the founding story

Our mission is to provide a pathway to fulfilling employment for every student.

We help colleges and universities increase enrollment by partnering on a shared mission and creating value for students.

Our Story

Innovating from within.

In 2019, our co-founders moved to Adrian College to incubate Rize and work closely with President Jeffrey Docking.

With his decades of experience devising innovative solutions to the challenges higher education faces, President Docking was an influential co-founder and advisor in creating what Rize is today.

We also innovated alongside the small independent colleges that are a part of the Lower Cost Models Consortium. Countless administrators, faculty, and students of these colleges helped us design the ideal solution from the beginning.

LCMC institutions share our commitment to making higher education more affordable and ensuring positive student outcomes. They use Rize to unlock new programs and drive new enrollments - all without the immense cost and time typically required to start a new major.

the college of the future

Get the blueprint for growing enrollment

Building on the proven successes at Adrian College, Jeffrey R. Docking, Ph.D., President of Adrian College, and Kevin Harrington, CEO and co-founder of Rize Education, provide the blueprint for higher education leaders to grow enrollment by launching more flexible, affordable academic programs that prepare students to thrive in the fastest-growing fields.

Detailing the collaborative online course-sharing platform pioneered by the Lower Cost Models for Independent Colleges Consortium (LCMC) and Rize Education, The College of the Future tells the story of Rize’s unique founding at Adrian and lays out a new, hybrid model of online and on-ground learning being leveraged by over 85 independent colleges.

Get Your Copy

Reviews

Dr. Barbara Mistick

President, National Association of Independent College and Universities (NAICU)

“It is unlikely that higher education can create access for today’s students without change. This book will challenge you to step outside your comfort zone and consider alternative models.”

Dr. Carol Leary

President Emerita, Bay Path University

"This is a must-read for Trustees, Presidents and Provosts.”

Dr. Roger Parrott

President, Belhaven University

“Jeff Docking has not only provided the roadmap to a better way, but working with Kevin Harrington, and through Rize, he has built a team to walk with us in successfully elevating the distinct advantages of a small campus, without giving up the benefits of specialized academic programs.”

Dr. Maurice Scherrens

President, Newberry College

"Rize is the answer for smart growth and program relevance.”

Dr. David Wantz

President and CEO, Independent Colleges of Indiana

“Together, Docking and Harrington show us what a thriving campus can do to shore up its finances by lowering costs and expanding its mission."

Ken Starr

Former President, Baylor University & United States Circuit Judge and 39th Solicitor General of the United States

“Compellingly written, this roadmap provides a path forward not only toward private colleges’ sheer survival, but to their achievement of enduring success."

Rick Snyder

Former Governor of Michigan

“[Jeff Docking] and Kevin Harrington present a strong roadmap on how to deliver a brighter future for higher education and, most importantly, for the students of the future.”

Dr. Tracy Brundage

President, Keystone College

"This is a must-read for those individuals interested in maintaining institutional autonomy and long-term viability.”

Maggie Johnson

VP of Education and University Programs, Google

“Thought leaders in industry and higher education have much in common: they want affordable colleges to prepare students in high-demand fields to make a positive impact on our communities and our country. Docking and Harrington have created a...path for colleges to better achieve all of these goals.”

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