Online Playbook

Academic Collaboration

Partnering with PACE

Driving Enrollment, Impact, and Innovation

UVM’s Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) is here to help your academic unit grow, adapt, and thrive. By working together, we can build a predictable, strategic rhythm for collaboration—ensuring your programs meet enrollment goals, have the resources they need, and generate measurable financial impact. 

Through our partnership, we will: 

  • Establish a consistent cadence for conversations and planning 
  • Align on enrollment targets, track progress, and adjust strategies in real time 
  • Share clear insights on the financial outcomes of our programs 

Create momentum around key academic year activities, including Summer University and new program launches

Areas We Partner On 

PACE collaborates with academic units across a wide range of activities, including: 

Our Shared Portfolio 

UVM PACE partners with academic units across campus to design, launch, and sustain programs that expand access to learning and generate new revenue streams. Together, we serve a wide spectrum of learners, including: 

Non-Degree: 

  • Pre-College: Year-round programs (academic year and summer) that allow high school students to earn UVM credit. PACE manages the Summer Academy program, tuition vouchers, student services, and operational support for this population. 
  • General Non-Degree: Individual course enrollments for learners not currently pursuing a degree, including professionals seeking skill enhancement or individuals exploring academic interests. These learners may eventually matriculate into a degree program after sampling individual courses. 
  • Packaged Non-Degree Sequences and Courses: Bundled courses that provide learners with credentials without pursuing a full degree. 

The funding algorithm for non-degree credit enrollments supports the academic unit and the infrastructure required to attract and serve these students: 15% of gross tuition revenue goes to PACE, and 85% to the academic unit. 

Online Graduate Programs: 

  • Non-Master’s Credentials: Graduate certificates and micro-certificates provide targeted, career-focused pathways. 
  • Graduate Degrees: Fully online master’s programs alisnged with market demand. 

To reduce risk and accelerate program growth, we have created an Incubator Fund model that provides upfront seed funding to academic units for market-aligned online program launches. Units benefit from early investment in marketing, instructional design, and operational support while retaining long-term revenue growth. 

Non-Credit: 

  • Open Enrollment Non-Credit: Short courses, certificates, and other programs for professionals and lifelong learners. PACE provides instructional design, registration system setup, student support, and marketing. 

Revenue is shared equally between PACE and the unit (50/50 net revenue split), reflecting PACE’s responsibility for the majority of operational needs. Transparent budgets are provided so units clearly see revenue flows and costs. Direct marketing expenses and a 20% administrative overhead are charged back to the program. 

From Idea to Launch: Online Graduate Programs 

Launching a new online graduate program is a collaborative process between PACE and the academic unit: 

  • Idea & Concept Development: Faculty and unit leadership identify program concepts while PACE provides initial market scans and benchmarking. 
  • Feasibility & Business Case: PACE develops a financial model, enrollment projections, and market demand analysis. 
  • Approval & Incubator Funding: With Provost approval, programs may access seed funding for marketing and development. 
  • Program Design & Build: Faculty develop curriculum with support from PACE’s instructional design and online learning teams. 
  • Marketing & Recruitment Launch: PACE leads marketing campaigns and manages recruitment pipelines. 
  • Program Delivery & Support: Once a program goes live, PACE supports enrollment, student services, and continuous quality improvement. 

In terms of our shared portfolio, we serve a broad student population inclusive of: 

  • Non-Degree: 
  • Pre-college: during the acadmic year and over the summer…SUMA…we handle vouchers 
  • General non-degree: 
  • Packaged non-degree and other non-academic certificate programs: 

        The algorithm associated with this work funds the staff and expenses required to attract and serve these learners whereby 15% of gross tuition revenue goes to PACE and 85% to the unit. 

        Online Grad:  

          • Non-master’s credentials: 
          • Degrees: 

            We have established an Incubator Fund model to provide seed funding to market-aligned online program launches…whereby… 

            Non-Credit: 

            • Open enrollment non-credit: when we partner with an academic unit to design a non-credit course or program… 

            Generally speaking, we split net revenue for non-credit offerings 50/50 since the bulk of the operational needs are handled by PACE.  Transparent budgets are provided to academic units to ensure everyone is aware of how the funding works.  Please note that PACE charges non-credit programs for direct marketing expense and 20% administrative overhead.  

