APLU Support of Cluster Institutions

APLU will serve primarily as a backbone organization – providing:

• Facilitated meetings convening the clusters as well as individual campus visits, supported by a capacity-building grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
   
• Technical assistance, including connection with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Solution Hubs for digital learning, advising, and developmental education.
   
• Other support, funded through a capacity-building grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, including:
   
• Some project management support for working groups and other collaborative learning activities, provided through APLU’s new Center for Public University Transformation;
   
• A data team to assist with evaluation, data collection, and analysis.
   
• A communications team to work with university communications staff to document, disseminate, and promote effective practices; and
   
• National leadership, including a national advisory council, to provide governance for the project.
   
• Assistance identifying vendors and other technology service providers for implementation of solutions.
   
• Some fundraising support to help clusters obtain national and regional funding for specific activities as they are developed.