer, StraighterLine

By working with service providers, higher education institutions can create accessibility pathways for a wider range of students than they could by themselves.

The Value of Service Providers in Higher Education Marketing

Jonathan Shores | Vice President of Sales and Marketing, PlattForm

Service providers can ensure institutions have a degree of industry expertise in their arsenal that would otherwise be unavailable to them.

AUDIO | Administrative Skepticism Could Hamper Institutional Growth

Dave Jarrat | Vice President Marketing, InsideTrack

While service providers can help institutions achieve institutional growth and success, higher education leaders still do not tend to see vendors as strategic partners.

Exploring the Negative Reputation of Service Providers

Richard Schilke | Vice President of Curriculum and Instructional Technology and Design, American Public University System

Institutional leaders are more interested in entering long-term strategic partnerships with service providers than with a one-time purchase of a product or service.

Vendor Practices Must Change to Improve Student Outcomes

Charles Dull | Assistant Dean for eLearning and Innovation, Cuyahoga Community College

Institutions must focus on implementing good business practices, while vendors must recognize that student outcomes and efficiency must come before short-term profits.

The Value and Limitations of Service Partnerships in Higher Education

Kathleen Burke | Associate Dean for Graduate and Professional Programs at the Kreiger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University

One of the biggest challenges standing in the way of partnerships between service providers and higher education institutions is the unfamiliarity institutional leaders have in partnering outside academe.

How Businesses Benefit from Service Partnerships with Universities

Phillip Mixon | Assistant Professor, Troy University

Service partnerships in commoditized marketplaces are valuable because they provide research and training benefits to both universities and businesses.

AUDIO | In-House Program Creation Ensures All Stakeholders are Involved

Tristan Denley | Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Tennessee Board of Regents

Developing innovative technologies in-house can ensure a connectedness with student, faculty and administrator needs that a vendor cannot match.

Outsourcing Continuing Education: Issues for the Institution

John DeLalla | Director of Continuing Education, University of Arizona South

The commonly outsourced academic and administrative services change from institution to institution, but there are a few periphery tasks for which most colleges and universities look for partners.

In-House or Outsource: Deciding How to Manage Services

Sharina Smith | Owner, Encouraging Potential

Though certain internal stakeholders may be offended by their institution seeking out service partnerships for particular functions, these relationships are critical to institutional efficiency and growth.

Communication Critical for a Successful Partnership

James David Hardison | Industry Advisor for Higher Education and Research, SAP America

Through effective communication, service providers can help overcome some of the roadblocks that stand in the way of mutually beneficial partnerships.

The Fight for Quality Education: Understanding Faculty Opposition to Partnering

Deepa Kumar | Associate Professor, Rutgers University

When it comes to partnering, especially on teaching and learning functions, faculty have major concerns across a number of areas, including program quality and academic freedom.

Exploring the Ethics of University-Vendor Relationships

Cary Nelson | Jubilee Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

In order for a service partnership to be widely accepted by all institutional stakeholders, college and university leaders must be transparent in their aims and goals.

Traversing Internal Barriers to Partnerships

Jeffery Alejandro | Coordinator of Lifelong Learning Program, East Carolina University

While vendor partnerships are critical to institutional efficiency and success in economic downturns, they face a number of critics inside academe.

Three Reasons Institutions Should Work with Vendors

Craig Maslowsky | Vice President of Enrollment Management and Marketing, Excelsior College

Vendor partnerships provide institutions the opportunity to offer high-end services while simultaneously reducing pressure on staff and providing an opportunity to learn best practices.

Outsourcing Continuing Education: Issues for the Institution

Jeff Fanter | Vice President for Enrollment, Communications and Marketing Management, Ivy Tech Community College

Service providers free up internal time and resources to focus on an institution’s core mission rather than periphery services.

AUDIO | Service Providers Allow Institutions to Focus on the Core

Evan Duff | Vice President of Adult and Professional Studies, North Carolina Wesleyan College

Institutions cannot possibly have in-house expertise in every area related to running a successful operation, which is why service partnerships are critical to success.

