Dr. Robert D. Stokes served as Director of Continuing Education at Villanova University beginning in 1988 and retired as Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs in 2016. He directed an online graduate program in Human Resource Analytics and Management at American University over the past 7 years. Under his leadership, Villanova became one of the leading providers of professional certification preparation programs nationwide.
After 50 years in higher education, including more than three decades working closely with Holmes Corporation (HC), I wanted to share some reflections on the evolution of professional education partnerships and six lessons I’ve learned about enduring success.
The landscape of continuing education has changed dramatically since our early collaborations, but many of the fundamental principles that drove our success remain relevant today.
The Early Days: Building a Partnership Model
In 1988, when I became Director of Continuing Education at Villanova University, we offered just three non-credit programs: Paralegal Education, American Management Association classes, and Speed-Reading courses. The administration wanted growth, which led to a pivotal meeting in 1990 with Scott Miller of Golle Holmes Corporation (now Holmes Corp.) about their publishing relationship with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
At the time, HC had partnerships with two colleges to offer the SHRM Learning System in an instructor-led format. Villanova became the third college partner, offering these classes both on campus and in center city Philadelphia. What followed was a series of educational partnership agreements that would help define the future of professional certification preparation.
Partnership Innovation Through Chapters
Our initial success came through an innovative partnership with the Philadelphia SHRM chapter. The agreement included several key components:
- Chapter promotion of classes through mailings and newsletter spotlights
- Assistance securing Philadelphia corporate space for classes
- Help recruiting qualified faculty
- Exclusive educational provider arrangement
- Revenue sharing after expenses
This model proved so successful that it led to agreements with other SHRM chapters across Pennsylvania and Delaware. Soon, major corporations like DuPont and Bell Atlantic (now Verizon) requested on-site classes for their HR staff.
Bell Atlantic offered a particularly innovative opportunity in those early days. They provided a teleconference classroom at their Philadelphia headquarters that connected seven regional offices—an early glimpse of the virtual learning environments that would become commonplace decades later.
The success of these partnerships made Villanova’s Certificate in Human Resource Management the number one certificate program among HC’s growing network of college partners, a position further strengthened by the addition of online classes in 2002.
The Changing Education Landscape
The professional education landscape has transformed significantly since those early days:
- Marketing has evolved from direct mail and print ads to sophisticated digital campaigns
- Competition has shifted from local to national and even global
- Instruction has moved from traditional classrooms to flexible hybrid models
- Learning materials have expanded from printed modules to comprehensive digital resources
- Content focus has shifted from functional to competency-based approaches
Despite these changes, several core principles have remained constant.
Six Lessons Learned: Enduring Principles for Success
- New Program Decisions Require Planning
Successful program launches require more than intuition. They need a well-thought-out, planned process that includes market analysis and stakeholder input. For example, I’m very proud of the success of Villanova’s CEU program for the Certificate in Alcohol and Drug Counseling. After conferring with seasoned addiction counseling practitioners, we launched a program that met their needs, certification requirements, and delivery preferences and also fit into the university’s service mission.
- Quality is Non-Negotiable
Two factors remain critical to program success:
- Instructional content quality
- Excellence in instruction
Word-of-mouth recommendations drive enrollment, making consistent evaluation of both classes and instructors essential. Using mid-term evaluations for new instructors helps the mentoring process and is key to developing excellent faculty.
- Staff Skill Sets are Imperative
In the early years, I was able to include my phone number on brochures and support learners directly. But as our program grew, I relied more on staff capabilities, particularly in marketing. I learned that it’s critical to ensure staff have the necessary skills and understand program content. Even simple factors like promoting course start dates well in advance can significantly impact enrollment success.
- Partnerships Should be Well-Defined and Maintained
True partnerships require shared vision, clear expectations, open dialogue, trust, win-win solutions, and a commitment to continuous improvement. HC has long demonstrated excellence in terms of marketing support, instructional material development, and educational network management. Their long-standing relationship with SHRM and hundreds of education partners is clear evidence of their understanding of true partnership.
- Technology Must be Embraced Thoughtfully
Technology has transformed education delivery and marketing. Mailing lists and printed brochures have morphed into landing pages that track online traffic, search engine optimization (SEO) and applicant tracking systems (ATS) that can initiate automatic responses and planned communication with potential applicants. This technology has also increased student expectations for quick responses and seamless processes. We must be as, or even more, responsive than competitors. Colleges that used to review applications weekly must now review and provide admission decisions daily to meet expectations. Operational agility is as important as technological capability.
- Use Analytics for Strategic Change Management
We need to be open to change but not just for change’s sake. Make sure you have accurate and timely data to make decisions. Continuous monitoring of program metrics, evaluations, student demographics, and learning outcomes should drive program evolution. In this vein, SHRM has evolved in its certification model and its support of college partners.
Looking Forward
I attribute a great deal of Villanova’s success over the years to leadership. Its Directors of Continuing Education, James Kane, Gary Bonas and Mary Bustamante, and its current Dean of the College of Professional Studies, Dr. Christine Palus have been instrumental to the program’s growth.
And HC, under the leadership of Tom Schmelz and Scott Miller, has been a valued and forward-thinking partner throughout this journey. Now, with more than 800 global training partners, their model of working with colleges, universities, training organizations and independent contractors supports both quality content and instruction priorities, while their relationship with SHRM demonstrates their commitment to true partnership.
My most gratifying experience has always been seeing students complete these programs and advance in their professions. While the tools and technologies of professional education continue to evolve, the fundamental principles of quality, partnership, and student success remain constant.
