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The University-Corporate Partnership: Invitation to the Dance

Presenter: Sharon Roy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Choosing a corporate partner is not the same as selecting a vendor. Rensselaer recently completed an RFP process for the continuation of a successful Mobile Computing program. We knew that several vendors were interested in delivering laptop computers to our students. But we wanted more than a vendor; we wanted a partner. After a successful five-year partnership, we had definite ideas about what a partnership should entail. This session will describe the process and criteria we used in making our selection and discuss some of the benefits and pitfalls of university-corporate partnerships.

Some challenges we faced:

• Giving every vendor a fair chance with an established partnership in place.
• Encouraging our existing partner to rise to the competition.
• Aligning the program with Rensselaer's academic goals
• Providing the best value, technology and service for our students.

Our process allowed all the participants to present their vision and technology to the entire campus. We sought input from students, faculty and staff and achieved a result that is truly a campus decision.

Presentation (ppt)