What Magna Publications does

Magna Publications Inc., founded in 1972 by Bill Haight and headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, is a privately held higher-education publisher that produces professional-development content for college and university faculty, academic administrators, instructional designers, and student affairs professionals across North America and internationally. The company operates a diversified content portfolio built around three pillars: (i) subscription publications—The Teaching Professor newsletter (10,000+ circulation), Academic Leader, and the peer-reviewed Journal of Faculty Development; (ii) the Teaching Professor Digital Library (TPDL), a tiered digital library platform offering 400+ on-demand staff development videos, 20-Minute Mentor microlearning programs, online seminars, and asynchronous courses, with content accessible via the magnapubs.com storefront or embedded inside campus learning management systems through Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) integration with Canvas, Moodle, Blackboard, and D2L Brightspace; and (iii) an annual conference portfolio spanning nine in-person and virtual events including the Teaching Professor Conference, Leadership in Higher Education Conference, Instructional Design Professionals Conference, and the newer AI in Education Conference.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring subscriptions—individual newsletters at $19/month or $167/year, team plans at $599–$899/year, and campus-wide licenses priced by enrollment from $1,899 to $3,999/year—with secondary streams from conference registrations ($299–$1,659 per attendee), one-time book purchases, individual online courses, microcredentials in Leadership, Faculty Development, Inclusive Learning Design, Hybrid Learning, and Active Learning, and Premium TPDL licensing featuring SSO, custom course building, and usage reporting. Distribution runs through a direct e-commerce website, phone-based customer service (1-800-433-0499), email support, and campus-level inside sales with custom proposals and volume discounts. The company holds core, mutual partnerships with the four major LMS vendors for content delivery and with Credly for digital credentialing.

The customer base spans 4,000+ campuses, and the 11–50-employee organization maintains a content-led, horizontal go-to-market across personas rather than industry verticals. The 2025–2026 product cadence has been heavily weighted toward AI-themed courses, seminars, and conferences, positioning Magna as an educator-facing authority on generative AI integration in the classroom. No external funding, parent company, subsidiaries, or M&A activity are disclosed, indicating a steady-state, founder-led operation that has grown organically through product line extension.

Name

Magna Publications

Legal name

Magna Publications Inc.

Website

https://magnapubs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Magna Publications, founded in 1972 and headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, is a privately held higher education publisher producing subscription newsletters, online courses, a digital library platform, and annual conferences for college faculty, academic administrators, and instructional designers across more than 4,000 campuses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Professional Development and Educational Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Periodical Publishers (513120), Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Services-Educational Services (8200), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Learning Content & Course Publishing Platforms (BPAMAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Learning Content Bundling & Subscription Passes (All-Access Libraries) (MPACALAL), Creator Course Marketplaces (Multi-Instructor Catalogs) (MPACALAA), Open Access Scholarly Journals & Monographs (EDAGAFAJ)

Keywords

• Faculty professional development
• Higher education publishing
• Online learning courses
• Academic leadership content
• Educator training resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Publications Subscriptions: Recurring subscription revenue from newsletter and journal publications including The Teaching Professor, Academic Leader, and Journal of Faculty Development. Individual, team, and campus-wide pricing tiers. Auto-renewing annual subscriptions with group pricing for institutions
2. Teaching Professor Digital Library: Subscription-based access to digital library containing 400+ staff development videos, asynchronous online courses, and hundreds of evidence-based articles. Tiered from Basic ($529.99/month or $2,997/year) to Premium with full LMS integration and course building capabilities
3. Monday Morning Mentor Program: Annual group subscription ($1,199/year) delivering 32 weekly 20-minute programs (16 in fall, 16 in spring) covering teaching, learning, and administrative topics. Includes supplemental materials, PowerPoint handouts, and transcripts
4. Conference Registration: Revenue from in-person and virtual conference registrations. In-person events like Teaching Professor Conference (Atlanta, June 2027) and Leadership in Higher Education Conference (Providence, October 2026). Virtual events range from single-day to multi-day with early-bird and group discounts
5. Books: One-time purchase of themed-based collections (approximately 200 pages) covering faculty development and educational leadership topics. Available through Amazon or bulk direct purchases from Magna Publications. Price points like $25.00 for Remote Teaching and Learning
6. Individual Online Courses: One-time purchase or subscription access to individual online courses including microcredentials in Leadership, Faculty Development, Inclusive Learning Design, Hybrid Learning, and Active Learning. Course formats include 20-Minute Mentors (microlearning) and full online courses

