Lessons in Strategic Alliances: What HBCUs Have Learned (So Far) About Working Together

Edward Smith-Lewis - UNCF
Rilie Kafer - rpk Group

Institutional leaders face rapidly expanding demands from students and employers, at a time of constrained resources. Addressing this fiscal reality requires a move beyond simple budget cutting toward an openness to strategic alliances. This move toward strategic alliance further provides institutions access to new and enhanced people, time and money, all in support of mission and student success.

This session will focus on the broad continuum of opportunities within strategic alliances, such as shared academic and administrative services, and joint access to talent and technology solutions. Recent efforts by the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) will be highlighted in which these institutions are sharing expertise, developing shared technology, leveraging data infrastructures, and demonstrating good stewardship of resources.

Join our conversation with Ed Smith-Lewis, Senior Vice President for Strategic Partnerships & Institutional Programs at United Negro College Fund (UNCF) where he will share recent successes and ongoing efforts to support HBCUs in creating strategic alliances while maintaining their deep individual identities. UNCF is leading the way in supporting shared infrastructure and coursework for distance education, developing capacity among institutional leaders, and identifying opportunities for leveraging shared data infrastructures. rpk GROUP’s Rilie Kafer, Associate, will also share from rpk’s national experience researching and implementing strategic alliances.

Participants in this session will be engaged by peer-to-peer learning, as well as through facilitation that allows for sharing of their own experience into the room.

Learning Objectives

  1. Describe areas of opportunity for strategic alliance at their own institutions.
  2. Identify likely obstacles to strategic alliance and the use of best practice to address these obstacles.
  3. Define various alliance structures and types of opportunities that can benefit institutions and how to begin conversations.

CPE Available

  • 1 Credit: Business Management & Organization