RETAINING STUDENTS IN ONLINE EDUCATION

Transcription

1 RETAINING STUDENTS IN ONLINE EDUCATION September 27 29, 2010 Atlanta, GA Conference material is applicable to all institutions, regardless of their current stage in development and/or implementation. Lisa Young, Academic Advisor/ Technology Coordinator, University of Alabama Engaging speakers and small conference size allowed me to participate more fully in learning and networking opportunities. Brighton Brooks, Academic Advisor & Faculty Liaison, University of Alaska Fairbanks I was able to gain important information, share ideas with other attendees and able to take ideas back to my institution. Diana Gomez, Retention Specialist, South Texas College I was very impressed with the speakers, content, & interaction with peers. I have learned valuable information that I will be able to incorporate at our institution immediately. Susan Pollock, Program Manager & Faculty of Education, University of Lethbridge This program provided excellent advice on the total institutional responsibilities for retention efforts. Mark, Kathleen, and Bill shared so many logical ways to tackle the retention challenge. Donna DuVall, Associate Dean, Cincinnati State Tech & Community College

2 OVERVIEW The promise and potential to transform lives through online learning are enormous. All too often, though, the promises of certificates and degrees are never met. Students fail to reach their potential, struggling to complete their coursework at a distance or dropping out altogether. In order to improve online student retention, especially during these difficult economic times, institutions need methods to track students, document progress, and put specific practices in place to ensure success. Join your colleagues to discuss practical strategies for online student retention. You will be engaged in small and large group discussions, brainstorming, and planning as you develop an action plan specific to the needs of your institution. WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND Online program managers, academic advisors, student services personnel, and retention and enrollment staff will learn: Retention practices that have proven most successful at other colleges and universities Multifaceted approaches and services that can increase capacity to serve, retain, and satisfy online students Models to support online students and help them succeed in online learning How to develop a plan for an online retention program Techniques for improving faculty satisfaction Discuss practical strategies for online student retention. PROGRAM FORMAT Please come prepared to engage with the conference instructors and your colleagues from other institutions. This highly interactive conference will offer you opportunity to directly apply the content of the program immediately to your institution and receive instant and direct feedback from the instructors. The conference is structured to offer best practices and practical information. You will have the opportunity to develop your own institutional action plan. 2

3 OPTIONAL PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, :00 9:00 a.m. Registration & Continental Breakfast for Pre-Conference Workshop Attendees 9:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m. Optional Pre-Conference Workshop: Online Graduate Student Retention Graduate programs represent one of the fastest growing areas within higher education, particularly online education. For students seeking career advancement or career transition, online graduate programs offer quality curricula with flexibility. From an institutional perspective, online graduate programs provide extensive opportunities to increase student enrollment. While graduate programs have the benefit of working with previous degree completers and students graduate within one to two years, graduate students have distinct expectations and pressures. This preconference session will focus on: Discovering new student market opportunities for online graduate programs Linking graduate student recruitment to matriculation Using backward design to link curricula to employment and retention Increasing graduate student engagement and retention through community development Examining online graduate program partnership opportunities with corporations, government agencies, non-profit organizations Utilizing benchmark data to lead sustainable online graduate programs Examining institutions which have doubled and tripled graduate program enrollments and revenues through online delivery 12:00 1:00 p.m. Lunch for Pre-Conference Workshop Attendees CONFERENCE AGENDA MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, :00 1:00 p.m. Check-in for Main Conference 1:00 1:30 p.m. Welcome & Opening Remarks 1:30 2:45 p.m. Rethinking Retention Given the increase in online courses and programs and the ongoing demographic shifts in the student population, traditional retention metrics may no longer provide a full picture of institutional effectiveness. However, with accountability and graduation rates becoming major issues, it is even more important to address retention in online education. In this session we will cover: How higher education institutions measure graduation rates Factors that improve course and program retention Student lifecycle stages that an institution touches a student and thereby has an opportunity to provide meaningful support services Barriers to student success in online education How you can develop a framework for increasing student retention and success The data crucial to a successful retention effort Developing framework for increasing student retention and success 2:45 3:00 p.m. Break 3:00 4:00 p.m. Identifying Needs In order to offer a successful online program, an institution needs to understand the unique needs of students taking online classes. There are usually specific reasons why these students enroll; being able to identify such reasons and respond appropriately can make or break a program. What skills do online learners need to be successful? Why do they enroll and what do they value in an online learning environment? These are some of the questions that this session will address, including: Characteristics of online students and addressing their needs Barriers to student success Creative ways to meet needs Organizing the program for maximum success through student services Mining your data to ensure deliverance on student needs 3

