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CoPs

Establishing & Maintaining Successful Consortia

UCEA Executive Assembly

November 2001
Krista Rodin, University of Connecticut

I. Differing Types, Differing Intent=Different Approaches

• Exchange of Knowledge & Expertise

• Business Transaction Based

II. Exchange of Knowledge/Expertise Based

• Loosely structured

• Generally no need for by-laws

• May lack a formal chair

• Sufficiently organized by meeting coordinator

• Based on respect for participants’ intellectual contributions
  

III. Establishing Business Transaction Based Consortia

• Needs formal structure

• Decisions include:

  • whether to include like or dissimilar institutions/cultures & reasons for choice

  • how differing roles are assigned

  • how chair is selected, e.g.,

    • Exec Dir funded by Consortium

    • Rotation among institutions
      

  • who collects the $

  • how the $ are distributed

  • fees – internal & external

  • hiring procedures

  • mission statement & bylaws

  • methods for communication – internal & external

    • individual partners branding vs. consortium brand

  • membership requirements

  • method for leaving consortium

  • method for dissolving consortium
    

IV. Maintaining Business Transaction Based Consortia

• Based on functional roles, not personalities

• Based on trust of the group, not necessarily respect for the individuals involved

• Based on group goals, not necessarily individual relations

• Needs open lines of communication

• Needs to be financially and/or strategically lucrative to all
  

V. Key Traits for Successful Consortia

• Shared Values

• Clear Communication
  

• Understanding of Roles
  

• Understanding Members Motivation for Participation
  

  • financial expectations
    

  • intrinsic value of association with others in consortia
    

  • other
    

• Trust of Partners/Consortium as a Whole
  

• Equitable distribution of responsibilities and revenue
  

And a reminder from Gary Matkin that, “You are known by the company you keep.”