In February and March I wrote about One Day University, a program designed to put the general public in touch with faculty from prominent institutions. A non-credit adult education program, One Day U now has competition: Back to College for a Day.
A local colleague shared some information with me about the program, which is based for now on the West Side of Los Angeles. Every program features lectures by professors from area schools and the program kicks off on October 27, 2007.
Interestingly, College for the Day first recruited speakers from a private college and then offered the alumni office there 10% of revenues from the session. The alumni association is a potentially powerful marketing partner:
- It represents the lecturer's institutional brand, and
- Has direct access to almost all the school's alumni.
Is 10% a fair number to begin a discussion like this? Should Back to College for a Day have talked to the alumni office first, and then recruited the speaker? Or does the company owe the college the courtesy of any contact at all?
The topic of faculty making public presentations for for-profit "back to school" packagers came up a few times at the Minary Conference on Alumni Education earlier this month. I'll post some additional thoughts as a follow up to Minary in the coming days.