Tell Us What's Pushing You Toward Online Programs Right Now

• In one sentence, what's the primary reason you're exploring an OPM partnership today? Options: Other, Board mandate to grow revenue, Competitor gained market share, Past internal attempt failed, New leadership priority, Diversification of revenue
• How quickly does leadership expect results—what timeline feels realistic and what timeline are you being asked to promise? Options: Immediate (3–6 months), Short (6–12 months), Medium (12–24 months), Longer than 24 months, Timeline unclear
• Who on your leadership team is most vocal about this initiative, and who tends to be most skeptical?
• Have you tried building online capacity internally before? Tell me what happened and how long ago that was. Options: Yes—within last 12 months, Yes—1–3 years ago, Yes—more than 3 years ago, No, this is the first serious exploration
• How would you describe the emotional tone around this initiative—energized, anxious, resigned, skeptical, hopeful, or something else? Options: Energized, Anxious, Resigned, Skeptical, Hopeful, Other

If We Do Nothing, What Actually Happens?

• What would you say is the single biggest negative consequence if the university doesn’t solve this enrollment challenge within three years?
• How large is the enrollment or revenue gap you’re trying to close (approximate numbers are fine)? Options: < 5% of budget, 5–15% of budget, 15–30% of budget, > 30% of budget, Unknown / need help calculating
• Which academic programs do you worry are most vulnerable if enrollment falls—are there specific departments or disciplines at risk?
• How has this pressure affected morale or decision-making in academic and enrollment teams?
• How long have you been tracking this trend internally, and has urgency increased recently? Options: Less than 6 months, 6–12 months, 1–3 years, More than 3 years

Who Holds the Real Decision Power (And What Do They Care About)?

• Who must sign off for you to move forward with a long-term revenue-share partnership—and who can veto it?
• What are the top three concerns those approvers raise most often?
• Which stakeholder’s support would most accelerate the process if we could address one of their concerns—whose is it and what would convince them?
• How do you prefer to make high-stakes decisions: fast, evidence-driven pilots; formal committee deliberation; or executive mandate? Options: Fast pilots with data, Formal committee review, Executive-led decision, Mixed approach
• Which internal team will be the day-to-day sponsor of this partnership (e.g., Provost office, Continuing Ed, Marketing, External Partnerships)? Options: Provost/Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management, Continuing Education/Extension, Marketing/Communications, CFO/Finance, Other

What Would It Take to Convince You a Partner Can Deliver?

• What evidence would make you stop asking questions and start saying ‘yes’ to an external OPM partner? Options: Clear enrollment case studies, Transparent CAC and marketing reports, Faculty-led instructional design samples, Risk-sharing commercial terms, Short pilot with defined outcomes, Other
• Which metrics matter most when you evaluate a partner—lead generation volume, application-to-enrollment conversion, customer acquisition cost, time-to-first-enrollment, or something else? Options: Lead volume, Application-to-enrollment conversion, CAC (marketing cost per enrolled), Time-to-first-enrollment, Student retention/ completion, Other
• How transparent do you expect partners to be about marketing spend and channel performance, and what would transparency look like in practice? Options: Full real-time transparency, Regular detailed reports, Summary metrics only, Limited transparency
• Tell me about a vendor relationship that earned your trust—what did they do that stood out?
• Which recent external partnership left you disappointed, and what specifically would you change so it didn’t happen again?

Beyond Enrollment Numbers—What Would Real Success Feel Like?

• Imagine it’s two years from launch and we’re celebrating—what are the outcomes you’d point to besides raw enrollment? Options: Sustained retention rates, Improved student outcomes, Faculty satisfaction, Positive brand alignment, Expanded program portfolio, Operational efficiency
• How important is preserving your academic brand and faculty control over curriculum in a partnership—what compromises are unacceptable? Options: Non-negotiable—must retain full control, Some shared control acceptable, Flexible depending on program, Open to suggestions
• What target retention or graduation metrics would make you feel this program is delivering long-term value? Options: Retention >= institutional average, Retention +5% above average, Retention +10% or more, Don't have a target yet
• How would success show up to faculty, to the board, and to incoming students respectively—what would each group notice first?
• If we hit enrollment targets but student satisfaction or outcomes lagged, how would that affect your view of the partnership? Options: Still successful, Mixed—concerned, Unacceptable

Which Roadblocks Could Stop a Six–Twelve-Month Launch?

