Name: Heather Turner

Affiliation: University of Louisville

Location: UConn Storrs

Request Date Start: 01/01/2013

Request Date End: 05/25/2023

Details: We are requesting an opportunity to inspect or obtain copies of public records of pending or executed university contracts in which the university or a unit within the university contracts with third party servicers for services related to online/distance education.

Often referenced as online program managers (OPMs), we are particularly interested in contracts in which the third party servicer delivers; consults; partners; packages; or supports operations, academic content, or enrollment related activities of the university’s online/distance education programming. These contracts for third party services include vendor/provider offering services related to online/distance education including, but not limited to, academic programming, academic partnerships for online learning, marketing/market analysis and recruitment, student enrollment and retention services, student support services, consultation, and performance. These contracts may be in the form of fee-for-service, bundled package pricing, or revenue share agreements. We are requesting all pending or executed contracts between 2013 and 2023.

If there are any fees for searching or copying these records, please inform us if the cost will exceed $20. However, we would also like to request a waiver of all fees in that the disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest and will contribute significantly to the public’s understanding of third party servicers’ roles in higher education, as we are researchers with the University of Louisville and records will be used for research purposes. Specifically, we are conducting a multi-institutional analysis of OPM contracts. Thus, this information is not being sought for commercial purposes.

Please respond to this request in a reasonable time period. If access to the records we are requesting will take longer, please contact us with information about when we might expect copies or the ability to inspect the requested records. If you deny any or all of this request, please cite each specific exemption you feel justifies the refusal to release the information and notify us of the appeal procedures available to us under the law.

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