e-Student Affairs
Innovative High Touch
in a High Tech World
MEETING THEIR UNIQUE NEEDS
Allison Mabry
Communication Coordinator
Distance Education
Texas Woman’s University
“Vision is the art of
seeing what is invisible to
others.”
Jonathon Swift
(Irish author and satirist 1667-1745)
How many students are we talking about?
Nationwide
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Total Enrollment in Higher Ed = 18,199,920
Annual Growth Rate Total Enrollment = 1.2%
Students Taking at Least One Online Course = 4,606,353
Annual Growth Rate Online Enrollment = 16.9%
Online Enrollment as a Percent of Total Enrollment = 25.3%
(Fall 2008 numbers from The Sloan Consortium)
Who are these students?
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Many are ADULT LEARNERS (however this is changing)
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Juggle SCHOOL, FAMILY and WORK
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LITTLE TIME or PATIENCE for POLICIES that make NO SENSE for them
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Very FOCUSED on TIMELY COMPLETION of their degree
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May need MORE ASSISTANCE NAVIGATING the university
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Most use EMAIL or PHONE to get the HELP they need
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May FEEL DISCONNECTED/LACK OF SUPPORT due to physical distance
Consider these relationships…
Technology
Distance Learners
Student Affairs
BEST PRACTICES
Amy O’Keefe
Director
Commuter & Non-traditional Student Services
Texas Woman’s University
ITEMS TO CONSIDER
•Relationship among Technology, Student Affairs, and Distance Learners
•Administrative Philosophies: Separate vs. Integrated
•Innovation in Student Services Best Practices & Processes
“Don’t pave your
institution’s cow
path; instead, create a
new, logical, planned
path for services and
select technology to
complement the end
objectives.”
Innovation in Student
Services Best Practices
& Process (Burnett)
Best practice model focuses on…
•Student satisfaction
•Student’s perspective
•Added value
•Choice
•One-stop centers
•Web portals
•Staffing by self-service (70%), generalist (20%), specialists (10%)
•Empowered frontline staff
•Cross-functional teams
•Strategic to institution
•Executive support & participation
•Shift from transactions t0 relationships
Enrollment Management-Plus Model
Typical enrollment management services
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(minimum services to enroll & complete DE course)
Admissions
Financial aid
Registration
Academic resources
– (library, academic advising, technical support)
Plus may include
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Tutoring
Career counseling
Bookstore
Even fewer plus includes
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Student health
Student government
Personal counseling
Orientation
Virtual communities
WCET - Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications
OLSS-SAT (Online Student Services Self-Assessment Tool)
“ALL OF YOUR STUDENTS ARE ALREADY IN THIS
VIRTUAL COMMUNITY [FACEBOOK] AND ASKING THEM
TO JOIN A CLASS GROUP CREATES A VIRTUAL
COMMUNITY WHERE THEY ALREADY LIVE; POSTING AN
ANNOUNCEMENT ON BLACKBOARD IS THE
EQUIVALENT OF ASKING THEM TO COME TO OFFICE
HOURS IN YOUR BUILDING. POSTING ON FACEBOOK
IS MORE LIKE SHOWING UP IN THE DORMS FOR
DINNER.”
(BOWEN, 2006)
SUCCESSES & SETBACKS
Annie Phillips Newton
Assistant Director
Commuter & DE Student Services
Texas Woman’s University
Shannon Ritter
Social Networks Adviser
Penn State World Campus
Contact Us
• Allison Mabry: amabry@twu.edu
• Amy O’Keefe: aokeefe@twu.edu
• Annie Phillips Newton:
aphillipsnewton@twu.edu
• Shannon Ritter: shannon@psu.edu
• Or find us on Facebook, Twitter, & Second Life