What I Learned Working with an OPM
Across campus leadership circles, I hear the same concerns repeated again and again: enrollment pressures, federal funding uncertainty, and ongoing skepticism about the value of a college degree. These forces make it harder than ever to balance institutions' academic mission with long-term financial stability.
This moment feels like another major inflection point for higher education. Do we continue to do things as we've always done them, or do we embrace new models that can support both our mission and our margins?
Online learning sits squarely at the intersection of these pressures — offering an opportunity to reach new students, diversify revenue, and deliver education in ways that fit today's learners.
For many universities, including my own, online program managers (OPMs) are critical partners in navigating this complexity — bringing the expertise, marketing muscle, and enrollment support that most institutions simply can't replicate on their own.
Yet, when OPMs come up, there's often skepticism in the room. Why outsource something as critical as student recruitment and program support? Are these partnerships giving away too much control or driving up costs?
I want to share my own experience with OPMs: how we navigated that skepticism, what value these partnerships bring, and the lessons I've learned as we continue to expand our programs. At a time when higher education is being asked to do more with less, I've seen how these partnerships can be the difference between simply surviving and truly thriving.
How We Built Sustainable Online Growth with an OPM Partner
A decade ago, online learning was an experiment. Five years ago, it became a lifeline as the pandemic forced institutions to pivot almost overnight to remote instruction. Today, it's a strategic imperative.
At Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), our own journey with online learning reflects that evolution. About seven years ago, our central administration began exploring what it would mean to scale online learning beyond one-off faculty efforts. This was well before COVID-19, but we already saw graduate education shifting online and knew we needed a plan.
We engaged a consultant who identified programs well-suited for online delivery, including our MBA program. As dean of the business school, I participated in the early discussions that led us to consider an OPM partnership.
At first, skepticism ran high. The faculty worried about maintaining academic quality and control, while administrators questioned whether outsourcing recruitment and enrollment functions was the right move. Addressing those concerns required transparency, collaboration, and countless conversations to clarify what was — and wasn't — changing.
We soon began working hand-in-hand with our OPM partner to build out a digital presence, design a customized marketing strategy, and integrate new processes with our enrollment and IT teams. Just over a year after launch, our MBA enrollment nearly tripled — and we've sustained a much higher base enrollment ever since.
That success quickly changed minds. Faculty who once doubted the partnership saw the quality of students coming in and appreciated how much time was freed up to focus on teaching and research.
Administrators also recognized the value. We didn't have the internal resources to handle prospecting, market research, applicant follow-up, and student re-engagement at the same level as an OPM could deliver. These aren't core academic functions that most universities excel in. They're business operations — and they're exactly where specialized expertise makes sense.
The momentum from our MBA success gave us the confidence to extend the partnership to two additional graduate programs: our Master of Accountancy and Master of Science in Finance. Both had struggled for years, one with a 50% enrollment decline and the other never meeting initial projections.
A year after launching with OPM support, enrollment in our Accountancy program jumped 51%, and enrollment in our Finance program grew to the level originally envisioned. And the benefits extended beyond enrollment. Retention improved, graduation outcomes strengthened, and our faculty and administrators gained time to focus on what they do best.
For us, OPMs haven't been about outsourcing our mission but enhancing it — extending our reach and improving our capacity to serve students effectively. Our experience showed us what's possible when universities focus on their mission and let experts handle the rest: a stronger academic experience for students and a more sustainable future for the institution.
OPM Misconceptions and What I've Learned from Experience
Colleagues are often surprised when I share my story about working with an OPM. It challenges their long-held assumptions that OPMs take away control, cost too much, or are unnecessary if you already have a strong program.
Many of these concerns come from outdated perceptions about how OPM partnerships work or from misunderstanding what universities actually need to succeed in today's competitive, resource-constrained environment.
In reality, when implemented thoughtfully, OPM partnerships can give schools more flexibility, greater insight, and stronger long-term stability. That's why I want to address some of the most common misconceptions and share insights from my own experience.
Misconception 1: OPMs take away institutional control. Many universities are understandably cautious about OPM partnerships because they fear losing institutional control. They worry that outsourcing recruitment and enrollment support might eventually compromise academic quality, faculty autonomy, or even reputation.
But partnering with an OPM doesn't mean ceding control. It means doubling down on what you do best. Faculty and academic leaders remain in charge of admissions, curriculum design, program quality, and student outcomes.
At MTSU, for example, we maintain full ownership of the teaching and learning experience, from course delivery to assessment. What an OPM provides is specialized support for functions universities aren't built to manage at scale — marketing, lead generation, applicant support, and re-engagement campaigns.
This division of labor actually gives us more control where it matters most. By offloading marketing operations to experts, we free up institutional bandwidth to focus on improving teaching quality, building new programs, and supporting students through to graduation.
OPMs aren't a replacement for academic governance — they're an extension of operational capacity that helps universities stay true to their mission.
Misconception 2: OPMs are too expensive and increase tuition. One of the loudest criticisms of OPMs centers on cost, with many administrators worried these partnerships will inflate institutional expenses and push tuition prices higher for students. Much of that concern comes from the revenue-sharing model, which is often misunderstood as OPMs taking an outsized cut of tuition revenue.
In reality, modern OPM agreements are designed to be flexible and performance-based. Revenue-sharing arrangements typically range between 25–35% depending on the scope of services provided, while flat-fee models can offer services for schools willing to take on more upfront risk.
Many schools actually prefer revenue share precisely because it shifts that risk to the OPM, ensuring the provider only gets paid when enrollment goals are met and programs succeed.
In fact, OPMs frequently help institutions stay more competitive on price. They bring market research and analytics that allow universities to benchmark against competitors and identify tuition "sweet spots." The result is often a more affordable, market-competitive program that better serves students while strengthening enrollment and program sustainability.
Misconception 3: Good programs don't need marketing. A common belief in higher education is that strong academic programs will attract students on their own. In other words, "if you build it, they will come."
That may have worked in the past, but it's no longer true. Students — especially adult learners, working professionals, and other non-traditional populations — have more choices than ever and are highly selective, comparing programs on cost, flexibility, reputation, and outcomes. At the same time, universities nationwide are actively marketing to reach these same students.
That's where OPM expertise comes in. Strong marketing helps connect qualified students with high-quality programs that fit their needs and aspirations. At MTSU, outsourcing marketing freed up our internal teams to focus on improving program quality while leveraging professional recruitment strategies, data-driven digital outreach, and student engagement techniques we simply couldn't execute on our own.
Finding the right partner, however, is critical. Not all OPMs are the same, and institutions should shop around, ask hard questions, and evaluate the value each provider brings to the table.
Talking with peer institutions about their experiences can help universities identify best-fit partners and learn how to structure agreements that align with institutional goals. In fact, those conversations often spark entrepreneurial thinking within departments, inspiring new programs designed to meet market demand more effectively.
Strong Partnerships Matter Now More than Ever
Higher education has always evolved to meet the demands of changing times. That evolution means embracing partnerships that allow universities to focus on teaching, research, and supporting students — while leveraging outside expertise where it makes sense.
As I've seen firsthand, working with an OPM can help schools reach more students, strengthen academic programs, and deliver greater value to the communities we serve. I also know that OPMs aren't a one-size-fits-all solution. Every institution needs to evaluate its own goals, culture, and capacity to determine if such a partnership is right for it.
But for us — and for many of my peers — OPMs have provided the flexibility and support to not just survive but thrive. At a time when higher education faces unprecedented pressures, that's an opportunity worth serious consideration for any campus leader.