How to Start a College
Determine your niche and create a mission statement., Set out solid reasons for your college., Decide whether your college will have real premises or will be virtual only.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Determine your niche and create a mission statement.
Reflect on your reasons for starting the college.
What is missing from the current educational institutions in your area (or even worldwide) that you feel you can add or improve upon? What do you have to offer in your educational philosophy, curricular focus and teaching methodologies? Examine existing colleges which are like the one you'd like to start.
What do they offer now that you also want to offer? In what ways would you tailor your offerings to outsell those of existing colleges? Fee-paying students and their sponsors will be wanting to understand fully what sets your curriculum apart from others.
Be careful if you're seeking to undercut other colleges.
This may seem like a reasonable idea until you realize just how expensive it can be to provide education.
Unless you're flush with funds, steer clear of stating this as a prime reason for starting a college. -
Step 2: Set out solid reasons for your college.
Your mission statement should include your reasons for starting the college, the educational approach and curriculum and your goals.
Pass your mission statement reasons around friends and family to gauge their thoughts and ideas.
Ask them if you have made your mission clear enough for them.
Ask them to tell you if it stands out as a college they'd like to go to, or send their children to.
Use their feedback to ensure both clarity of mission and to put together your own verbal pitch to explain the college to people you want to get advice from and to promote the college to potential funders. , You can offer virtual courses from real premises as well if you wish to combine both options.
Bear in mind the following:
Real premises can be expensive to operate, especially when you're starting up.
The premises need to be able to fit the amount of students you think will attend courses, and all safety, health, insurance and other regulatory issues must be fully covered off.
The location is also important––students prefer safe areas that they can walk and cycle to and from, which can often mean finding a location in a more expensive area.
Do lots of research before deciding on a suitable location.
Virtual courses only is a good option when you're just starting up because the overheads are lower.
That said, you will need good technical expertise (or a good IT team), excellent security and privacy protocols, plenty of server space and contacts for the students 24/7 to resolve access and similar problems.
Design of courses will require knowledge of what works and what doesn't work and you won't have much leeway for error in an age where people expect technology to work properly and seamlessly from the outset. -
Step 3: Decide whether your college will have real premises or will be virtual only.
Detailed Guide
Reflect on your reasons for starting the college.
What is missing from the current educational institutions in your area (or even worldwide) that you feel you can add or improve upon? What do you have to offer in your educational philosophy, curricular focus and teaching methodologies? Examine existing colleges which are like the one you'd like to start.
What do they offer now that you also want to offer? In what ways would you tailor your offerings to outsell those of existing colleges? Fee-paying students and their sponsors will be wanting to understand fully what sets your curriculum apart from others.
Be careful if you're seeking to undercut other colleges.
This may seem like a reasonable idea until you realize just how expensive it can be to provide education.
Unless you're flush with funds, steer clear of stating this as a prime reason for starting a college.
Your mission statement should include your reasons for starting the college, the educational approach and curriculum and your goals.
Pass your mission statement reasons around friends and family to gauge their thoughts and ideas.
Ask them if you have made your mission clear enough for them.
Ask them to tell you if it stands out as a college they'd like to go to, or send their children to.
Use their feedback to ensure both clarity of mission and to put together your own verbal pitch to explain the college to people you want to get advice from and to promote the college to potential funders. , You can offer virtual courses from real premises as well if you wish to combine both options.
Bear in mind the following:
Real premises can be expensive to operate, especially when you're starting up.
The premises need to be able to fit the amount of students you think will attend courses, and all safety, health, insurance and other regulatory issues must be fully covered off.
The location is also important––students prefer safe areas that they can walk and cycle to and from, which can often mean finding a location in a more expensive area.
Do lots of research before deciding on a suitable location.
Virtual courses only is a good option when you're just starting up because the overheads are lower.
That said, you will need good technical expertise (or a good IT team), excellent security and privacy protocols, plenty of server space and contacts for the students 24/7 to resolve access and similar problems.
Design of courses will require knowledge of what works and what doesn't work and you won't have much leeway for error in an age where people expect technology to work properly and seamlessly from the outset.
About the Author
Samuel Freeman
Writer and educator with a focus on practical cooking knowledge.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: