For many universities, online education does not develop according to a single institutional blueprint. Historically, online programs emerged over time within and across individual schools and departments, each with their own approaches to marketing, recruitment, student support, technology solutions, reporting, and coordinating operations.
That distributed model may have worked when online offerings were limited. But as institutions today expand their portfolios and rely more on online education to meet growing demand from working professionals and adult learners, fragmentation becomes a real problem. Teams duplicate effort; students encounter inconsistent experiences; and, leaders lack a clear view of performance across programs and schools. Centralization can address that, but only if both organizational and operational transformation can occur in tandem.
Here are five best practices to unify operations and build sustainable internal capabilities that meet online enrollment goals.
Start with the operating model, not the org chart
Centralization is often viewed as a question of structure: Which functions should move to a central or coordinating office? Who should report to whom? And even, what does “centralization” mean?
These questions matter, but they shouldn’t be the starting point.
The first priority is to define what the institution is trying to accomplish in terms of online strategy and goals. Are we focused on enrollment growth? Financial sustainability/net revenue? Enhancing brand reach through critical programming and partnerships? Or some combination? With this clarity, it is then easier to determine the capabilities required to get there. The institution can focus on developing the people, processes and technology needed to support a specific strategic roadmap with the attendant enrollment operations that enhance transparency, accountability, and effectiveness.
Once the general operating model is defined, the institution can better allocate responsibilities across central and school-level teams. This boils down to developing the framework that establishes who is responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed across functions and teams.
It is critical to recognize how best to create efficiencies that save time, resources, and market friction through a coordinated or centralized effort, while also honoring the expertise and autonomy of individual schools. The goal is to create a model in which unified capabilities complement academic and online education strategy and operations expertise.
Treat centralization as change management
A centralized model may make sense on paper, yet still struggle if the people expected to use it don’t understand its value. That makes stakeholder engagement one of the most valuable, and often underestimated, parts of the process.
Conversations with deans, associate deans and functional team leaders are essential to understanding concerns, identifying differences among schools, and demonstrating where shared services could add value. Institutions shouldn’t expect every school to begin in the same place or need the same level of support. Some schools may be ready to adopt the offered services quickly, while others need a more gradual transition. Building flexibility into the model can create momentum without forcing uniformity where it doesn’t make sense. Even using the word “centralization” can be on the table. Some institutions prefer “coordination” or “shared services.” Each has implications, of course, but the choice should fit the institution’s circumstances.
Build transparency before trying to scale
One of the most valuable outcomes of centralization is greater visibility.
When online programs operate independently, university leaders can struggle to gain a complete picture of performance, resource allocation, operational gaps, and opportunities for growth. Establishing shared processes and performance measures creates a stronger foundation for decision-making.
A risk-and-readiness assessment can identify critical projects required to support growth and inform a multi-year strategic roadmap. Ongoing roadmap and milestones management provides a mechanism for tracking progress, managing risks and escalating issues before they become larger barriers.
This kind of transparency changes the conversation from whether individual programs are performing, to broader leadership and growth questions: Where should we invest? Which capabilities should we share? Where are there operational bottlenecks? And what needs to change to support the next stage of growth?
Centralization should create capacity, not bureaucracy
Perhaps the most important lesson is that centralization should make it easier for individual schools to succeed.
If a centralized model simply adds approvals, processes or administrative layers, academic programs will be slow to buy in. The value comes from giving schools access to capabilities that would be too costly, inefficient or technical to build on their own.
This kind of strategic support has helped reduce admissions spending where efficiencies were possible, create more consistent student support, and build shared infrastructure for enrollment growth. Meanwhile, schools keep the academic expertise and program knowledge they need to serve their own markets and students.
The goal isn’t centralization for its own sake. It’s a model that lets each part of the institution focus on what it does best.
Think beyond today’s online portfolio
Universities face increasing pressure to reach new student populations, respond faster to workforce needs, and operate more efficiently. A fragmented infrastructure makes each new initiative harder to launch and scale.
Creating and building a unified foundation that can support both today’s online programs and future growth requires shared goals, clearly defined responsibilities, sustained change management, greater transparency, and a willingness to continually refine the model. The overarching goal helps the institution become better equipped to serve students, support its schools and pursue new opportunities for growth.
Archer Education VP of Strategy & Development Melanie Andrich has more than 20 years of experience helping leading higher-ed institutions develop accessible and scalable academic programs.
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