by Lindsey Manning
It’s no secret that higher education is undergoing a transformation, and to achieve long-term, sustainable growth, we will need to learn to adapt to these changes. What has worked in the past may not necessarily work anymore, and what works today may not work tomorrow. Now more than ever, success hinges on data-driven decision-making and fostering strong, collaborative partnerships—the type of partnerships built on a foundation of trust and transparency.
As the Vice President of Partner Success at Elsmere Education, I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative power of transparency in fostering strong partnerships. For nearly eight years, I’ve watched our organization’s remarkable growth and evolution. Despite the changes, one aspect has remained constant: our unwavering commitment to our core values. Integrity, Curiosity, Value Creation, Respect, Inclusion, Partnership, and Transparency. These are not just buzzwords, they are the foundation for our discussions and our actions, both internally and externally.
Transparency: At the Core of Partner Success
Transparency isn’t just a value we preach; it’s a principle we embody in our daily operations. Internally, it fosters a culture of open dialogue and continuous improvement, ensuring that everyone is aligned with our objectives and empowered to contribute meaningfully.
Externally, being transparent is key to nurturing trust and respect in our relationships with the universities we serve. Within our Partner Success team, we not only handle the onboarding of new partners and the rollout of programs but also maintain open lines of communication with our university counterparts throughout our collaboration. It’s all about fostering a strong relationship, which is why we believe in being upfront and honest in our discussions and actions. By prioritizing transparency, we show our university partners that we’re in this together – as allies, not just service providers. Our commitment to transparency is our way of showing them that we’re in it together for mutual success.
Empowering Partners with Real-Time Data and Insights
For us, transparency goes beyond rhetoric; it’s about equipping our partners with the tools they need to thrive. We do this by giving our partners access to a wealth of real-time data and insights. From individual student interactions to comprehensive reports on marketing performance and enrollment trends, our partners have the actionable insights they need to make informed decisions.
These insights can be curated for different roles with different needs: the senior leadership may want access to university level insights, while marketing leaders may want an opportunity to review ad level and campaign performance data, and admissions teams are focused on the enrollment funnel. All of this data is available to our partners 24/7, and they don’t have to rely on our team to access the information, giving them the ability to share and analyze the data independently. This empowers them to collaborate effectively and make data-driven decisions. Furthermore, when meeting together, our Elsmere insights platform allows us to review trends we are seeing in the portfolio and discuss challenges, opportunities, and initiatives based on this.
Elsmere: Leading with Transparency in Higher Education Partnerships
While change is inevitable, our commitment to transparency remains at the core of everything we do. With the increasing importance of data-driven decision-making, I believe our emphasis on transparency is especially powerful. As we continue to adapt and innovate, it will guide our interactions and collaborations. It is not just about sharing information; it’s about empowering our partners to navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and drive meaningful outcomes.
Ready to empower your institution with real-time insights and collaborative partnerships? Take the first step with Elsmere Education, contact us today! Let’s build a future in higher education fueled by trust and transparency.
About Lindsey
Lindsey Manning, VP of Partner Success at Elsmere Education, partners with universities to implement new academic programs for strategic growth. With 10+ years in higher ed, she led operations, recruitment, and retention efforts. Lindsey holds degrees from University of Kansas and University of Oklahoma, and enjoys family time in Denver.