            Together, we can amplify your unit’s strengths, extend UVM’s reach to more new learners, and deliver innovative, high-quality educational experiences that strengthen both the university’s mission and your unit’s portfolio.. 

            Summer Checklist 

            UVM Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) is uniquely positioned to centralize and streamline summer term operations. We handle key functions, including enrollment management, student advising, faculty contracts and pay, and marketing so your unit can focus on delivering high-quality courses. By working closely with each academic unit, we coordinate resources, align strategies, and ensure the summer term’s success for students, faculty, and the university as a whole. 

            With the support of OIRA, PACE provides summer datasets to units so that they have the information they need to make data-driven decisions about summer scheduling. In addition to data, PACE provides guidance on building an optimal schedule for students’ needs and to maximize enrollments.

            PACE holds quarterly meetings with units to review prior summer enrollments and revenue and provide individualized guidance on the summer build.

            PACE plans offerings and prepares budgets in collaboration with faculty, departments, and Dean’s offices for special programing such as Summer Academy.

            Course build opens to departments (mid-October)

            Faculty Recruitment – Departments and Dean’s office recruit faculty for summer courses.

            Department access to course build closes; Dean’s offices review build (early November).

            Associate Dean to send faculty a link to the Summer University website. The Summer University website has the most up-to-date list of courses for advisors to reference during spring student advising sessions. It is our experience that many students make their spring and summer choices simultaneously and they rely upon their advisor to help determine what summer courses are most appropriate.

            Chief Officer sends email to students and their parents announcing Summer University courses and learning opportunities. Students often discuss summer course options with family over the Thanksgiving break, and this will go out shortly before the break begins.

            Associate Dean to remind chairs and faculty to make summer course announcements in their spring courses.

            Units send email to all students announcing Summer University registration opening date in late February/early March.

            PACE works with units to identify instructors of record on summer courses listed as “Staff” (instructor yet to be assigned).

            PACE begins summer faculty payroll calculations and identifies projected instructional expenses, including TAs. PACE sends preliminary budget for review and feedback to deans offices. Pace sends list of summer faculty and courses to faculty Services.

            Initial budget sent to each academic dean’s office for review and input of faculty, status, pay type, pay rates, all course related information.

            Faculty who are teaching summer courses make announcements in their spring classes.

            Expanded section descriptions due in Banner (mid-February).

            Unit approved budgets sent to Faculty Services for review (mid-February).

            Approved budgets due back from each unit (mid-February).

            Faculty Services review of the unit-approved payroll file begins, request 2 week turnaround (late February).

            Deadline for units to identify faculty and GTAs for summer courses (to replace Banner “Staff” placeholder) (March 1st)

            PACE begins hiring new faculty (Confirm with HR/Payroll that faculty will be activated and forwarded to Registrar’s to list in Banner as soon as received.)

            Summer registration opens (early March: Date listed on Registrar’s webpage).

            Send email to students who are not on track to progress within their degree due to dropped courses/transfer requirements/additional major/minor requirements.

            Faculty who are teaching summer courses make announcements in their spring classes.

            Summer U Presentation/Conversation with Student Services Collaborative

            Summer U Presentation/Conversation with Associate Deans

            Summer U Presentation/Conversation with University Communicators

            Dean’s Office, student services staff, and faculty advisors discuss summer courses in anticipation of fall registration.

            PACE begins providing weekly enrollment updates to academic partners, to extend through the end of the summer term.

            PACE administers all hires on behalf of the units faculty and TAs who have been approved by Dean’s office; PACE issues TA assignment letters. PACE sends faculty contract letters.

            Deadline for PACE to submit payroll paperwork for new and returning faculty hires. (3/31)

            Deadline for Faculty contracts to be sent (4/1)

            PACE begins sending weekly “Go/No-Go” reports to units to highlight low-enrolled courses that may need to be cancelled. These reports will be sent through the beginning of July.

            New/returning Faculty hired and Net IDs activated to gain LMS access (early May).

