Campus/Program Consolidation
This use case explains how to model consolidation, expansion and restructuring of campuses and programs for private and vocational education providers in Model Reef.
You will:
Represent each campus and program as branches and categories in a group model.
Test closing, merging or opening campuses and programs.
See how consolidation affects revenue, cost, capacity and profitability.
Use scenarios to compare structural options before committing to change.
Model Reef is not a property or HR transactional system. It helps you test structural options and their financial impact before implementation.
When to use this pattern
Use this pattern when:
You operate multiple campuses or locations.
You deliver the same programs across different sites or delivery modes.
You are considering closing, merging or opening campuses or programs.
You want to understand the medium term financial impact and risk of structural change.
It builds on:
Student Enrolment and Intake Forecasts
Course or Program Profitability
Teaching Staff Allocation Model
Workspace Organisation
Architecture overview
Campus and program consolidation modelling uses:
Branch and program structure
Branches for campuses and academic units.
Program and course variables under each branch.
Consolidation controls
Branch toggles and enable or disable behaviour.
Migration drivers for students and staff.
One off closure, relocation or setup costs.
Financial and capacity outputs
Revenue, cost and margin by campus and program.
Combined capacity and utilisation.
Cash, working capital and valuation impacts.
Scenario comparison
Alternative consolidation and expansion plans.
Sensitivity to enrolments, pricing and cost assumptions.
Build a multi campus, multi program structure
Set up a group model where:
Each campus is a branch, for example Campus A, Campus B, Online.
Each program has its own revenue and cost variables under each campus where it is delivered.
Central functions such as group management and shared services sit in separate branches.
Ensure that Student Enrolment, Teaching Staff and Program Profitability patterns are already implemented in this structure so that each campus and program has its own P&L view.
Add consolidation controls and toggles
Use the branch enable or disable capability and additional drivers to represent consolidation actions, for example:
Campus A disabled from a future date to represent closure.
Program X disabled at Campus B and enabled at Campus A to represent relocation.
Online versions of programs enabled in new branches while physical delivery is reduced.
You can also create explicit control drivers such as:
Active Campus Indicator per period.
Delivery Share between campuses and online modes for each program.
These allow you to phase changes in over time rather than switching them instantly.
Model student migration between campuses and programs
When you close or consolidate, you may migrate some students rather than losing them. In the Data Library, build drivers for:
Proportion of enrolled students who transfer to another campus or mode.
Proportion who withdraw or do not continue.
Timing of migration across intakes and academic years.
Adjust Student Enrolment drivers so that:
Intakes and cohorts at closing campuses reduce over time.
Intakes at receiving campuses increase according to migration assumptions.
Total enrolment reflects both migration and loss effects.
This lets you test how different migration strategies affect retention and revenue.
Model staff, facility and overhead changes
Use Teaching Staff and overhead variables to represent:
Staff leaving or being redeployed to other campuses.
Changes in teaching loads and role structures.
Closure or reduction of facilities and associated costs.
New facility investment for expanded sites or online capability.
You can implement this by:
Adjusting Staff variables by campus and program over time.
Scaling down facility related Opex and Asset variables for closing sites.
Adding one off closure costs or redundancy costs as Opex variables.
Adding capex for new or expanded sites where needed.
This ensures that staff and facility changes flow through to P&L, Balance Sheet and Cashflow.
Include one off transition and restructuring items
Consolidation usually involves one off items such as:
Redundancy payments.
Lease exit costs or make good obligations.
Consultancy, legal or project costs.
Marketing and communication campaigns.
Create dedicated Opex and Cashflow variables for these items and schedule them in the periods when they are expected to occur. Keep them separate from ongoing operating costs to preserve clarity.
Use scenarios for alternative consolidation and growth paths
Clone the base model into scenario models to explore options such as:
Closing different combinations of campuses.
Moving programs to different hubs.
Investing more in online or hybrid delivery.
Delaying or bringing forward consolidation dates.
Combining consolidation with new program launches.
In each scenario, adjust:
Campus and program enable or disable settings.
Migration, intake and enrolment drivers.
Staff and facility cost drivers.
One off restructuring and capex items.
Compare scenarios using:
Campus and program level P&Ls.
Group level margin and cash profiles.
Capacity, utilisation and headcount metrics.
Valuation impacts over the planning horizon.
Check your work
Campus and program structures reflect your current operating model before changes.
Consolidation actions are phased in realistically rather than switched in a single period unless that reflects reality.
Student and staff migration assumptions are grounded in experience or reasoned estimates.
Scenario outputs provide clear insight into trade offs across options.
Troubleshooting
Related guides
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