Public-Private Partnerships in Action

Given that colleges and universities are facing daunting economic challenges, one strategy to raise funds to support educational outcomes is to seek a public-private partnership. Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver) has faced chronic underfunding from the state of Colorado legislature since its inception in 1965—in part, some argue, due to political bias against the university’s mission as a “College of Opportunity” for those Coloradans and others who might not have access to higher education. As necessity is the mother of invention, underfunding led to some creative solutions.

For example, when I managed MSU Denver’s curriculum process, I was approached by a faculty member who asked me to help her and other faculty in the engineering, aerospace science, math, and computer science fields to develop an interdisciplinary degree program in advanced manufacturing. The program would be used to attract talented students who could go on to become part of Colorado’s aerospace workforce. The program also would help attract investor dollars to build much-needed classroom and lab spaces. While the advancement team was looking for a one-time donation to fund construction of a new, state-of-the-art building, no takers stepped up. So administration got creative and proposed a lease opportunity. MSU Denver and York Space Systems became partners, and the 142,000-square-foot building opened in 2017.

York now rents the top floor of the four-floor building as an office and workspace to build satellites. Students in the advanced manufacturing, aerospace, and engineering programs gain skills working for a high-tech company without having to juggle a long commute from class. The internship and scholarship programs serve as an ongoing investment in human capital for York and provide a continual source of revenue for MSU Denver to support student learning. The reciprocal nature of the relationship brings ongoing benefits to both partners. While identifying the right fit was a challenge, the benefits far outweigh the effort.

I took a moment to enjoy the fruits of my labor when I recently got a call from my colleague in the advanced manufacturing program saying, “York wants to know—what’s our animal policy?” I was pleased to hear that, in addition to building satellites, they are integrating themselves into our community with a Bring-Your-Pets-to-Work Day.