Online Program Management (OPM) Companies.

Dear Commons Community,

For those institutions planning on contracting out for online program management (OPM) for hosting, online course/program development, or support services, a careful analysis should be undertaken.  Schools and colleges have been cautioned to be careful in developing a relationship with OPMs, some of which are less than scrupulous in their operations.

OPMs have also faced increasing scrutiny from the U.S. Congress and consumer advocates who have urged greater oversight from the U.S. Department of Education and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to protect colleges and students from “predatory conduct by OPMs. Last week, Minnesota became the first state to pass legislation stipulating the use of OPMs in its thirty public colleges.  Among the stipulations are that OPM contracts can’t include or allow for tuition sharing and can’t grant an OPM ownership over faculty members’ intellectual property. A college working with an OPM will also have to submit an annual analysis of the partnership to specified committees in the state legislature.  Other states have tried to enact similar legislation but have been stymied for a number of reason.

An article in yesterday’s Chronicle of Higher Education, is worth a read for any school contemplating entering into a contract with an OPM.

Tony

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