Public-Private Partnerships in STEM Education

A corporate turnaround specialist, Emmanuel Gonsalves has more than 25 years of experience helping institutions of higher education improve their image and boost student performance. Emmanuel Gonsalves has been particularly successful in promoting public-private partnerships to help maintain school facilities and programs.

In the last few years, organizations from the private sector have become increasingly involved in improving educational programs and institutions across the United States. This is especially true in the area of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education, which can be greatly enhanced by mentoring services and somewhat costly technological tools.

Nonprofit organizations like Change the Equation are currently working to build business/education partnerships that will help improve the quality of STEM programs and prepare students for future careers in a variety of industries. Many groups, including the MacArthur Foundation and the Digital Youth Network, are also helping create community learning spaces to promote skills such as creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking.

SACSCOC Holds 120th Annual Meeting in Houston

For more than 25 years, Emmanuel Gonsalves has been helping colleges and universities carry out strategic plans that enhance their overall performance. An involved professional, Emmanuel Gonsalves maintains memberships in several organizations, including the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), which works to improve educational quality throughout the southern United States.

SACSCOC recently held its 120th Annual Meeting December 5-8, 2015, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. The four-day event explored the theme “New Energy for Higher Education” through five educational tracks and a series of sessions on a range of topics, including strategic planning, accreditation, and online learning.

In addition to learning activities, the meeting featured networking events, musical performances, and the Educational Excellence Expo, where attendees had the opportunity to browse the latest products and services in higher education. With the 2015 event behind them, SACSCOC members and leaders are already looking ahead to the 2016 Annual Meeting, which will be held December 3-6 in Atlanta.                            

Universities Must Adopt Business Thinking to Execute Turnarounds

An experienced higher education professional, Emmanuel Gonsalves has held leadership positions at Bethune-Cookman University; the College of Science, Technology, and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago; and Medgar Evers College. Noted for acting as a change agent in these roles, Emmanuel Gonsalves has expertise in applying corporate turnaround principles in higher education. As institutions across the nation face drops in enrollment coupled with the need to raise funds for key capital projects, many institutions must execute financial and operational turnarounds to ensure their survival.

Achieving a successful turnaround requires a balance between business thinking and regard for the educational mission of the institution. Depending on their specific needs and pressures, institutions may need strategies for boosting enrollment, increased discipline in their marketing or admissions functions, or reductions in overhead costs. Institutions may also need to realign or modernize their curriculum to increase appeal among prospective students.

Today's universities must simultaneously cater to the needs of both young, technology-savvy students and older, career-focused students. Institutions must also adapt to meet the demands of a fast-paced, globalized environment, while receiving less direct funding. As these and other pressures escalate, university leadership must respond by adopting a business-like approach to operational management while maintaining focus on their core academic mission.

Public Private Partnerships Can Help Universities Meet Core Objectives

An educational leader with more than 25 years of experience, Emmanuel Gonsalves has held strategic roles at several institutions of higher learning, including serving as vice president for finance and strategy at Florida's Bethune-Cookman University. Through these roles, Emmanuel Gonsalves has developed strong professional interest in public private partnerships (P3) in education. Since universities are facing increasing financial pressures, the P3 model has gained traction as institutions strive to meet their strategic goals.

A P3 is a project in which public and private sector entities cooperate to execute a project that serves defined public needs. Since the 1980s private sector firms have developed an increasing number of services and programs that specifically align with the aims of higher education institutions. Private entities may become involved in many aspects of campus operation and student life, such as managing enrollment, operating online courses, or administering dining services. In certain scenarios, P3 arrangements can allow institutions to reallocate their internal resources and outsource certain non-core tasks to a private firm with focused areas of expertise.

Hallmarks of successful P3 arrangements include open communication between both parties and clear delineation of responsibilities and expected outcomes. With a P3 model, public and private participants must strive to understand the goals of the other party. While each entity's goals may be different, there should be a defined framework for measuring progress and ensuring participants track to desired objectives.

LEADERSHIP – A life-long Development Process

LEADERSHIP – A life-long Development Process

As I reflect on my leadership experiences as President of College of Science, Technology, and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT), and my various leadership roles at Medgar Evers College and Bethune Cookman-University, I believe that the record would show that I am a goal oriented and results-driven leader with a proven track record of 25 - plus years’ experience in the leadership and management of complex higher education institutions, who is adept at leading organizational transformation and change, identifying and developing talent, and maximizing resource utilization, for achieving the organizations’ mission, goals and objectives.  In addition, I believe that I possess all of the aforementioned attributes of the twenty-first leader; and that the wisdom born from all of these combined experiences would allow me to work with the requisite stakeholders to successfully accomplish the next steps along my leadership journey.

