Building a Scalable Contingent Workforce Program in Higher Education Roundtable on 2/26/26
About the Event
As higher education institutions rely more heavily on contingent labor, informal and decentralized hiring models are becoming increasingly difficult to sustain. In this session, leaders from the University of North Carolina share what prompted their shift toward a formal contingent workforce program—and the moment when maintaining the status quo was no longer an option.
Attendees will gain a clear understanding of how Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and Vendor Management Systems (VMS) support governance in higher education, and why these structures are essential for addressing today’s most common challenges—from compliance and worker classification risk to limited visibility into spend, suppliers, and headcount across campuses.
The discussion will also explore how UNC successfully built institution-wide alignment. Speakers will walk through lessons learned in securing leadership approval, positioning workforce governance as both risk mitigation and operational enablement, and bringing HR, Procurement, Finance, Legal, and IT together around shared objectives—supported by data, peer benchmarks, and external expertise.
Finally, participants will hear the tangible outcomes of UNC’s approach, including cost savings, improved compliance, stronger stakeholder engagement, and end-to-end visibility into contingent workforce data. The session will conclude with practical advice and key takeaways for peer institutions navigating similar workforce complexity.
Why Attend
- Higher education institutions are under increasing pressure to manage contingent labor with greater compliance, transparency, and efficiency. Informal and decentralized approaches—once manageable—now expose institutions to audit risk, inconsistent practices, and limited visibility into workforce spend and utilization.
- In this peer-led session, leaders from the University of North Carolina (UNC) share their real-world journey to formalizing a contingent workforce program. Joined by experts from Workday VNDLY and nextSource, this discussion explores what triggered the need for change, how buy-in was secured across stakeholders, and what measurable outcomes UNC achieved through a structured, enterprise approach.
- Attendees will walk away with practical insights they can apply immediately, whether they are considering formalization or are early in their contingent workforce journey.
Registration is now open: Building a Scalable Contingent Workforce Program in Higher Education
About nextSource
nextSource is a privately held, woman-owned business with over 25 years of experience delivering transformative workforce solutions. We help organizations overcome talent shortages, eliminate inefficiencies, and turn workforce strategy into a competitive advantage. Through advanced analytics, dynamic modeling, and strategic optimization, we empower clients to shift from reactive fixes to proactive growth.
For more information, contact marketinginfo@nextsource.com.