The firm is expected to be selected in September
The University of Puerto Rico’s Governing Board has launched a competitive procurement process to hire an external firm to analyze the institution’s long-term sustainability and the potential structural reorganization of its 11-campus system.
The move, formalized recently through Certification 115 (2025‑2026), marks one of the most significant governance initiatives undertaken by the public university system in recent years. Unless the schedule is changed, the proposed deadline to submit bids is August 31. Contract award is slated for September.
The Request for Proposals (RFP), designated JG 2027‑01, calls for qualified consulting organizations, research institutions, and interdisciplinary teams to submit bids for an independent study examining fiscal stability, academic operations, organizational efficiency, and structural alternatives for the 11‑unit UPR system. The engagement stems from Institutional Transformation Action No. 22, which directs the Governing Board to evaluate the viability of the current model and explore new configurations that could strengthen the institution’s future.
According to the RFP, the Governing Board seeks a decision-oriented consulting engagement rather than an academic study. The selected contractor will assess whether the existing structure can be sustained amid demographic decline, enrollment pressures, rising operating costs, and longstanding fiscal constraints. The document notes that Puerto Rico’s population loss has reshaped the traditional college-age demographic and that system-wide enrollment has fallen sharply relative to historical levels.
The study will proceed in three phases: a current-state assessment, an analysis of structural alternatives, and strategic findings and recommendations. Firms are expected to examine enrollment trends, fiscal risks, administrative duplication, academic program alignment, and campus-level viability. They must also evaluate potential models, such as campus specialization or the creation of multi-campus university centers, while remaining open to other configurations supported by evidence.
“Evaluating the sustainability of the University System, which comprises 11 campuses, and analyzing possible structural alternatives for the future,” is the mandate outlined in Institutional Transformation Action No. 22, a line quoted directly in the RFP.
The Governing Board emphasizes independence, objectivity, and mission preservation as guiding principles for the engagement. Recommendations must be evidence‑based, actionable, and designed to support governance deliberation. The contractor will also be required to provide scenario projections under varying demographic and fiscal conditions and deliver all models and data in open, auditable formats.
The RFP outlines an 180-day execution window following contract signing, with a detailed work plan due within 15 days. The study will be overseen by the Board’s Special Committee on Academic and Administrative Restructuring and University Reform and will include structured engagement with university stakeholders through interviews, surveys, and focus groups.
With this initiative, UPR’s Governing Board signals a willingness to confront longstanding structural challenges and consider significant organizational changes. The selected firm’s findings are expected to shape the institution’s strategic direction at a moment when demographic, fiscal, and operational pressures continue to intensify across Puerto Rico’s public higher‑education landscape.
