CUNY pumps $8M into ‘in-house OPM’

Natalie Schwartz – March 17th, 2022

• The City University of New York system is spending $8 million in federal relief funds to develop CUNY Online, a new initiative meant to help its 25 campuses launch and grow online courses and programs.

• CUNY Online will be housed under the system’s School of Professional Studies, or SPS, which runs more than three dozen online programs. It aims to grow the system’s online offerings by helping campuses with content development, course design and student support services.

• The initiative is currently vetting applications from institutions across the system for help with developing seven to 10 new online programs. Officials expect the system will launch 13 to 20 online programs with CUNY Online’s assistance by fall 2023.

• The coronavirus pandemic underscored the need for many colleges to grow their online offerings, but launching these programs typically requires heavy upfront investments. In turn, many institutions have sought help from online program management companies, or OPMs. These companies often help colleges grow their online offerings by covering the initial startup costs in exchange for a cut of their tuition revenue, usually between 40% and 60%.

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