Developing External Partnerships for Cost-Effective, Enhanced Service

Book By: Deitz, Larry H. and Enchelmayer, Ernest J.
Review By: Bettina Brockerhoff-Macdonald
Centre for Continuing Education
Laurentian University
Sudbury, Ontario, Canada

Readers are asked to explore the potential for forming external partnerships to improve or supplement the level of service provided by their particular departments. Editors Deitz and Enchelmayer define their audience as professionals working within the area of Student Affairs, a vital area that serves and supports students, their parents, staff, faculty and ultimately the wider community within a college or university.

Chapter authors provide a broad overview and analysis on how the phenomenon of “outsourcing” has changed higher education over the last decades. Over time, outsourcing has moved from pure service contracts with limited scopes, to the forming of integral components as colleges and universities “contract for processes and programs that are peripheral to their teaching, research, and service roles” (p. 8). A brief theoretical framework is presented that includes definitions for key words such as “contracting”, “privatization” and “outsourcing” followed by short but practical applications at institutions of higher learning throughout the United States.

Succinct and concrete strategies are offered for effective outsourcing including a comprehensive guide that can be used initially to review and assess an entire outsourcing process before implementation. Student services professionals who have never dealt with this scenario will find that this text supplies a solid grounding for the steps needed in successful outsourcing and consequently, obtaining a contract. The step-by-step guide is followed by case studies that detail successful outsourcing ventures at higher learning institutions in England and the United States. Projects discussed include the “America Reads” project and “America Counts” project at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Bradley University, the “Greeknet” project at Washington State University, and the “Community Liaison Officer” program at the University of Colorado at Boulder. These case studies offer a stimulating look at how effective outsourcing can go beyond the traditional service provider contracts.

Extensive bibliographies are presented at the end of each chapter and an index provides readers with extensive resources for further reading and reference. While not be geared specifically to the academic  advisor, this books does provide an overview of the broad framework needed for external partnerships; how they can be explored, assessed and ultimately implemented. Thus, the text truly becomes the sourcebook the authors intended.