• Which single operational gap feels most likely to derail a rapid launch: faculty bandwidth, curriculum readiness, enrollment operations, compliance, or technology? Options: Faculty bandwidth and buy-in, Curriculum/instructional design, Enrollment ops and coaching, Regulatory/compliance readiness, Technology/platform integration, Marketing pipeline
• For the gap you selected, how long has it been a problem and what attempts have you made to address it?
• Which dependencies outside the university (e.g., state authorization, accreditation, third-party tech) are likely to require the most time or negotiation? Options: State authorization, Program-specific accreditation, Third-party vendors, Clinical/field placements, None significant
• What internal resources (people, budget, approvals) can you commit to a launch in the next 90 days? Options: Dedicated FTEs, Partial time from existing staff, One-time budget allocation, No resources currently available, Other
• How has your team handled aggressive timelines in the past—what worked and what didn’t?

What Would a Healthy Partnership Look and Feel Like?

• If you could describe the ideal working relationship with an OPM partner in three words, what would they be?
• How much control do you want over marketing, admissions decisioning, and instructional design respectively? Options: Full control, Shared control, Partner-led with oversight, Partner-led
• Which commercial models would you consider acceptable: pure revenue-share, hybrid (reduced share + fee), fee-for-service, or other? Options: Revenue-share, Hybrid (reduced share + fee), Fee-for-service, Performance-based milestones, Unsure—need guidance
• What contract duration feels defensible for your leadership—3 years, 5 years, 7+ years—and why? Options: 3 years, 5 years, 7+ years, Unsure / prefer to discuss
• How do you want governance, reporting, and escalation to work—weekly dashboards, monthly steering, quarterly executive reviews, or another cadence? Options: Weekly operational dashboards, Monthly steering committee, Quarterly executive reviews, Ad-hoc as needed, Other

What Small Commitments Could Start Momentum This Month?

• What one concrete thing would you be willing to commit to in the next 30 days to move this forward (e.g., share enrollment data, set a stakeholder meeting, sign NDA)? Options: Share enrollment & budget data, Schedule stakeholder alignment meeting, Sign NDA / data access agreement, Approve scoping assessment, None at this time
• Who should be in that first stakeholder meeting, and how long will it take to secure their time?
• What data or artifacts would you need from us before that meeting to feel prepared (e.g., sample case studies, curriculum examples, draft commercial terms)? Options: Case studies with similar institutions, Transparent CAC / marketing model, Sample curriculum / instructional design, Draft commercial term sheet, Operational roadmap
• How would you like us to present early findings—an executive one-page brief, a short presentation, or a hands-on workshop? Options: Executive one-pager, 30–45 minute presentation, Half-day workshop with stakeholders, Interactive Q&A session
• If you’re open to a rapid pilot, what constraints would make a pilot acceptable (max duration, enrollment target, budget limits)?

• Context & Consequence Alignment
• Enrollment Scenarios & Financial Model Workshop
• Marketing Cost Transparency & Channel Plan
• Instructional Design & Brand Positioning Workshop
• Synthesis, Risks & Go/No-Go Criteria

• Approve the sample module as the standard to be expanded across the program (or list required edits).
• Current Marketing Capability Review
• Achieve mutual understanding of realistic CAC by channel and how that maps to the preferred enrollment scenario.
• Secure approval for a pilot campaign budget and reporting template that ensures transparency.
• Agree on campaign KPIs, attribution rules, and reporting cadence.
• CustomerNode to provide a channel-level cost and performance dashboard template with expected weekly metrics.
• Customer to confirm any brand or procurement constraints that affect paid channels or third-party vendors.
• Marketing owners from both sides to schedule a weekly campaign sync for the pilot phase.
• One-Sentence Future State for Learner Experience
• Secure academic validation of the instructional approach or capture precise required revisions.
• Agree on the brand positioning direction and document any hard brand constraints.
• Introductions & Meeting Objectives
• CustomerNode to deliver a full module storyboard and list of required faculty review points within 7 days.
• Customer to provide final brand guidelines and list of trademark or naming constraints.
• Schedule a short faculty review session to resolve any academic content questions.
• Recap: Agreed Current State, Preferred Scenario, and Future State
• Produce a mutually-agreed go/no-go checklist that, when met, will trigger progression to Solution Scope.
• Assign owners and timelines for all top risks and ensure mitigation plans are realistic.
• Obtain documented stakeholder confirmation (or a list of blocking items) for the planned next milestone.
• CustomerNode to draft and circulate a one-page synthesis memo capturing decisions, assumptions, and the go/no-go checklist.
• Customer to secure any remaining academic or procurement approvals listed in the checklist and confirm dates.
• Both parties to schedule the Solution Scope kickoff pending checklist completion and confirm the mutual-commit meeting date.
• Produce a one-sentence current state that all stakeholders can repeat exactly.
• Surface and roughly quantify the business consequence of the current state within financial and timeline terms.
• Agree on 3-5 measurable success metrics and any hard constraints that must govern scenario planning.
• Confirm stakeholder approval map and owners for required pre-work/data delivery.
• Customer to deliver enrollment history, marketing spend by channel (12 months), program P&L assumptions, and faculty constraints.
• CustomerNode team to prepare a baseline consequence summary (loss estimate and risk statement) using provided data.
• Identify and invite all required decision-makers to the scenario workshop.
• Review Baseline Assumptions
• Agree on a preferred enrollment scenario (or shortlist) with explicit numeric assumptions.
• Validate the financial implications for the institution under the chosen revenue-share structure.
• Identify the top 3 assumption sensitivities and the evidence required to de-risk them.
• Confirm next modeling iteration owner and delivery date.
• CustomerNode to deliver the editable scenario workbook with documented assumptions and sensitivity tabs.
• Customer to provide any missing inputs (e.g., pricing policy, scholarship rules, seat caps) to finalize the preferred scenario.
• Schedule a short follow-up to reconcile any disputed assumptions within 5 business days.
• Program Outcomes & Target Learner Personas
• Outstanding Risks & Mitigations
• One-Sentence Current State (Customer speaks)
• Scenario Presentation (3-paths)
• Channel Performance Baseline
• Go/No-Go Criteria and Timeline
• Quantify Consequence
• Channel Mix & Spend Plan per Scenario
• Financial Model Walkthrough
• Instructional Design Approach & Proof Module
• Brand Positioning & Co-Branding Guidelines
• Reporting, Attribution & Transparency Mechanisms
• Sensitivity & Risk Triggers
• Confirm Success Metrics & Constraints
• Roles, Immediate Next Steps & Milestones
• Stakeholder Validation & Signatures
• Validation Checkpoints
• Decision & Pilot Approval
• Stakeholder Map & Decision Criteria
• Validation with Faculty & Academic Leadership
• Pre-work & Next Deliverables

• Deploy Branded Program Microsite and Application Portal
• Build LMS Course Shells and Content Pages
• Produce Lecture Video Modules
• Create Weekly Lesson Content and Readings
• Implement LMS Integrations (SIS, SSO, LTI)
• Host and Maintain Learning Platform Infrastructure
• Produce Marketing Creative Assets (video, display, copy)
• Launch Paid Search and Social Advertising Campaigns
• Deploy Email Nurture Sequences in CRM
• Operate CRM Lead Management and Outreach
• Conduct Enrollment Conversion Calls with Prospects
• Provide 24/7 Student Technical Support
• Deliver Student Success Coaching and Retention Outreach
• Manage Instructor Onboarding and LMS Training