Despite this strongly held belief, I fully understand, appreciate, and acknowledge that I am still developing as a leader; and that the process of leadership is a life-long activity. In addition, I recognize that I must continue to be sensitive to the relational process of leadership, and for me to continue to be an effective leader I must be always mindful that: everyone is a leader in his/her own right; that everyone is also a follower; and that leadership is about people working together to bring about change for the common good. In the higher education environment the common good is transforming the lives of each and every student who entrust their future to us to help them achieve their career goals and aspirations; and lead them to self-actualization. This is indeed an awesome responsibility that can only be achieved through teamwork, collaboration, respect for other, and shared governance, with all of the stakeholders playing their parts to the best of their abilities.

Vice President for Finance & Strategy (2013-2015) Bethune-Cookman University

Vice President for Finance & Strategy (2013-2015)

Bethune-Cookman University

From 2013-2015 served as Bethune-Cookman University’s chief financial and strategy officer by providing leadership, supervision and evaluation of programs and services for all finance and business functions including the budget office, controller and accounting functions, internal audit and control, business affairs, auxiliary enterprises, and new business development, capital construction and sustainability, facilities operations, campus safety and emergency preparedness.  Supported the president and trustees in leading the strategic planning function, and provide leadership for the development and management of the University’s operating and capital budgets, and endowment fund. Leads and manages the University’s master planning efforts. Ensured legal compliance and coordinated institutional compliance with external regulators and regulatory agencies in such areas as finance, risk assessment and insurance, campus safety, and hazardous materials management. Managed an $85 million operating budget; a $150 million 20-year building rehabilitation capital fund; an $87 million new construction fund; and a $53 million endowment fund.

As the Vice President for Finance and Strategy at Bethune-Cookman University, a private not-for-profit institution that is 100 percent dependent on tuition and fees, Federal and State grants, and other private gifts and grants, I have had to fine-tune a nascent entrepreneurial mind-set to develop, promote, and implement radical “outside-the-box” thinking to manage the University’s limited resources. So I am intimately familiar with: devising and implementing enrolment-driven programs and strategies, student retention and student success strategies, maintaining stringent cost-controls and efficiency standards, and developing alternative revenue streams thru grants development, auxiliary business development strategies, and fundraising.

Strategic Planning: Led the development of the 2013 - 18 Strategic Plan: Ascending to Greatness that sets forth ambitious yet realistic goals and objectives that are aligned with the necessary resources to permit the accomplishment of the University’s mission and vision. Coordinated the development of various divisions’ business plans that served as the implementing mechanism for accomplishing the goals and objectives of the strategic plan.

Results: The University has become 10-15 percent more efficient in utilizing resources as well as 70-75 percent more effective in achieving its goals and objectives.

Finance: Restructured the University’s financial operations by streamlining, consolidating and or eliminating functions and activities. Performed comprehensive audit of financial operations; analyzed existing financial policies, procedures, standards, systems and organizational structure to evaluate effectiveness in service delivery; established a series of policies, procedures, standards and systems to more efficiently manage accounting/financial data collection, analysis, and reporting; improved quality, accuracy, and usefulness of financial data, for timely and effective decision-making.  Co-chair a cross-functional team of inter-divisional University staff in assessing the policies, procedures, systems, and organizational structure and staffing that affect service delivery in the student affairs/enrollment area.

Results: Implemented new chart of accounts, budget, fixed assets, on-line requisition and procurement, human resources, and payroll ERP modules that enhanced accountability; increased efficiency; improved information processing and reporting; increased revenue collection by 10 percent; accelerated cash flow by 15 percent; implemented on-line real time purchasing and procurement processes that reduced processing time from 2 weeks to 72 hours; implemented online vendor registration; improved accuracy of financial codes by over 90 percent; and eliminated paperwork by over 95 percent; re-negotiated vendor service contracts which reduced expenditures by 10-15 % and increased service delivery by 25 percent.

Master Planning: Lead a team of internal and external professionals in revising the University’s master plan focusing on sustainability with the goal to develop a plan that would meet the University’s physical and technology facilities needs for the next thirty to forty years while at the same time reducing the energy consumption and carbon footprint.

               Results: The plan is 50 percent completed, is on schedule and within budget.

