Activating Enrollment Growth After an OPM Exit
How Montclair State University partnered with Collegis to transition away from its OPM model while maintaining enrollment continuity and building a foundation for continued growth.
Transitioning away from an online program management (OPM) model is a significant undertaking. Critical enrollment functions still need to operate, prospective students still expect a seamless experience, and institutional goals don’t pause while new teams, processes, and strategies take shape.
Montclair State University faced that challenge as it prepared to move away from its existing OPM model. Rather than simply maintaining enrollment through the transition, the university had ambitious growth goals for its online programs and needed a partner that could help keep those goals on track.
Collegis partnered with Montclair to support the transition and provide the expertise and execution needed to maintain momentum. The result: Montclair successfully moved beyond its OPM model and achieved a 24% increase in new online student starts the first year.
Pursuing Enrollment Growth Through a Complex OPM Transition
Moving away from an OPM requires institutions to rethink how previously supported responsibilities will be managed. At the same time, recruitment and enrollment efforts need to keep moving. For Montclair, the goal went beyond maintaining the status quo. The university needed to navigate the transition while continuing to pursue ambitious online enrollment targets.
Key considerations included:
- Transitioning critical functions and responsibilities previously supported by the OPM
- Maintaining continuity across active recruitment and enrollment efforts
- Establishing clear ownership of processes, systems, data, and institutional responsibilities
- Building the support structure needed for a sustainable post-OPM model
- Continuing to pursue online enrollment growth throughout the transition
Building a Transition Strategy Around Enrollment Momentum
Collegis worked alongside Montclair to plan and execute the transition with enrollment continuity and growth at the center of the strategy, balancing the transfer of critical responsibilities from the previous OPM model with the establishment of new capabilities needed to continue engaging prospective students and guiding them through the enrollment journey.
Key components included:
- Transition planning to establish a phased roadmap aligned with enrollment cycles
- Program research to inform portfolio strategy and enrollment priorities
- Technology and data continuity to preserve access, integrations, and reporting
- Enrollment continuity to keep prospective students moving through the funnel
- Marketing execution to sustain lead generation and enrollment activity
The Collegis Impact
Montclair not only maintained enrollment momentum through its OPM transition; it strengthened it. The university’s post-transition results demonstrated that a major change in operating model doesn’t have to come at the expense of enrollment performance.
Key Fall 2025 results included:
- 24% increase in new online student starts
- 500+ new online students enrolled
These results show what a successful OPM transition can enable. With a coordinated strategy and the right capabilities, Montclair continued advancing its enrollment goals while building a new foundation for its online programs.
The Takeaway: OPM Transition and Enrollment Growth Can Go Hand in Hand
Exiting an OPM doesn’t have to mean a period of enrollment disruption. With careful planning, coordinated execution, and the right capabilities in place, institutions can protect the student journey while continuing to pursue their growth objectives.
Montclair State University’s experience demonstrates what’s possible when enrollment is placed at the center of the transition strategy, successfully moving beyond its previous OPM model while maintaining momentum and continuing to drive strong online enrollment performance.
Take Control of What Comes Next
Moving beyond an OPM gives your institution the opportunity to take greater control of its enrollment strategy and build a model around its unique goals. Collegis brings the higher education expertise, technology, and enrollment capabilities to turn that transition into a foundation for sustainable growth.
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