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Magna Publications develops, produces, and distributes higher education professional development content and learning resources, including subscription publications (The Teaching Professor, Academic Leader, Journal of Faculty Development), the Teaching Professor Digital Library platform with LTI/SSO integration to Canvas, Moodle, Blackboard, and D2L, online courses, 20-Minute Mentor microlearning videos, recorded online seminars, microcredentials, faculty development books, and multiple annual conferences spanning in-person and virtual formats. Institutional tiered campus subscriptions and individual purchases are sold through the magnapubs.com e-commerce site with phone and email support.

Product overview

Magna Publications offers a comprehensive portfolio of higher education professional development products centered around three core publication brands (The Teaching Professor, Academic Leader, and Journal of Faculty Development), a digital library platform (Teaching Professor Digital Library with Basic, Advanced, Advanced LTI, and Premium tiers), and multiple learning formats (Online Courses, 20-Minute Mentors, and Online Seminars). The company also produces nine annual conferences spanning in-person and virtual formats, including the flagship Teaching Professor Conference and specialized events for AI in Education, Instructional Design, and Leadership in Higher Education. Additional offerings include books, microcredentials, digital badging via Credly, and free resources through Faculty Focus. The product ecosystem serves over 4,000 campuses nationally and internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Faculty Focus: Free e-newsletter and dedicated website publishing articles on effective teaching strategies for the college classroom.
• The Teaching Professor
• Academic Leader
• Journal of Faculty Development
• 20 Minute Mentor
• Magna Online Courses

