tkt8763-01: Partnerships with Business Project

["Mike Melohn" <mwm2@ra.msstate.edu>]

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to update everyone on one of the other projects we are working
on this semester.  Enough people showed interest Thursday night in the
"Partnerships with Business" project to get the ball rolling, but we still
could use a few more people.  We are trying to approach this project from
four perspectives-school administration, teachers, parents, and business
persons.

I believe this project will become a 20 to 50 page document that will
provide useful information to institutions looking to make working
relationships with businesses in the community.  I have prepared a general
outline of some topics that I feel should be addressed, but the project is
by no means limited to these items.

If you are a Sipper that still feels like your plate is still only half
full, then I invite you to look over the outline attached and think about
what contributions you can make.  If you want to be part of the team, then
e-mail either me or the list with your ideas and items you would like to
cover.  I also ask that all of you who committed to the project Thursday
night send the same e-mail, so that we can start to work right away!

Thanks for all of your input,
Mike



P.S. - Two files are attached.  One is in Word97 format (Partnerships.doc),
the other is a straight text format (Partnerships.txt).  The files are the
same; just one has a little cleaner formatting.







Guidebook for Developing Partnerships with Businesses

Outline:

Preparation 
I. Introduction
The introduction would identify the purpose of having guidelines for developing partnerships, as well as outlining reasons to seek partnerships with businesses at all.

II. Define your Needs and Contributions
A partnership cannot be created if you do not know what you want.  Likewise, attributes of the institution must be identified if a productive partnership is to be made with a business.

III. Define your Technology
Not all technology can be confined to computers, networks, and labs.  A good example of a partnership outside of the bounds of normal technology partnerships is the "Based Pairs" program at UMC in Jackson, MS.

http://www.umcnews.com/pv/pageview.pl?section=thisweek&newsfile=n9801279.txt

IV. Identify Possible Businesses
Locate the businesses in the local community that best compliment your needs assessment.  Also, define specifically what the institution could give back to the business.  These items could very from business to business


Defining the Partnership
V. Initial Contact
Methods for initializing communication with the businesses identified as hopeful partners.

VI. Communication
Methods for ironing out the details of the upcoming partnership.

VII. Hidden Agendas
A. Strings Attached
B. Conflict of interest
C. Scams
Here there are state laws governing some of the items listed.  We need to know them. 

VIII. Research
"Know what you are getting".  Find out why the businesses are giving it to you.  Is there anything wrong with the donations?

IX. Training
Will the businesses provide training for the new technology?

X. Giving Back to the Business
Once we know what we are getting, it is important to make this agreement a partnership.  Can provide business access to students for summer internships.  And can set up on-campus interviews for upcoming graduates to that business.  This helps the community become for self-sufficient.

XI. Continuing the Cycle
If graduates that have trained with a company's technology go to work for that business, then they could train upcoming students as part of their new job requirments.

Partnerships.doc