Post-OPM Strategy: Establish Standardized Processes
Preface: The OPM landscape is shifting, and it is not my intention to cast OPMs or the decision to partner with them as good or bad. The purpose of this article is to present neutral information senior-level leaders may want to consider when making decisions regarding their online strategy.
My first article provided an overview of 7 Key Elements to Guide a Post-OPM Strategy. This is the seventh part in the series where we discuss the importance of developing standard operating procedures across your functional areas.
When our university decided to insource our online learning operations after ending an OPM partnership, one of our top priorities was maintaining a consistently high level of quality and service for our students. With new staff coming on board and processes shifting in-house, it was critical that we established clear, standardized operating procedures backed by proven best practices.
In the online space especially, having well-defined processes is paramount for delivering exceptional student experiences at scale. We couldn't simply transpose the processes used for our traditional on-campus offerings. The modality, student demographics, and competitive landscape demanded a more specialized, evidence-based approach.
Our first focus was on admissions and recruitment. Our new assistant director spearheaded developing a standard 5-day communication plan within our customer relationship management (CRM) system. This multi-touch flow emphasized speed-to-contact, removing barriers like transcript collection, and delivering a premium experience from the initial inquiry stage.
We aligned our academic advising procedures to leverage our student success platform, EAB Navigate, and optimized processes for the unique needs of online learners. Simple things like providing flexible virtual consultation hours become critical when serving a national student body.
Perhaps most importantly, we revamped our instructional design and course development processes to meet rigorous national standards. Our instructional designers follow Quality Matters rubrics and Online Learning Consortium best practices to ensure our courses apply proven pedagogical principles of online teaching and learning. We instituted quality assurance checkpoints, course review cycles, and accessibility testing as part of the process.
Standardizing these processes was essential, but we didn't simply develop them in a vacuum. Our new staff brought valuable experience from previous roles and OPM models. We studied the student experience data from our prior OPM partnership and spoke with our faculty to identify areas of strength and areas needing improvement. In developing our new operating procedures, we combined these insights with established frameworks to craft a tailored approach for our institution.
Creating and documenting these standard operating procedures was just the first step. We've fostered an environment of continuous improvement to regularly audit our processes and make data-driven optimizations. Our team embraces an entrepreneurial, student-centered mindset of constantly identifying new ways to enhance the experience.
Establishing and continually refining these standard operating procedures has been vital for maintaining a high-quality, scalable online operation. Our students know what to expect in terms of timeliness, communication, and levels of support. Our faculty receive robust training, resources, and support through our instructional design processes. Everyone works within a unified, well-documented framework.
If you're taking online learning operations in-house, don't underestimate the importance of defining clear procedural standards at the outset. Leverage recognized best practices and customize them for your institutional culture. Foster an environment of continuous improvement. Doing so will ensure your students receive a consistently premier experience, your faculty are set up for success, and your operations can scale effectively while maintaining quality at every stage.
So where are you on your OPM-journey? I would love to hear from similar institutions.
Let’s connect, I promise I’ll pick up the phone (or zoom call). jeremiah@fractionalcolo.com