Online program management: What is an OPM?
With remote learning becoming the norm, long gone are the days when a student must be in a physical classroom to pursue higher education. As more and more colleges and universities adapt their enrollment processes and academic programs to online learning, administrators can turn to a specialist in Online Program Management (OPM) for assistance in making the switch. But what exactly is an OPM, and how is it used in education? Let’s explore more about what these providers do.
What is an OPM in education?
If you’re an administrator of a college or university, you may want to take your school online for multiple reasons. Maybe you want to offer more flexibility in student schedules or accommodate different learning styles. A third-party OPM specialist can help facilitate this digital transition in many ways.
For example, an OPM provider may redesign traditional coursework to be suitable for a remote learning environment. You may be interested in hiring someone who focuses strictly on administrative tasks, such as online student recruitment and digital enrollment. OPM providers can also zone in on market research and data collection. Or, you may want a provider to handle all of the above and completely digitize your school processes and offerings.
What are the types of OPM models?
Now that we’ve reviewed the definition of an OPM, let’s discuss the different types used in education settings. OPM models come in various forms to fit the needs of various colleges and universities. Each model offers multiple levels of support and financial arrangements so schools can select the approach that fits their needs. Here are the main types of OPM models and how they are used:
- Fee-for-service. Schools pay a fixed fee for services like marketing, enrollment, and student support.
- Revenue-share. The OPM provider covers initial costs and takes a percentage of the tuition revenue.
- Hybrid. Schools use a mix of fee-for-service and revenue-share, with some services paid upfront and others based on revenue.
- Co-investment. Both the school and the OPM provider invest in the program and share the profits.
- Self-managed. Schools use OPM tools to run their online programs with minimal external help.
Benefits of your school partnering with an OPM provider.
An OPM provider may prove helpful if your school is considering increasing its online offerings. For instance, hiring an OPM provider to do the heavy lifting helps streamline the process while reducing the burden on your current academic staff. Providing access to electronic documents also makes collaboration a simple task that can be done from anywhere.
Some OPM providers even offer co-investment opportunities where the provider and your school share the responsibility of the upfront capital and the revenue. This option may help prepare your school programs for the online world without having to shoulder all of the initial costs.
Go digital beyond online program management.
Whether you take your school online all at once or in stages, going digital can significantly benefit your student reach and other administrative processes. Take a moment to discover everything that’s possible with Adobe Acrobat for business today.