            Send email to encourage students to enroll who are not on track to consider summer courses.

            PACE coordinates with Office of Accessibility Services to send information to students about accommodation timelines and procedures for summer courses.

            Quarterly Meetings 

            Our quarterly meetings to allow time for grounding and collaboration. Below is an overview of our meeting framework, and we are open to adding other items you wish to discuss. 

            Attendees from PACE: Director of Academic Operations, Director of Finance, and Assigned Program Developer. We will invite instructional design and marketing staff as needed. 

            Attendees from Academic Unit: Associate Dean(s), Assistant Dean/Director of Finance. If interested, PACE-powered program Chairs/Lead Faculty and the Dean are welcome to join. 

            Duration: 60 mins 

            Standing Agenda/Slide Deck: 

            • PACE-powered program dashboard metrics: 
            • Greetings and reminder on meeting intention/norms 
            • # of programs powered by PACE & type 
            • Overall enrollment targets, by category for the academic year 
            • Financials associated with them YTD and projected 
            • Enrollment targets in the next 90 days and progress towards them 
            • Troubleshooting any pipeline issues or pivots needed to make targets 
            • Monthly Highlight (see below) 

            Meeting intention is to: 

            1. Create a predictable cadence and dedicated time to discuss the partnerships between PACE and academic units, 
            2. Calibrate and focus on enrollment targets and progress towards them to marshal resources and pivot to new actions and troubleshooting, as needed, 
            3. Inform as to financial impact of partnership programs, and 
            4. Create visibility and energy around academic year activities (e.g., summer university, academic year program launches, etc.) 

            Meeting Norms: 

            Each member will come to the meetings 

            1. Distraction-free and with a willingness to collaborate on shared goals, 
            2. Prepared to discuss and troubleshoot to meet shared goal, 
            3. Open-minded, transparent, and respectful of the multiple and competing priorities that each unit may be working under, and will 
            4. Remain committed to enrollment growth and student success.  

            Meeting Logistics: 

            • We will use our PACE/Academic Partnerships Team and your unit’s channel to store each meeting’s slide decks and notes. 
            • The Team will contain the unit’s Partner Agreement Dashboard, created and maintained by PACE’s contract specialist. Organized by program, the dashboard will contain program budgets, and show which PACE services are being used for each program. 
            • PACE will take  meeting minutes and share them in Teams within 2 business days of the meeting (with notification to the unit to review).  
            MeetingHighlights
            September/October Summer Deep Dive & Goal Setting for next year Program Launch Next Steps Fall Start targets/progress 
            January Program Launch Kick-Off Fall Progress Spring Targets Summer Schedule Review 
            March Program Launch Updates Fall Debrief Spring progress Summer Targets/Launch 
            May Summer Check-In Program Progress 

            Non-Degree Course Access 

            When building your course schedule for the fall and spring terms, we encourage you to open course access to non-degree students as much as possible. Welcoming non-degree learners expands access to UVM’s academic expertise, creates new enrollment and revenue opportunities for your unit, and fosters diverse perspectives in the classroom. Whether exploring new fields, advancing their careers, or preparing for future degree study, non-degree students enrich discussions and learning experiences for their peers while strengthening UVM’s community impact. 

            Non-degree course access is added to each course during the build process. Your unit will need to review each course section in the schedule and indicate in the comments whether it is open to PACE students, or open with permission and override. If the section is not open to PACE students, no comment needs to be added.  

            There are three access options: 

            Access Option Attribute Schedule of Courses (SOC) Comment Required 
            Open to PACE students CEXX “Open to Degree and PACE students” 
            Open with permission and override CEIP “PACE students by permission and override” 
            PACE students can register after level restrictions have been lifted CENO [No comment required] 

            Please review course sections thoughtfully and select the most appropriate access option. Courses will retain these attributes when rolled to future terms, so please ensure your selections are intentional. 

            If an attribute is incorrect on a section, please put a NOTE in the note column and the Registrar’s Office will adjust the attribute when coding the Schedule of Courses.  

            PACE Research Reports 

            Access PACE research reports via Sharepoint, you must have a UVM netID to view.

            Research Reports