The University of Memphis (UofM) is a steadfast pillar of academic excellence and innovation in Tennessee. Founded in 1912, it enrolls more than 21,000 students annually and boasts 25 Chairs of Excellence and five state-approved Centers of Excellence. As one of the state’s comprehensive-doctoral-extensive institutions, it remains dedicated to providing inclusive, success-driven education and producing impact-driven research.
UofM’s long-term goal is to become a nationally recognized public research university, which it aims to achieve by redesigning and revamping enrollment, recruitment, academic instruction, student experience, research, and financial operations. To turn this vision into reality, the UofM needed a reliable, secure, and centralized platform to empower its leadership to execute strategic initiatives more efficiently and clearly.
In pursuit of this ambition, the UofM partnered with Convene in 2017 to digitize meeting preparation, streamline communication among trustees and committees, and modernize governance processes. With an intuitive interface, Convene has become a transformative tool for UofM leadership to store board materials, enhance collaboration, and ensure data-driven decisions.
Unifying Board Documents in a Secure Platform
Before Convene, document management was a challenge for the UofM board, with trustees resorting to personal drives, emails, and other platforms. With board management software, trustees gained a single, secure document repository where files are stored properly, versioned automatically, and accessible to authorized users anytime, from any device. Additionally, Convene has made it easier to locate files through its search functionality and intuitive folder structure, further improving accessibility and operational efficiency.
Effective for strengthening institutional accountability, Convene archives meeting minutes, board resolutions, evaluations, and policies, easing the process when gathering documents for accreditations, internal audits, and board turnovers. Dr. Cockrum explains, “It’s super important to have that historical data in there because sometimes I’ll be asking questions such as, ‘When did the board vote on this certain policy?’ It’s super helpful for me and others to be able to access this portal for information and know exactly when it was done.”
Responsive Support for Continuous Board Operations
Time is always of the essence for an institution like the UofM. Whether addressing technical issues or clarifying specific features, the Convene support team consistently delivers timely and responsive assistance. Convene ensures every client can utilize the platform to its fullest to meet their unique requirements. Reflecting on his experience, Dr. Cockrum shared, “[The support team has been] very knowledgeable and responsive. I’ve had several meetings with them, and they have helped troubleshoot any concerns I’ve had in the past.”
University of Memphis Recommends Convene
Board Secretary Dr. Cockrum lauded Convene for its usability and powerful features: “Convene is easy to use and incredibly helpful when building an agenda and communicating materials to the Board.”
The platform’s intuitive interface allowed him to easily learn its functions and properly use it to support trustees before, during, and after meetings. He added, “The learning curve was very short, and I was able to pick up the basics of the system quickly.”
He recommends Convene and believes it effectively addresses the operational challenges of educational institutions struggling to centralize communication and document governance among decision-makers. He noted, “Using a board portal allows institutions to centralize documents in one platform where board members and committee chairs can easily access shared materials, review agenda items, and understand the flow of upcoming meetings. It’s really important for board members to come to the meetings prepared and have looked over the financial documents or policies being passed or any other items, because once they approve it, it’s official.”
Experience productive board meetings and seamless communication like the University of Memphis. Take the first step toward smarter board governance—book a demo with Convene today!