Online program management alternatives

How to take your online program in-house

Restrictive contracts, opaque partnership models, and high revenue-share percentages have more institutions reviewing whether online program management (OPM) relationships still serve their long-term interests.

What once looked like a safe bet now seems more like golden handcuffs. A snap poll by UPCEA found that 61% of higher ed leaders were reevaluating their OPM relationship. And we’re hearing the same thing. Schools tell us they want to maintain control over student engagement, ensure program quality according to institutional standards, and sustain the long-term success of online programming on their own terms.

Benefits of building internal strength and outsourcing for expertise

The best way to start is by leveraging existing in-house capabilities where you have the capacity, then engaging external partners to fill gaps and level-up resources. This approach increases speed to market and spurs the development of internal expertise.

When serving colleges and universities as a fixed-fee provider, Collegis aligns our services to institutional needs in a partnership that directly addresses the downsides of an OPM:

Unbundled services: Procure only what you need; taper off or reallocate as internal resources level up.

Shorter contracts: Typically, commit for less than five years.

Low risk, high flexibility: Adaptable partnerships scale as your capacity grows.

Transparent, mission-aligned partnership: Collaborate closely with student and institutional success as a shared priority.

Actionable metrics: Have the business intelligence to make data-enabled decisions to optimize enrollment and retention.

But to reap these benefits, there’s a learning curve ahead. How can institutions navigate it? Let’s explore what it takes to build in-house OPM capabilities.

Making the OPM higher education pivot

When originally introduced, the selling point of OPMs was their turnkey nature. The revenue-share model allowed colleges and universities to enter the arena of online education quickly — and without the risk of upfront investment in new technology or talent.

As you consider building functions in-house, it’s important to recognize that the processes, systems, and revenue flow for online graduate programs are significantly different than those for traditional students. To successfully make this transition, schools need to develop the following capabilities:

Strong leadership with decision-making authority and a track record of managing change and collaborating across operational and academic units.

A technology ecosystem modified to accommodate the flexibility, multiple terms, and overall student experience necessary to support online programs.

Data-enabled strategy that leverages student-level data and marketing-performance metrics to maximize conversions throughout the enrollment funnel.

Regular program reviews to attract new audiences and ensure alignment with your institution’s mission or needs.

Making these adjustments — while developing internal talent — requires a roadmap for building or regaining control of an online program.

You don’t have to go it alone

Supporting online education requires a broad set of knowledge and skills. The breadth and depth of expertise required to attract and retain students will only continue to grow. Here’s why Collegis is the right choice for this role: Our ability to drive transformative impact through a combination of data mastery, technological innovation, and exceptional talent.

Data enablement: We’re experts in helping schools collect, connect, and activate data for informed decision-making and unprecedented insight into online program performance. This is data you will own, and our proprietary Connected Core® platform will help you impact the enrollment funnel and retain students.

Best-in-class tech stack: With the support of our Google Cloud partnership, we’re helping institutions build stable, secure, and scalable technology ecosystems capable of serving today’s online learning modes and what tomorrow may bring.

Team expertise and tenure: Every engagement benefits from the expertise of a multidisciplinary team of specialists and skilled technicians, backed by leadership with more than 50 collective years of higher ed experience.

Our service model is designed to adapt and evolve, providing as much or as little support as needed, and flexing over time. From assisting with gap analysis to filling functional capacity, we’ve done it all with our online program partners — and we can help you do it, too.