Deploy Branded Program Microsite and Application Portal

• Do you require a new program microsite and separate application portal for this program? Options: Yes, No
• What is the target launch date for the microsite and application portal? Options: < 2 months, 2-4 months, 4-6 months, 6+ months
• Will the microsite use your institution's primary domain, a subdomain, or a co-branded domain? Options: Primary domain, Subdomain, Co-branded partner domain, Unsure
• Which application workflow elements must be supported (select all that apply)? Options: Online application form, Document upload, Application fee/payment, Conditional logic (program tracks), Automated acknowledgment emails
• Who will own content approvals and branding sign-off for the microsite?
• What analytics and tracking must be implemented on the microsite (e.g., GA4, pixel, CRM tracking)? Options: Google Analytics / GA4, Meta/Facebook pixel, LinkedIn Insight, CRM tracking (UTM to lead), Other

Build LMS Course Shells and Content Pages

• How many course shells need to be built for the initial launch? Options: 1-3, 4-6, 7-10, 10+
• Do you require standardized course templates (syllabus, weekly modules, assessments)? Options: Yes, No
• Should the shells include LMS-native interactive activities (quizzes, discussion prompts, assignments) or only content pages? Options: Interactive activities + content pages, Content pages only, Mixed—specify per course
• Who will supply course content assets (instructor, university, partner), and do you need content migration services? Options: Instructor supplied, University supplied, Partner will develop, Content migration required
• What accessibility and compliance features must be included in course shells (e.g., WCAG, closed captions, alt text)? Options: WCAG 2.1 AA, Closed captions/transcripts, Alt text for images, Semantic headings and structure, Other
• What acceptance criteria should be used to confirm a course shell is complete (e.g., syllabus uploaded, week 1 content published, gradebook configured)?

Produce Lecture Video Modules

• How many lecture videos are required for the launch term (total across all courses)? Options: < 20, 20-50, 51-100, 100+
• Preferred video format and production level? Options: High-production studio (multi-camera), Single-camera recorded lecture, Slide + voiceover animated, Micro-lectures (5-12 min)
• Do videos require captions, transcripts, and/or language subtitles? Options: Captions only, Captions + transcript, Subtitles in additional languages, None
• Who provides talent/subject-matter presenters and recording locations? Options: University provides, Partner provides, Hybrid
• What file delivery formats and storage/hosting preferences do you have (e.g., MP4 H.264, cloud CDN, LMS ingestion)? Options: MP4 (H.264), Transcoded multi-bitrate, Hosted on partner CDN, Hosted in university cloud, Other
• Define acceptance criteria for completed video modules (e.g., approved edit, captions attached, LMS-embedded)

Create Weekly Lesson Content and Readings

• How many weekly modules per course should be produced for the initial term? Options: 4-6 weeks, 7-10 weeks, 11-16 weeks, Other
• Will readings be licensed materials, open educational resources (OER), or provided by instructors? Options: Licensed (publisher), OER, Instructor-provided, Mixed
• Do you require reading acquisition and copyright clearance services? Options: Yes, No
• Should weekly modules include formative assessments and rubrics created by the partner? Options: Yes—assessments + rubrics, No—university will supply, Partial—specify which modules
• What accessibility standards should weekly materials meet (e.g., tagged PDFs, accessible Word docs)? Options: Tagged PDFs, Accessible Word/HTML, Alt text for images, All of the above
• What are the acceptance criteria for weekly lesson content (e.g., content uploaded and QA’d, reading links validated)?

Implement LMS Integrations (SIS, SSO, LTI)

• Which integrations are required at launch (select all that apply)? Options: SIS (student records), SSO (single sign-on), LTI tools (external apps), Analytics/BI, Payment gateway
• What is your SIS vendor and version (or 'unsure')?
• What SSO protocol is preferred (SAML, OIDC, CAS, Other)? Options: SAML, OIDC, CAS, Other, Unsure
• Are there data privacy or residency constraints for data exchanged via integrations (e.g., FERPA, GDPR)? Options: FERPA, GDPR, State data residency, None, Other
• What is the expected data synchronization frequency between SIS and LMS (real-time, daily, nightly)? Options: Real-time, Near real-time, Daily/nightly batch, Manual sync
• What acceptance tests should validate integrations (e.g., test student enrollment, grade passback, SSO login)?

