OPMs have exploded over the last decade, and more than 500 colleges have contracts with these companies to help launch and grow their online programs. Many OPMs work with colleges on a revenue-share basis, a model that has been criticized for potentially spurring companies to aggressively recruit students in order to receive higher compensation. 

Even chief online learning officers who have no intention of working with these companies need to stay up to date with developments in the OPM sector, as changes in leadership, enrollment or institutional strategy could prompt colleges to contract with these companies, according to the report. Its findings are based on a survey of 92 chief online learning officers who are also UPCEA members and one-on-one interviews conducted with about one-third of that group. Read the full article.