Retaining Online Students with a First Year Experience Program

It’s a fact that more and more students, and more and more institutions, are embracing online and blended classes.

But it’s also a fact that distance learners are anywhere from 10 to 20 percent less likely than traditional students to persist to graduation.

Given the success of First-Year Experience programs in retaining traditional students, it’s reasonable to assume they could have the same impact on distance learners.

The question is: How do you create a meaningful online FYE program?

We provide the answers in this seminar presented by David Ruth, Ph.D., and Kristen Betts, Ed.D. – Dean of Students and associate clinical professor, respectively, and principals in Drexel University’s 2011 NASPA Gold Award and Grand Bronze Medal-winning program.

In 90-minutes, Drs. Ruth and Betts provide you with program best practices and insights to help you increase nontraditional student engagement. Discover how to:

• Identify and catalogue key services on your campus that can be easily replicated in an online FYE.
• Engage students early by integrating support services into a pre-orientation program, online FYE, and the curriculum.
• Acquaint students with academic, social and professional communities through enrollment in planned, optional activities.
• Use campus technology to reduce costs and redundancy in hosting events.
• Create a program that increases engagement and retention from enrollment through graduation, and into active alumni engagement.
• Hear examples of innovative approaches being adopted on other campuses, ranging from online convocations to alumni webcasts to virtual wine and cheese events.

Who will benefit from this seminar?

• Department chairs/directors of online and blended programs
• Full-time, part-time and adjunct faculty
• Academic and student affairs deans
• Academic advisors
• Recruitment/retention specialists

The Discussion Guide for Facilitators

To help you boost student engagement, put the strategies you learned to work and find ways to share best practices, you also get a copy of the Discussion Guide for Facilitators.

TO ORDER: Retaining Online Students with a First Year Experience Program
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