4 CONFERENCE AGENDA MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2010 (CONTINUED) 4:00 4:15 p.m. Break 4:15 5:15 p.m. Developing Dashboards for Data Management How can you monitor progress and performance within a student s lifecycle at your institution? What would a student retention dashboard look like? In this session, you will learn how to create a dashboard in order to: Select performance goals and track performance indicators Identify, track, trend, and correct problems Identity operational efficacies 5:15 6:30 p.m. Networking Reception (included in registration) TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, :00 8:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast (included in registration) 8:30 10:00 a.m. Measuring Your Retention Success This session will discuss the significant characteristics of your student population and clarify retention goals at each step in the process from application to the end of the first term. Subjects to be discussed include: Understanding application, registration, and withdrawal patterns Documenting the overall performance of online students based on a variety of factors Modeling students who are likely to fail and those who are likely to come back 10:00 10:45 a.m. Measuring Retention in Your Own Work This session provides an opportunity for you to start planning how the information you ve learned thus far can be tailored to your institutional setting. 10:45 11:00 a.m. Break 11:00 a.m. 12:15 p.m. Critical Support Services To meet the needs of students, institutions are challenged to integrate a wide range of student services to promote academic achievement and retention. Given tough economic times, schools might be tempted to cut back on services because of cost or budget. Through discussion and group work, this session will focus on an array of support services from academic advising to online tutoring and library services. Further discussion will center around: Providing a range of academic support programming for persistence Setting priorities for integrated support approach Cross-campus partnerships to support student persistence Identifying continuous needs for continuous assessment and evaluation 12:15 1:30 p.m. Lunch (included in registration) 1:30 2:45 p.m. Early Engagement Through Online First-Year Experiences As a continuation of our discussion on student support strategies, this session will offer methods to engage and connect online students from the first point of contact. We will also discuss the role of pre-enrollment orientation, the benefits of an online first-year experience, and how to integrate online student services into instruction and assessment. 2:45 3:00 p.m. Break 3:00 4:15 p.m. Role of Faculty & Academic Advisors in Online Student Retention Helping faculty identify signs of at-risk student behaviors are only the start of the process of retaining students. Having faculty share such information with campus support services staff is critical to providing support. In this session we will cover steps to assist faculty to identify early warning signs and discuss how to effectively connect faculty to institutional support services so they can properly direct students. 4

5 CONFERENCE AGENDA TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2010 (CONTINUED) 4:15 5:00 p.m. Tailoring Online Support Services to Your Own Institution In groups of similar institutional types, you will work on your action plan focusing on support techniques and customizing the plan to your own institution. You will receive guidance from the conference instructors. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, :30 9:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast (included in registration) 9:00 10:15 a.m. One Stop Shop Delivering Support Services Online This session will help you identify and provide guidance on steps to develop online approaches to delivering student support services. The discussion of online support services will be framed by use of the student lifestyle model. 10:15 10:30 a.m. Break 10:30 11:45 a.m. Benchmarking The session will examine the monitoring of student progression from term-to-term. Techniques for benchmarking persistence, enrollment trends, and graduation rates will also be discussed. Measures of student engagement and satisfaction against both internal and external benchmarks will also be reviewed. 11:45 a.m. 12:15 p.m. Next Steps Toward Better Retention/Q&A We will bring the conference full-circle by summarizing the needs and retention issues of the participating institutions, identifying needs and trends, support strategies, and retention success measurements presented in the conference. You will have another opportunity to ask any lingering questions. INSTRUCTORS Conference Chair: Mark Parker, Associate Professor of Communication Studies and former Assistant Provost, Academic Affairs, University of Maryland University College As a former assistant provost for academic affairs, Mark advised UMUC s president and provost on policy issues including accreditation, state and national oversight of higher education, and accountability. He also coordinated UMUC activities in new academic program development, student success and retention, the assessment of student learning outcomes, and quality enhancement of online courses and services. Mark is now a faculty member in UMUC s Communication Studies department and the academic director of professional writing programs for the School of Undergraduate Studies. In this role he is responsible for the creation, revision, and assessment of online undergraduate business and technical writing courses; he also supervises a cadre of 70 full- and part-time faculty who teach more than 400 online course sections per year. Kristen Betts, Associate Clinical Professor, School of Education s Higher Education Program, Drexel University Kristen s expertise is centered on the recruitment, engagement, and retention of online/blended students and faculty. She is the founding director of the Master of Science in Higher Education (MSHE) Program at Drexel and is the coordinator for student engagement & faculty development initiatives. In 2008, the MSHE Program received the Best Practices Award in Distance Learning Programming from the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA). In 2009 she was named as one of Drexel University s award recipients for _Outstanding Online Instructor. Kristen is currently serving as the chair on the subcommittee for Research on Academic Advising for Online Education which is associated with the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA). Bill Bloemer, Research Associate & Dean Emeritus of Arts & Sciences, University of Illinois Springfield Bill served for more than 16 years as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois Springfield. During that time, the college implemented several successful online baccalaureate degrees and grant programs. He is now emeritus dean and emeritus professor of chemistry and clinical laboratory science and a research associate with the Office of Technology Enhanced Learning at UIS. Kathleen Polley, Director, Online RN-BS Program, University of Massachusetts Boston Kathleen is the director of the online RN-BS program at the University of Massachusetts Boston where she has implemented the first online undergraduate program. In her role as director, she oversees academic support provision for both the synchronous and asynchronous components of the web-based program, including student recruitment, retention, and progression through the program. She has taught at the undergraduate level in both media-based and face-to-face learning environments. 5

