This work is the intellectual property of Ann Hill Duin. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires the permission of the author. August, 2003

2. Readiness Blueprint

Readiness The probability of success is dependent on many factors… the basic premise is that a university’s preparation or readiness prior to a partnership initiation is the single most important contributor to success. Maynard Robinson and Stephen Daigle Important Lessons From CSU’s Failed Strategic Partnership. Planning for Higher Education. 28(2): Important Lessons From CSU’s Failed Strategic Partnership

State Readiness Criteria ¤ Rosevear’s study of 8 virtual universities What is the state’s technological infrastructure? How prepared are the traditional colleges and universities to support virtual learning environments? Do they all have equal technological capabilities? What is a reasonable prediction for how long it will take before the virtual university is operational? What are the resources gaps, and how will they be filled?

Inter-Institutional Readiness Criteria ¤ Leadership committed to the effort ¤ Commitment to learner centered education ¤ Climate to support partnership and change ¤ Alignment of key decision makers ¤ Buy-in by faculty, departments, and colleges

What is your rationale for partnering?

Partnership Rationales ¤ Dave King (IHETS): m Our rationale is that we choose partners based on learner needs and risk. The learner’s risk must be low. Technology is never complete until the user is satisfied. ¤ Susan Kannel (NACTEL): m Our rationale is that we choose a college or university partner based on quality online curricula needed by industry. ¤ Bruce Chaloux (SREB): m Our rationale is to use partnerships to level the playing field (policy development) on behalf of student access.

IHETS IPSE/ICN ITN Learning Portal LLC Partnerships In Indiana

Industry Members Program Administration Academic Provider NACTEL Stakeholders

Partnering and Deal Making in the Digital Age George T. Geis & George S. Geis Organizations face an increasing need to start or join a network of alliances and joint ventures. Virtually no one goes to market alone anymore; it's too costly, too risky and too slow. At the same time, the reasons for forming deals are changing. While some partnerships seek to accomplish age- old objectives, many of today's deals are driven by goals that are very different than before, and often in subtle ways. As a result, firms need new methods and information resources to uncover competitors' motives for partnerships, and to clarify and select their own deal rationales.

Firms need new methods and information resources to uncover competitors' motives for partnerships, and to clarify and select their own deal rationales.

Blueprint for Partnering: A Metric for Determining Readiness ¤ Vision ¤ Description ¤ Beliefs ¤ Assumptions ¤ Operations ¤ Commitment ¤ Collaboration ¤ Risk ¤ Control ¤ Adaptation ¤ Return (value) on Investment

¤ Vision m What is the greater social good? ¤ Description m What is it? How will it affect my institution? ¤ Beliefs m What are the guiding, foundational principles? ¤ Assumptions m What will we achieve together? ¤ Operations m How will it work? What are the goals? ¤ Commitment m Are multiple levels committed to it? ¤ Collaboration m Is collaboration more important than competition?

What structure works best to implement a partnership? …to sustain a partnership?

Adaptation ¤ How will the partners adapt in order to accept and operate in a blended environment of values, purposes, missions, and outcomes? BOLT-ONEMBEDSPIN-OFF

3. Commitment Compact

The outcome of a coordinated planning and accountability process to achieve critical partnership goals… It explains how the partners will work together and remain committed to the effort. Commitment “An action becomes a commitment…if it restricts a company’s [institution’s] future options in a way that would be costly to reverse.” Sull, 2003, p. 84.

"The Three C's of Transforming Commitments" Donald N. Sull, 2003 "Successful transforming commitments are clear, credible, and courageous." Clear ____Is your commitment simple? ____Is your commitment concrete? ____Can you measure progress? ____ Can you quantify your measure? ____Will you measure progress frequently? ____Is your measurement process credible? ____Have you repeated your commitment often enough? ____Could employees pass a pop quiz on the details of the commitment?

Credible …Have you… ____made investments that are hard to reverse? ____burned your bridges behind you? ____put your own reputation at stake? ____put your money where your mouth is? ____assigned your best people to the challenge? Courageous…Are you… ____breaking from the pack? ____ignoring the 'experts'? ____making a quantum leap? ____refusing to hedge your bets or cover your backside? ____undoing your predecessor's actions? ____doing it as quickly as you can?

Not all partnerships necessarily will be long-term ones, but the commitment to partnering must be long term to counteract the competing forces working to maintain the status quo. --Ann Hill Duin and Linda L. Baer, 2002, NLII