Host and Maintain Learning Platform Infrastructure

• Do you prefer partner-hosted platform, university-hosted, or hybrid hosting? Options: Partner-hosted, University-hosted, Hybrid, Unsure
• What uptime and availability SLA do you require? Options: 99.9%, 99.5%, 99.0%, Custom
• Are there security/compliance certifications required (e.g., SOC2, ISO27001)? Options: SOC2, ISO27001, Neither, Other
• What backup and disaster recovery objectives are required (RTO/RPO expectations)?
• Will you need monitoring, incident management, and scheduled maintenance windows handled by the partner? Options: Yes, full ops, Yes, monitoring only, No, university will manage
• What acceptance criteria confirm infrastructure is ready (e.g., load test results, security scan pass)?

Produce Marketing Creative Assets (video, display, copy)

• Which asset types are required for launch (select all that apply)? Options: Hero video (30-60s), Short social videos (15s), Display banners, Program landing page copy, Email creative
• How many creative variations or audience-tailored versions are needed? Options: Single version, 2-3 variations, 4-6 variations, 7+
• Do assets need to be localized for different regions or languages? Options: Yes—languages/regions specified, No, Maybe—depends on target
• Who will own brand guidelines and final creative approvals? Options: University brand team, Partner creative lead, Joint approvals
• What file formats and deliverables are required (e.g., MP4, JPG, HTML snippets)? Options: MP4, GIF/MP4 short, JPEG/PNG display, HTML5 ad creatives, Copy docs
• Define acceptance criteria for marketing assets (e.g., approved by brand, A/B test ready, QA complete)

Launch Paid Search and Social Advertising Campaigns

• Which paid channels should be included at launch? Options: Google Search, Meta (Facebook/Instagram), LinkedIn, YouTube, Programmatic display
• What monthly media budget range is anticipated for launch? Options: <$10k, $10k-$50k, $50k-$150k, $150k+
• What CPA or enrollment target should campaigns optimize for?
• What geographic and audience targeting constraints apply (regions, institutions, professional segments)?
• What tracking and attribution requirements exist (UTM standards, view-through, offline conversions)? Options: UTM + CRM capture, Pixel + remarketing, Offline attribution (call/CRM), Other
• What acceptance criteria will confirm campaigns are ready to run (creative QA, tracking verified, target audiences configured)?

Deploy Email Nurture Sequences in CRM

• How many distinct nurture flows are required at launch (e.g., inquiry, application started, admitted)? Options: 1-2, 3-5, 6-10, 10+
• Should email sequences be triggered by behavioral events, time delays, or both? Options: Behavioral events, Time delays, Both
• Do you have existing email templates and brand tone to reuse, or should partner create copy and templates? Options: University templates, Partner to create, Hybrid
• Which personalization tokens and segmentation attributes are required (e.g., program interest, location, lead score)?
• What compliance requirements apply to email sends (CAN-SPAM, CASL, GDPR consent)? Options: CAN-SPAM, CASL, GDPR, Other, None
• Define acceptance criteria for deployable nurture sequences (e.g., test sends passed, dynamic fields validated, unsubscribe handled)

Operate CRM Lead Management and Outreach

• Will lead management be handled by partner SDRs, university admissions staff, or a blended team? Options: Partner SDRs, University admissions, Blended team
• What lead qualification criteria (MQL/SQL) should be used?
• What SLA should apply for initial lead contact (e.g., response within X hours)? Options: Within 1 hour, Within 4 hours, Within 24 hours, Within 48 hours
• Which outreach channels should be used for lead follow-up (select all that apply)? Options: Phone calls, Email, SMS, LinkedIn messages, Chat
• What reporting cadence and KPIs are required for lead operations (e.g., weekly funnel, conversion rate)?
• Define acceptance criteria for CRM lead operations (e.g., lead routing tested, SLA met in pilot, reporting verified)

