Become a System Partner

System Partners are multiple-campus systems of higher education such as the California State University System.

Reasons to Join MERLOT as a System Partner

MERLOT helps you:

• Improve the quality of online materials and pedagogy.
• Reduce the costs of developing and integrating technologies into academic programs.
• Increase the speed of your faculty and staff creating quality online courses
• Support the diverse needs of faculty across disciplines and across a wide range of readiness to use technology

MERLOT Partners can improve educational outcomes in a timely manner and reduce the cost of their academic programs through the integration of MERLOT’s programs and services into their own institutional initiatives.   Here is a list of 5 of the 14 institutional initiatives identified by higher education that MERLOT supports:

• Course Redesign/Academic Transformation– Institutions need to redesign lower division, high enrollment courses to improve student learning with the support of technology.
• Accelerated Development of Quality Online and/or Hybrid Courses– Institutions need to support faculty, librarians, and academic technology staff in the finding, using, and designing of quality teaching and learning experiences within your academic programs.
• Effective Use of Learning Management Systems - Institutions need to support effective and efficient use of their significant investments in their learning management system by faculty, students, librarians, and staff.  Integrating academic content into sound pedagogical courses is a prime concern.
• Faculty Development Success – Institutions need to support faculty developing their talents and skills in using technology to improve student learning reliably and efficiently. The faculty development strategies need to be scaleable and sustainable. 
• Enabling Success of Adjunct Faculty - Institutions need to develop strategies to support adjunct faculty in the delivery of consistent quality teaching and curriculum.

Click on the following link for the full list of 14 Institutional Initiatives,

Serving MERLOT at Your Institution

MERLOT customizes of its services to a partner’s initiative.  Over time and efforts, the MERLOT Partner Community has developed an institutional portfolio of strategies and programs to using academic technologies (especially MERLOT) to achieve their goals. Click on the following link for more information about MERLOT’s Institutional Initiative Program

How to Join MERLOT as a System Partner

1. If necessary, review the Overview of MERLOT Partnerships (14KB pdf).
2. If necessary, review the Partnership Comparison Chart: Comparing the Different Types of MERLOT Participation (19KB pdf).
3. Review the System Partner Application for 1st Year Participation (172KB pdf).
4. Contact Gerry Hanley, Executive Director of MERLOT, at ghanley@merlot.org or 562-951-4259 about the application process. He can also answer any questions you may have about MERLOT participation.
5. Complete the Application for Participation, obtain the signature of an authorized representative of your organization, and return to MERLOT as directed in the application.

Upon receipt of your application and fee, MERLOT will contact you to provide information and guidance to help you maximize the benefits from your participation in this project.

Get discounts on TLT and MERLOT if you're a member of both.

The MERLOT 1st Year Experience

To help new partners maximize the benefits of their participation, MERLOT:

• Provides each 1st year System Partner with a mentor from an existing Partner to help orient and support first year use of MERLOT.
• Offers a discounted rate on the Standard Partner Fee.

All Current MERLOT Partners, Affiliates, and Sponsors

For more information please contact Gerry Hanley at ghanley@merlot.org