Products and services

• The Teaching Professor Weekly newsletter publication delivering practical, research-informed ideas and insights for educators passionate about teaching. Written by humans (not AI-generated), featuring evidence-based teaching strategies and over 15 years of archived articles. Circulation exceeds 10,000 subscribers.
• Academic Leader Twice-monthly newsletter publication delivering actionable strategies for academic leaders including presidents, deans, provosts, and department chairs to lead with clarity in higher education. Available as individual, team, and campus-wide subscriptions.
• Journal of Faculty Development Independent, peer-reviewed scholarly journal published three times per year covering faculty development in post-secondary educational institutions. Includes 5 years of archives and offers individual and institutional pricing tiers across 1-, 2-, and 3-year terms.
• Faculty Development & Educational Leadership Books Approximately 200-page theme-based book collections covering faculty development and educational leadership topics. Individual books priced $25.00-$39.00, available through Amazon or bulk direct orders from Magna Publications.
• Teaching Professor Digital Library (TPDL) Personalized dashboard and searchable digital library providing faculty and staff access to 400+ on-demand staff development videos, asynchronous courses, and hundreds of evidence-based articles. Premium tier features LTI integration, Single Sign-On, custom course building, and on-demand usage reporting across Canvas, Moodle, Blackboard, and D2L LMS platforms.
• Monday Morning Mentor Annual subscription program delivering 32 weekly 20-minute video presentations (16 fall, 16 spring) covering assessment, classroom management, student engagement, teaching online, and administrative issues. Includes supplemental materials, PowerPoint handouts, and transcripts. Priced at $1,199/year.
• Magna Online Courses Comprehensive library of on-demand asynchronous online courses for faculty designed by instructional leaders and grounded in research. Covers topics from inclusive teaching and classroom engagement to assessment, course design, leadership, and AI integration in higher education.
• 20-Minute Mentor Library Highly focused 20-minute microlearning video presentations answering single teaching or leadership questions with actionable insights from expert presenters. Available as individual programs or through library subscriptions such as TPDL Basic.
• Magna Online Seminars Recorded 60-minute programs on challenging topics in higher education featuring expert presenters with accompanying PowerPoint slides. Available through individual purchase and included within Teaching Professor Digital Library subscriptions.
• Microcredentials Stackable professional credential programs issued upon completion covering Leadership Microcredential, Faculty Development Microcredential, Inclusive Learning Design Microcredential, Hybrid Learning Microcredential, and Active Learning Microcredential.
• Magna Digital Badging Digital credential issuance and management service through partnership with Credly. Enables professionals to display verified credentials across LinkedIn, email signatures, and personal websites, and supports promotion and tenure review processes.
• The Teaching Professor Conference Three-day annual in-person conference held June 11-13, 2027 in Atlanta, Georgia at the Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park, featuring practical teaching strategies, poster sessions, networking, and concurrent sessions led by faculty.
• Faculty Development Professionals Conference Virtual conference for faculty developers, teaching center leaders, and academic support professionals. Live online August 18, 2026 with on-demand access through November 18, 2026. Earns a shareable digital badge through Credly. Early-bird pricing from $449 per person.
• Leadership in Higher Education Conference Three-day in-person conference in Providence, Rhode Island at the Omni Providence Hotel (October 8-10, 2026) designed for academic leaders, department chairs, deans, provosts, and directors. Features plenaries, concurrent sessions, and networking.
• Instructional Design Professionals Conference Two-day virtual conference (September 15-16, 2026) for instructional designers featuring six curated tracks, 20+ breakout sessions, and on-demand access through December 16, 2026. Tiered group pricing from $299 per person.
• Teaching Professor Online Conference Three-day fully virtual conference (October 20-22, 2026) featuring 30 dynamic sessions, 3 plenaries, and on-demand access through January 22, 2027. Covers course design, student engagement, assessment, inclusion, wellbeing, and tech tools.
• Workforce Readiness Conference One-day virtual conference (November 10, 2026) for professionals supporting career development and workforce preparation in higher education, with on-demand access through February 10, 2027.
• National Conference on Student Life (NCSL) Virtual conference (November 18-19, 2026) bringing together student leaders and student affairs professionals. Features 4 keynotes, 24 interactive sessions, live networking, and on-demand access through February 28, 2027.
• AI in Education Conference Virtual conference (December 1-2, 2026) exploring how artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are transforming higher education. Features six curated tracks on ethical AI, AI-powered tools, and course integration, with on-demand access through March 2, 2027.
• Leadership in Higher Education Virtual Conference Two-day virtual conference (January 26-27, 2027) for higher education leaders focusing on practical real-world strategies, with on-demand access through April 27, 2027.
• Teaching Smarter with AI: Enhancing Learning While Reclaiming Time Online course covering AI tools for educators, helping instructors integrate AI to enhance learning while reclaiming instructional time.
• How to Create an AI Tutor for Your Class 20-Minute Mentor video course teaching educators how to design and build AI tutors customized for their own classes.