• Commercial Term Sheet
• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Revenue-Share Agreement
• Service Level Agreement (SLA)
• Governance & Steering Committee Charter
• Implementation & Operational Readiness Checklist
• Data Processing & Privacy Agreement (DPA)
• Branding, IP & Academic Integrity Agreement
• Financial Controls & Reporting Schedule
• Risk Allocation & Indemnity Schedule
• Compliance, Accreditation & Regulatory Commitments
• Change Order & Scope Management
• Termination, Teach-Out & Exit Plan
• Final Execution & Signature

• Quarterly Outcomes Review & Validation
• Continuous Improvement Retrospective (Cohort-level)
• Risk & Issues Triage — Shared Channel & SLA Setup
• Executive Success Snapshot (Board/President Briefing)
• Scale & Optimization Planning Session (6–12 Month Roadmap)

• Secure approvals or directional decisions required to proceed with remediation or scale.
• Schedule a focused follow-up in 4 weeks to review remediation progress.
• Log any data discrepancies and initiate audit of metric sources if required.
• Pre-work Review & Frame
• Capture the top quantitative and qualitative learnings that affected cohort performance.
• Produce a prioritized backlog of improvement experiments with defined metrics.
• Assign owners and timelines to launch experiments and update the program playbook.
• Publish retrospective report summarizing learnings and the prioritized backlog.
• Create experiment charters (hypothesis, metric, timeline, owner) for top 3 initiatives.
• Update operational playbook and onboarding materials with agreed changes.
• Share a summary with institutional leadership and invite feedback.
• Complete a validation run to confirm the channel and alerts work as intended.
• Create the shared channel and invite designated university and OPM admins.
• Current State of Issue Management (one-sentence)
• Agree on a single shared channel and governance model for ongoing issues and improvements.
• Define clear issue categories, SLAs, and an escalation matrix with named owners.
• Publish the SLAs, issue taxonomy, and escalation matrix in a shared location.
• Configure alerts and dashboards; run the validation test and report results.
• Schedule a 30-day review to adjust SLAs and process based on real usage.
• One-sentence Current State & Consequence
• Brief executives with validated outcomes and explicit consequences for institutional strategy.
• Opening & Meeting Objectives
• Align on stakeholder communications and timing for board updates.
• Deliver an executive one‑pager and data appendix within 24 hours of the meeting.
• Capture any executive approvals and assign implementation owners.
• Schedule the board briefing or provide requested materials for board packet.
• Recap Validated Outcomes (one-sentence)
• Agree on a single 6–12 month roadmap (scale or optimize) with budget, owners, and measurable milestones.
• Confirm the financial and operational feasibility of the chosen scenario.
• Establish governance and KPI cadence to monitor progress during execution.
• Publish the approved roadmap, budget allocation, and milestone calendar.
• Kick off workstreams with initial sprint plans and owners identified.
• Set up KPI dashboards and automated reporting for weekly and monthly reviews.
• Communicate the roadmap and commitments to impacted teams and stakeholders.
• Validate actual enrollment and retention performance against agreed targets.
• Agree on root causes for any shortfalls with data evidence and stakeholder sign-off.
• Define corrective actions with owners, timelines, and measurable acceptance criteria.
• Establish a reporting cadence to track remediation progress.
• Publish validated dashboard export and executive one‑pager with variance analysis.
• Assign owners for each corrective action with clear success metrics and deadlines.
• Consequence Recap
• Consequence of Poor Issue Handling
• Current State (one-sentence)
• Headline Metrics (enrollment, retention, financials)
• Scenario Modeling
• Narrative: Wins, Risks, and Root Causes
• Consequence Statement
• Select Primary Shared Channel
• Marketing & Enrollment Funnel Learnings
• Resource & Budget Alignment
• Headlines: Enrollment Metrics
• Instructional Design & Engagement Learnings
• Marketing & Enrollment Ramp Plan
• Define Issue Categories, Priorities & SLAs
• Decision Requests & Options
• Operations & Student Support Learnings
• Escalation Matrix & Decision Rights
• Headlines: Retention & Student Success
• Near-term Ask & Communication Plan
• Instructional & Ops Readiness