6 HOTEL RESERVATIONS The conference will be held at: Sheraton Atlanta Downtown 165 Courtland Street NE Atlanta,GA To reserve your room, call Please indicate that you are with the Academic Impressions group to receive the room rate of $169 for single or double occupancy, plus applicable tax. A room block has been reserved for the nights of September 26-28, Reservations must be made by September 1, There are a limited number of rooms available at the conference rate. Please make your reservations early. Conveniently located in Atlanta s downtown corridor, the Sheraton Atlanta is within walking distance of shopping at Peachtree Center and attractions such as Hard Rock Café, the Georgia World Congress Center, and the Georgia Dome. Also within walking distance of the hotel, you ll find Underground Atlanta, a multi-level mall below ground that features boutiques, eateries, and seasonal entertainment. Dining options include martinis on the poolside terrace at Fandangos, leisurely breakfasts at Collage, and mile-high sandwiches at the hotel deli. 6

7 Attend as a team remember, if you register as a group, every 4th registrant is free. Questions about the event? Call us at to help determine if this event is right for you. Register online at REGISTRATION FEES Your registration fee includes: full access to all conference sessions and materials, access to the networking reception on Monday, breakfast and lunch on Tuesday, and breakfast on Wednesday, as well as refreshments and snacks throughout the conference. Postmarked on or before September 10, 2010 Retaining Students in Online Education Conference and Workshop Retaining Students in Online Education Conference only (For registrations postmarked after September 10, 2010, an additional $100 fee per registrant applies) $1395 USD $1095 USD Check here if you have any dietary or accessibility needs. Please list any needs in the space below and we will do our best to accommodate you. How did you hear about this event? ( from AI, colleague forwarded , The Chronicle, etc.) CONFERENCE REGISTRATION INFORMATION (PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY) Name Job Title Address Name Preferred for Badge Institution/Organization City State/Province Zip/Postal Code Country (For registration confirmations and pre-conference communication. FOR ADDITIONAL REGISTRANTS PLEASE COMPLETE ADDITIONAL FORMS.) Telephone Fax Additional Contact Name Additional Contact Title Emergency Contact Name (In case of emergency, we will contact this person on your behalf) Additional Contact Emergency Contact Phone Additional Contact Phone SIGN UP FOR FREE HIGHER ED NEWS & ANALYSIS Academic Impressions is happy to offer free higher education daily news updates and weekly analysis, delivered in an easy-to-scan . Your daily edition includes: Top stories hand-selected from thousands of publications Reports on new research findings & trends affecting higher ed Daily events & notable practices from a variety of institutions Sign me up for Daily Impact Your weekly edition includes: Brief, at-a-glance analysis of current trends & research Insights and recommendations from top industry experts Specific takeaways: how the news may impact your institution Sign me up for Higher Ed Impact: Weekly Analysis PAYMENT METHOD We accept Visa, MC, and AmEx credit cards. To pay by check, include the check with this form or select the invoice me option. Fax form to or mail form along with payment to: Academic Impressions, 4643 S. Ulster St. Ste. 350, Denver, CO CREDIT CARD Please charge my credit card: (Visa, MC, AmEx) Name on Card Account Number Exp. Date Billing Zip Code/Postal Code Security Code (last 3 digits on the back of Visa and MC or 4 digits on front of AmEx) CHECK/INVOICE My check is included and covers Check # Please invoice me Purchase Order # (PO# not required to receive invoice) registration(s) REFUND/CANCELLATION POLICY Refunds will be issued only if cancellations are received in writing by July 2, A $100 processing fee will be assessed. After July 2, 2010 a credit (less $100 processing fee) will be issued. The credit will be valid for 12 months and can be used toward any future conferences, web conferences, audio proceedings, or web conference archives. In case this event is cancelled, Academic Impressions' liability is limited to a refund of this registration fee only. Questions about the event? Call us at to help determine if this event is right for you. 7