Capital Improvement and Construction Management: Partnering with private developers in a Public-Private-Partnership (P3) arrangement to construct a $72 million 1200-bed residence hall and a $15 million integrated student center and student services administrative complex. In keeping with the strategic vision of the university established a comprehensive $150 million 20-year building rehabilitation plan to upgrade the University’s aging facilities.

Results: Residence halls are scheduled for completion in January 2016; and the student center and student service administrative complex is slated for completion in August 2016. Phase 1 of the rehabilitation plan is scheduled for completion by August 2015.

Medgar Evers College, City University of New York (CUNY)

Medgar Evers College, City University of New York (CUNY)

Prior to becoming the President and Chief Executive Officer of COSTAATT, from 1989 to 2008, I held a diverse portfolio of responsibilities at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York (CUNY) including: to President/Legal Affairs, and Executive Assistant to President/Chief of Staff Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Vice President/Dean of Strategic Planning and Information Technology/Chief Technology Officer, Vice President/Dean of Finance and Development/Chief Financial Officer, Acting Dean of the School of Business and Public Administration, Senior Policy Advisor.  These diverse responsibilities have provided me with the depth and breathe of experiences that allowed me to understand the role that CUNY (the third largest university system in the nation) plays in meeting the higher education needs of the people of New York City, while simultaneously meeting the specific needs of the residents of the Central Brooklyn and the surrounding environs; and indeed made me eminently qualified to assume Presidency of COSTAATT and address the challenges and opportunities that were inherent in this position.

Strategic Planning: Led the development of the first five-year strategic master plan for a unit of the City University of New York (CUNY) that aligned attainable goals and objectives with realistic resources to permit the accomplishment of the college's mission. Reviewed existing business plans; established strategic planning steering committee as well as respective business unit work groups; performed SWOT analyses and environmental scanning; coordinated the establishment of goals and objectives; identified resources.

Results: The College has become 15-20 percent more efficient in utilizing resources as well as 75-80 percent more effective in achieving its goals and objectives.

Finance: Restructured the College’s financial operations by consolidating functions and activities of key offices. Performed comprehensive audit of financial operations; analyzed existing financial policies, procedures, standards, systems and organizational structure to evaluate effectiveness in service delivery; established a series of policies, procedures, standards and systems to more efficiently manage accounting/financial data collection, analysis, and reporting; improved quality, accuracy, and usefulness of financial data, for timely and effective decision-making.

Results: Enhanced accountability; increased efficiency; improved information processing and reporting; increased revenue collection by 20 percent; accelerated cash flow by 10 percent; streamlined purchasing and procurement process by reducing paperwork by 25 percent; re-negotiated vendor service contracts which reduced expenditures by 15% and increased revenues by 30%.

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Information Technology: Led a cross-functional team of internal and external professionals in developing and implementing the College’ first five-year, $5 million information technology and telecommunications strategic plan. Reviewed existing plan; researched industry trends; coordinated with business units to solicit goals and objectives and develop IT strategies; evaluated alternatives; developed resource requirements for implementing plan.

Results: The College is now one of the most technologically advanced units within CUNY, and has one of the best FTE student-to-PC-ratio (8 to 1) of any college. Generated over 70 percent of funding for IT plans from non-university sources.

Marketing: Developed Medgar Evers College first marketing and recruitment plan based on the concept of "Creating Success - One Student at a Time" for the successful penetration of new student markets. Researched and prepared concept paper; identified untapped market segments; developed marketing plan including ad campaign and other collateral materials; set recruitment targets for untapped markets.

Results: Increased the number of new students from previously untapped markets by more than 10 percent annually, accounting for over 35 percent of new admissions.

Construction Management: Managed and coordinated multiple, complex capital projects.  Justified capital construction projects, prepared project bids and project budgets; scheduled and supervised in-house professionals as well as external contractors; provided full project management control including the establishment of project checkpoints to ensure meeting stakeholder requirements. Lead the development of the college's $360 million capital construction master plan which detailed the facilities needed to meet existing and future enrollment levels. 

Results: Completed projects on time and within budget, and consistently met or exceeded stakeholders' expectations.

Human Resources: Developed Medgar Evers College first five-year human resources management plan. Conducted organizational assessments; implemented new organizational structure that more clearly aligned functions, activities and personnel with goals and objectives; developed succession planning program and strategy; instituted a comprehensive recruitment and staffing program that widened the available pool of applicants; designed creative compensation strategies that attracted and retained employees in critical positions; created a comprehensive staff development and training program; added counseling and referral services to address at-risk employees.

Results: Based upon organizational assessment surveys, employees consistently feel the college is as much about its employees' success as its own.