St. Bonaventure University officials today announced they have established a partnership with Keypath Education to expand online academic programs and enrollments. 

Through the partnership, Keypath will provide marketing, recruitment, student success and retention, and faculty development services.

“Through a six-month review of potential partners to help us to move more significantly into the online space, we learned a great deal about what it will take for the university to develop more high-quality online programs that attract, enroll, and graduate students with success,” said university president Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F.

“We are delighted to be in this partnership with Keypath. It is a proven educational services company with a record of success and credibility.”

The partnership will support the university’s existing online graduate programs in Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) and Strategic Leadership (MSL). It will also help the university offer additional online programs, including its AACSB-accredited Master of Business Administration (MBA), which will be available online starting in September. 

“With its steady focus on career outcomes – ensuring students find employment within their degree programs after graduation – and its rich history and tradition of overall excellence, St. Bonaventure is positioned for continued success,” said Keypath Education CEO Steve Fireng. “We are looking forward to serving SBU’s prospective and current students, graduates and faculty.”

Keypath Education partners with higher education institutions worldwide to launch programs, grow enrollment, improve learning and connect education to careers, using a proprietary technology suite.

The company has helped more than 4,000 higher education institutions better serve students and graduates, resulting in a strong reputation for its education mission and quality in the United States, Canada, the U.K. and Australia.

“While student interest in online graduate programs continues to grow, the online space has also become extremely competitive. We know we need to be at a best-practices level at every step in the process in order to build a strong online academic reputation,” explained Dr. Joseph Zimmer, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.

The partnership with Keypath enables the university to dedicate its focus to the academic program, while Keypath takes care of everything else, Zimmer said.

“It’s a model that many institutions — large and small — are using to ramp up their online enrollments in a way that builds the institution’s brand by offering high quality programs and exceptional student support,” he said.

St. Bonaventure is known for its distinctive educational experience in the face-to-face environment, Sr. Carney said.

“We are confident that through the carefully tailored support that Keypath offers us, we will not lose that close engagement with students.  We will foster quality in cyberspace just as we do in the three dimensional space on campus.”

______________

About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, we believe in the goodness of every person and in the ability of every person to do extraordinary things.  St. Bonaventure University cultivates graduates who are confident and creative communicators, collaborative leaders and team members, and innovative problem solvers who are respectful of themselves, others, and the diverse world around them. Named the #5 best college value in the North by U.S. News and World Report, we are establishing pathways to internships, graduate schools and careers in the context of our renowned liberal arts tradition. Our students are becoming extraordinary.