What is it about?
Despite the increasing popularity of online courses in higher education, many universities lack the expertise, time, and resources necessary to develop, market, and implement successful online programs. As a result, online program managers (OPMs), which are companies that partner with colleges and universities to create, deliver, and manage online programs, have grown dramatically in the last 15 years, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of OPMs is to assist institutions in expanding and improving their online offerings without requiring a large up-front investment on the part of colleges or universities. However, many are unaware of OPMs, the services they provide, and the benefits and costs of such services.
Featured Image
Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Many faculty are unaware of OPMs, the services they provide, and the potential benefits and costs of such services. OPMs often play an important role in the success of online programs; restricting their ability to work with universities could hinder the growth, innovation, and accessibility of online education.
Perspectives
This article explains the growing role of Online Program Managers (OPMs)—companies that help colleges and universities create and run online courses. Many schools don’t have the time, money, or expertise to build strong online programs on their own, so they partner with OPMs. These companies provide services like course design, student recruitment, and tech support. In return, they often get a share of the tuition money. OPMs can help smaller schools reach more students and offer high-quality online programs. However, there are also concerns, especially about how these companies are paid and how transparent they are. Sometimes, the deals can lead to higher costs for students or misleading marketing. While some government officials have suggested stricter rules, many educators warn that too much regulation could hurt online education by making it harder for schools to get the help they need. The article suggests that better transparency and smarter oversight—not blanket restrictions—are the key to making sure OPMs are used in a way that benefits students and schools. This is important because thoughtful partnerships with OPMs can help make college more accessible, especially for people who rely on online learning.
Leanna Archambault
Arizona State University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Partnering for Progress: Exploring the evolving role of OPMs in higher education, eLearn, May 2025, ACM (Association for Computing Machinery),
DOI: 10.1145/3735548.3719657.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