AUDIO | Procurement Process Central to Non-Profit Private Innovation

Ramendra Singh | Vice Chancellor of Marketing and Communications, Brandman University

By creating a highly diligent RFP process, non-profit private institutions can ensure they select the ideal vendor to serve as a strategic partner in institutional innovation and growth.

Innovation and the Public Procurement Process

Rick Shearer | Director of World Campus Learning Design, Penn State World Campus

Moving to an interview-based procurement process could vastly expedite the current approach to procurement at public institutions.

Partnerships: The For-Profit Side of the Story

Terry Rawls | President, Strategic Transitions Group

The for-profit approach to procurement allows for a faster and more efficient purchasing and implementation process for major purchases.

Looking to Institutions for Service Partnerships

Barbara Allen | Executive Director, Committee on Institutional Cooperation

Inter-institutional partnerships drive down costs and free up internal resources to devote to the main mission of teaching and learning.

Three Reasons to Seek Institutional Collaborations

Mark Sarver | Chief Executive Officer, eduKan

Partnering with an institution can be just as valuable for a higher education institution’s growth as purchasing a service from a vendor.

AUDIO | Culture of Innovation and Open-Mindedness Critical for Vendors

Michelle Rhee-Weise | Senior Research Fellow, Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation

It’s not just colleges and universities that need to be selective with their partners; choosing the wrong institutional partner could be dangerous for vendors as well.

Avoiding Selection Error: Developing Strong Partnerships between the Vendor and Customer

Ian Temple | Director of US Higher Education Transformation and Strategy, Cisco

Fear of selection error should not stop an institution from partnering with a vendor for critical infrastructure changes.

Exploring the Benefits of a True Partnership

Carol Fleming | Senior Director for Outreach & Engagement, James Madison University

A partnership where both sides are clear in their aims, responsibilities and roles can have a positive impact both on an institution’s reputation and its bottom line.

Considering a Partnership or a Contract Relationship? Food for Thought

Rebecca Whitehead | Product Manager for Academics, Campus Management Corporation

Partnerships can provide massive benefits for both the vendor and the institution, but only if both parties have bought into the concept.

The Critical Questions: Determining Whether Partnering is Best

(Lesley Snyder | Director of Continuing Education, UNC Charlotte)

Without considering critical questions related to mission, purpose and core competencies, institutional leaders will never be fully confident in the appropriateness of a partnership.

Six Steps to Choosing the Right Vendor

(Gary Nickerson | Assistant Vice President for Business Affairs, Oklahoma Baptist University)

There are some clear steps institutions should follow to enter into a successful and beneficial service partnership.

Ensuring Success in a Vendor Partnership

(Leslie Hitch | Senior Faculty Fellow, Northeastern University)

By developing a clear set of expectations and guidelines, institutions and vendors can engage in highly successful service partnerships.

Creating A New Identity and New Efficiencies

(John “Ski” Sygielski | President, HACC Central Pennsylvania’s Community College)

Entering into a service partnership allowed college administrators to focus on their mission-critical tasks and create efficiencies within the organization.

Effective Organizational Change in Higher Education

John Borwick | Manager, Higher Education IT Management

Determining roles, responsibilities and expectations prior to entering into a partnership can pay major dividends when it comes to managing change in an implementation scenario.

Navigating the Waves: Curtailing Fear while Managing the LMS Migration

Stella Porto | Director of the Master of Distance Education Program, University of Maryland University College and Mariann Hawken | Instructional Technologist, Bowie State University

Ensuring faculty are intimately involved with the adoption of new major technologies will support a smooth implementation and transition.

Faculty Technological Literacy Central to Avoiding Implementation Roadblocks

Katie Blot | Senior Vice President of Education Services, Blackboard

Change management issues tend to revolve around process challenges, while implementation roadblocks suggest desired outcomes have not been attained.

AUDIO | Outcomes Define Difference Between Change Management and Roadblocks

Brian Parish | Chief Executive Officer, IData

Moving to an interview-based procurement process could vastly expedite the current approach to procurement at public institutions.

Five Ways to Avoid Implementation Roadblocks

Marc Satin | Chief Operating Officer, Enrollment Rx

Change management is critical to the success of new partnerships that require major institutional adaptations.