• AI Toolboxes for Educators: Work Smarter, Teach Better 20-Minute Mentor course covering AI toolboxes and practical prompt patterns for educators seeking to work smarter and teach better using AI.
• Designing Online Courses in the AI Era Online course preparing instructors and instructional designers to design online courses that effectively integrate generative AI tools and pedagogies.
• Bite-Sized Best Practices for Incorporating Generative AI into Any Course 20-Minute Mentor course offering bite-sized, actionable best practices for incorporating generative AI into any college course.
• Classroom 2.0: AI as Your Co-Educator Recorded online seminar exploring AI as a teaching partner and co-educator, offering practical strategies for integrating AI into classroom instruction.
• How You Can Use AI to Maximize Time Management Recorded online seminar showing educators how to use AI tools to maximize personal time management and administrative efficiency.
• Educators Reflect on Teaching and Learning in the Era of Generative AI Recorded online seminar featuring educator reflections on teaching and learning practices adapted to the era of generative AI.
• From Fear to Fluency: Educators Discuss Integrating ChatGPT to Foster Online Student Learning Recorded online seminar in which educators discuss integrating ChatGPT to foster online student learning, moving educators from apprehension to fluency.
• Online Teaching Essentials Online course guided by Dr. Jean Mandernach covering proven strategies to engage students, build community, and communicate with impact in virtual classrooms.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving more than 4,000 campuses nationally and internationally
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Canvas by InstructurecoreTechnology or IntegrationCanvas is a proud partner providing optimized integration with the Teaching Professor Digital Library. The partnership enables seamless LMS connectivity for institutional subscribers, allowing content access directly within Canvas LMS environments. Premium subscribers can embed Teaching Professor content into custom courses within Canvas.
• MoodlecoreTechnology or IntegrationMoodle integration enables institutions using Moodle LMS to access Teaching Professor Digital Library content. The partnership supports Single Sign-On access and content embedding within institutional Moodle environments.
• BlackboardcoreTechnology or IntegrationBlackboard integration allows institutions to access Teaching Professor content through Blackboard LMS. Partnership enables SSO and content embedding for Premium subscribers building custom courses.
• D2L (Desire2Learn)coreTechnology or IntegrationD2L Brightspace integration supports institutions using D2L LMS to access Teaching Professor Digital Library content with SSO capability and LMS-embedded course building.
• CredlycoreTechnology or IntegrationCredly partnership provides digital credentialing for Magna Publications' professional development programs. The partnership enables conference attendees and course completers to receive digital badges with verified metadata. Badges are managed and shared through Credly's platform and can be displayed on LinkedIn, email signatures, and digital resumes. Credly's Open Badge Standards enable verifiable credentials across platforms.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Academic Impressions: Academic Impressions provides conferences, webinars, and training programs for higher education administrators and faculty, directly overlapping Magna's core professional development and events offering.
• Inside Higher Ed: Inside Higher Ed is a leading higher education media outlet offering news, events, webinars, and career resources, competing with Magna's publications, conferences, and newsletter-led GTM motion.
• The Chronicle of Higher Education: The Chronicle is a subscription-based higher education publication with events and newsletters targeting academic leaders and faculty, comparable in audience, format, and institutional sales model.
• POD Network: POD Network is the professional organization for educational developers in higher education, offering conferences and resources for faculty development professionals, directly overlapping Magna's Journal of Faculty Development and Faculty Development Professionals Conference.

Broad incumbents

• Wiley Education Services: Wiley is a major academic publisher and education services provider with broad content, digital platforms, and institutional partnerships, competing across higher ed publishing and online learning.
• Pearson Education: Pearson is a global education publisher with higher ed textbooks, digital learning platforms, and institutional partnerships, competing broadly in faculty and student learning content.
• LinkedIn Learning: LinkedIn Learning offers a broad online learning library widely adopted by enterprises and institutions, including universities, competing with Magna's subscription digital library for faculty professional development budgets.
• Coursera for Campus: Coursera for Campus provides universities with online courses and learning content, competing for institutional professional development and learning budgets with broader catalog reach than Magna's specialized catalog.
• edX: edX is a major online learning platform with university partnerships and a broad course catalog, competing for institutional learning and professional development spend.

Others

• Credly: Credly is Magna's digital credentialing partner and a leading digital badge platform. It is included here as an ecosystem participant rather than a competitor, given the strategic partnership that issues badges for Magna courses and conferences.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/magnapubs
• Facebookfacebook.com/magnapublications
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/magna-publications

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Magna Publications