Two area colleges think they've finally figured out a way to get Ohio's higher education institutions to start sharing administrative services.

The University of Akron and Lorain County Community College next month will begin a pilot project that the two schools hope will lay the foundation to create a standalone administrative services center that could provide back-office functions to more schools and possibly other organizations as well.

It's an ambitious goal that other colleges, including Akron, have fallen short of in the past. This time, however, officials at the two schools believe they've worked out most of the issues that could threaten the effort, said Jim Sage, chief information officer at Akron.

The pilot is supposed to serve as proof. Next month, LCCC will start using Akron's administrative software system, and over the course of 2010 the two schools plan to combine at least three other administrative services, which could include human resources, payroll, billing, purchasing and various student services.

Should the pilot go as planned, the two schools would have a tool to help them convince other Ohio colleges to join the effort to open a standalone services center at a neutral location in 2011 or 2012, said Mr. Sage, who is helping drive the effort.