Synergis Education
Hybrid Degree Programs to Serve the Adult Learning Population

The consumerization of technology has outpaced educational institutions. Students are now bringing technology on campus and into the classrooms that are often more advanced and powerful than what institutions provide. “Many institutions do not have the time, resources or experience to keep up with these rapid trends,” says Lowell Vande Kamp, CTO of Synergis Education. Adding to the institutions’ concern is continued growth in the segment of the student population that consists of the adult learners or non-traditional students. They work full-time jobs and have long-term educational and financial goals in life. “When you compare the services offered by many educational institutions against the needs of this diverse set of 21st century students, you will find a gap. This gap is what Synergis Education is helping to fill,” states Vande Kamp.

Headquartered in Mesa, AZ, Synergis helps educational institutions develop and deliver on-ground, online, and hybrid degree programs to better serve the ever-growing non-traditional adult learning population. Referring to their clients as ‘partner institutions’, Synergis ensures that they first understand the requirements of the students, the challenges they face, and analyzes specific areas that require assistance.

With a mission to help partners construct a vibrant, sustainable, and reputable adult learning environment, Synergis provides a full set of services that work in an integrated fashion. Focusing on boosting the partner’s achievement in scholarship and merit by developing engaging courses, the company’s industry-leading service offerings begin with market research, strategic and operational planning as well as program selection and establishment. The company’s integrated services continue throughout the full student life cycle with marketing and enrollment management, student retention support and placement, accounting and other services. Apart from the integrated services, Synergis also has a fully developed menu of services that can be customized to suit the evolving needs of the higher education community.

Beating decades of antiquated systems that exhaust time and resources, Synergis is keeping pace with the technology advancement by following a SaaS subscription model leveraging best-of-breed applications coupled with custom data integration services. The company has been highly strategic in defining their offerings by effectively combining three different competitive business models.

Synergis’ first business model was to offer predominately Campus-Based services or follows a Blended Model where students can choose to take some classes online and the others on campus. Highlighting on the second model, Vande Kamp explains how the company has developed deep expertise in highly specialized programs including the Allied Health programs and Nursing. In the third model, the company works closely with some of the most prestigious institutions in the U.S. to provide premium programs that meet their unique needs.

Serving the needs of the 21st Century Student, requires a 21st Century company

For instance, one of the company’s partners, Gwynedd Mercy University started with customized services and has added additional services over time. When the company began working with Gwynedd Mercy, it started out with the marketing and lead generation service. Observing the results, the institution expanded their relationship with Synergis to include additional curriculum development services and is now working together on Healthcare programs.

What’s next for Synergis? In the words of Vande Kamp, “we intend to focus most of our investments in growing existing partners and launching new partners in the specialized and premium programs. We will continue to focus on results for our shared students so that they succeed in achieving their academic goals,” he concludes.