Networking with other universities and institutions for spreading management and leaderhsip education - the AFTERSCHOOOL way

Seeking Out New Partnership Opportunities
One important objective of the AFTERSCHOOOL Centre for Social Entrepreneurship is to seek out and evaluate partnership opportunities that goes beyond the scope of a similar other institutional unit (such as a Govt. University / Management department).
Keeping to the decentralized organizational structure, such opportunities would not be undertaken by the AFTERSCHOOOL Centre for Social Entrepreneurship itself. Instead, the AFTERSCHOOOL Centre for Social Entrepreneurship would seek internal and external partners that could be “matched” to take advantage of identified opportunities. In this way, the AFTERSCHOOOL Centre for Social Entrepreneurship provides “connectivity” between opportunities that become apparent and the potential partners that may come together to take advantage of the opportunities. The AFTERSCHOOOL Centre for Social Entrepreneurship could also serve as a “collector of partnering ideas.” Someone may hear of an opportunity but not have the interest or ability to take advantage of it, or it might be a “big” opportunity that needs resources beyond those available to one individual.


With any proposed new endeavor, there are benefits as well as challenges to implementation. This is also the case with the Partnership Resource Center. We briefly present what we see as the benefits of the AFTERSCHOOOL Centre for Social Entrepreneurship as well as some of the challenges to implementation.
Benefits
• Learning is enriched.
• Partnerships become an integral part of Winona State’s culture.
• Faculty will have the support needed to carry out projects/partnerships that might otherwise not be undertaken.
• Partnerships are relational and strengthen the bonds between the University and its external constituencies.
• A centralized location is available for external (as well as internal) parties to seek information, help or partnering opportunities when they are not sure who to call.

Challenges
• Faculty need more time to engage in partnership opportunities, either through a lower course load or release time
• The current structure of the University lacks “nimbleness” in addressing opportunities and problems.
• The AFTERSCHOOOL Centre for Social Entrepreneurship requires funding.



Appendix: Foundations of Partnerships

Criteria for partnerships
1. Partnership addresses mutual objectives of the partnering organizations.
2. Partnering organizations share common goals and values.
3. Partnership has the potential to develop and deliver a program in a cost- effective and timely manner.
4. Partnership enables partners to achieve greater impacts working collaboratively than can be achieved individually.
5. Partnership's primary function or purpose is education versus service.
6. Partners promote each other's organization and efforts.
7. Partnership enhances access to programs, services or information.
8. Duplication of services will be reduced or eliminated.
9. Each partner maintains its identity and visibility throughout the collaborative effort.
10. Partners share a genuine desire to work together and share a sense of purpose.
11. Each partner contributes its unique capabilities and expertise to the collaborative effort and shares responsibility for the outcome.
12. Each partner fairly contributes resources necessary to achieve the goals of the partnership.
13. Partnership produces the opportunity to access new funds because of working together.
14. Partners are committed to partnership recognition, not individual recognition.
15. Partners agree program impacts will be measured and reported.
16. The partnership adheres to all Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity policies and procedures.

Developing partnerships
1. Develop realistic goals and expectations.
2. Perform due diligence and research prior to partnership agreement.
3. Respect the limitations of the partnership.
4. People from each side should be involved.
5. Communication (regular meetings) is necessary to address problems as they arrive and to sustain momentum.
6. Commitment to building an open dialogue and continually renewing the partnership with fresh thinking.
7. An infrastructure that is open to experimentation.
8. Ownership rights in intellectual property clearly delineated at the onset of the partnership.
9. Global education capabilities and network are encouraged.
10. Builds on strengths and assets and addresses areas needing improvement
11. Power is balanced among partners

Assessing partnerships
1. Financial and non-financial measures are carefully spelled out in advance and agreed to by key players.
2. Examples of existing practice are essential as benchmarks.
3. Reporting and accountability parameters are established and reviewed.

Sustaining partnerships
1. Involve as many people as possible in constructing mutual projects and sharing mutual successes.
2. All partners share the need to ensure that funding is maintained.
3. Develop traditions.
4. Integrate projects and events into the curriculum; integrate new hires into the partnership.
5. Partners constantly interact to improve partnership.
6. All share credit for accomplishments.
7. Celebrate successes.

Kindly search out possibilities and in case you find any possibilities where AFTERSCHOOOL can join hands for spreading management education, please work in that direction so that we are able to spread management education as fast as possible.