Multi-Institution Academic Programs: Dealmakers and Dealbreakers

INTRODUCTION Higher education institutions are confronted with increasing demand for electronic access to educational opportunities, improved academic quality and accountability, and new academic programs that address societal workforce and economic development needs. Collaboration allows institutions to combine resources to respond efficiently and effectively to these demands. The typical university is not agile enough to downsize one academic area today and build up a new strategic area tomorrow. However, universities can bring together their best faculty member(s) in a specialized field with counterparts at similar institutions to rapidly build a new e-learning program that can be offered through each partner institution to a broad audience.