Retaining Online Students: A Student Affairs Perspective

1. October 8, 2009 Retaining Online Students: A Student Affairs Perspective

2. Overview • Best Practices – Online Student Retention • Online Orientation • Communication and Automation • Social networking

3. It sometimes feels like this!

4. One of Maricopa Community Colleges • Public, community college – open access • Focus on Learning, Innovating and Partnering • Three high enrollment areas • Online Learning • Dual Enrollment • Partnerships – business, government and community Rio Salado College

5. Rio Salado College • Total 61, 500 credit and non-credit students annually Credit Headcount • 50,700 Credit • 10, 500 non-credit • 7700 ABE Distance Learning: • 36,000 online • 16% increase • Dual Enrollment • 6,000 students

6. Rio Salado College – Online Student • Diverse • Needs, goals, preparedness • The typical student • Female • Average Age 26 • Working • Time Strapped • Savvy Online Consumer • Digital native • 88% in AZ

7. Nontraditional Undergraduates • Delays enrollment • Attends part-time • Works full-time (35+ hours per week) • Financially independent • Has dependents other than spouse • Is a single parent • Does not have a high school diploma • Minimally nontraditional • Only one of the seven • Moderately nontraditional • Two or three of the seven • Highly nontraditional • Four or more National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) – nces.ed.gov

8. Nontraditional Undergraduates • Public, two year • Participate in distance learning • Attend a for-profit • Convenience • Flexibility • Access

9. Convenience Flexibility Sense of connection with the institution Sense of connection with other learners in the institution Online learning success tips Help with technology Online Learners Beede, M., & Burnett, D. (1999) Planning for Student Services: Best Practices for the 21st Century. Ann Arbor: Society for College and University Planning.

10. Systems approach • Collaboration • Cross-functional teams • Integrated systems and processes • One source of data, electronic • Consistent information, common interfaces • Technology – enable not as solution How we do it!

11. The Right Mix • Access to resources • Timely • Convenient • What they need when they need it! • Intentional communication • Personalized • Data driven • Connection with other students • On their terms

12. Access to Resources

13. Best Practice Paradigm • One size does not fit all • Multiple locations • Multiple delivery formats • Ease of access • Clear, concise and consistent message

14. Multiple Points of Access • Registration Confirmation Email • Quick Start page • RioLearn Tutorial • RioLounge Online Orientation • New to Rio Icon • Online workshops (time management, stress) • WIMBA • Snail mail (postcard) • Outreach contact • Inbound contact • Advisement • Counseling • Enrollment • Chat • Phone • Email • Tools

16. Quick Start Guide Step 1: Is my computer ready Step 2: Find my mini syllabus Step 3: Order your Textbooks Step 4: Obtain your username and Password Step 5: Log into RioLearn

17. RioLearn Tutorial http://multimedia.riosalado.edu/ISTrain/riolearnvid/StudentMenu/StudentMenu.html

18. Orientation

19. Electronic Student System (ESF)

20. ESF Student View

21. Intentional Communication

22. Best Practices Paradigm • Get to know your student body • Identify what attracts students to your institution • Collect actionable data • Know the data that already exists (behavioral, demographic etc.) • Communication intentionally and in a timely manner • Personalize the communication – make sure it pertains to the student

23. Is a business strategy and a technology solution • Focus on managing customer (student) relationship in: • Marketing • Recruitment • Communication • Services • support • Retention and persistence • Benefit the organization by providing opportunities for automation • Places the customer in the “center of the universe” Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

24. Launched Microsoft CRM in August 2007 • Initial focus was on Recruitment • Purchase list • Align Phone Campaign with Marketing Efforts • Information Request Page, Incoming ACD Calls, SiteMax Chat • High School Info Cards Entered CRM at Rio Salado College

25. Retention and Retention Efforts • Sequential Course Emails • Ashford University Process Improvement • New To RioLearn • Life Happens • Declare a Degree Campaign Trial CRM at Rio Salado College

26. Using existing data to automate communication • Enrollment histories and demographics • Advisement records • Assignment & test scores • Participation in extracurricular activities (social networking) CRM Workflows

27. Outreach Campaigns

28. Recruitment Outreach Campaigns

29. Predictive Analytics • Behavioral Information • Seven characteristics • Surveys to gage enrollment patterns • Enrollment patterns • Participation in Orientations • Engagement with emails • Participation in co-curricular activities (RioLounge)

30. Connect with other students

31. Best Practices • Don’t be afraid of social media!

33. Increased participation Average Riolounge Accounts Created Per Day

34. RioLounge @ Glance 4216 students have uploaded 1624 pictures , posted 539 notes , and set 300 goals for themselves so far this year

35. Student Orientation to Online Learning • Required Reading • Get Ready to Start • Info About your Online Course • Know Where to Get Help • Discussion Boards • Form Study Groups • Meet new students Key Features

36. Personal profile (Facebook or My Space) • Program/Course Groups created by faculty to engage students outside of RioLearn • Access to other Student Services • Ask A Librarian • Helpdesks Key Features

37. UFindIt Contest – Sponsored by EducationDynamics. • Engages student to learn more about Rio and other subjects such as Fine Arts, Sports & Health, Student Life, and Science & Technology • Student wins $300 Gift Card Cool Features!

38. RioLounge

39. RIO LOUNGE DEMO

40. What will the future bring?