Successful Support Services for Online and Distance Learners

When students on campus have questions about dropping a course, moving into a different residence hall, or applying for financial aid, you know exactly where to send them.

But what if that student works a 9-to-5 job and can’t get in touch with an advisor during normal business hours? Or what do you do when an online student gets behind in coursework because of a personal problem? Or wants to transfer into a different program? And what if that student’s first language isn’t English?

Student services have always been a critical component of higher education, but delivering them to students who never set foot on campus can pose unique and sometimes significant challenges. Not anymore.

Thanks to a model developed by Florida State College at Jacksonville, other colleges and universities can replicate a virtual Welcome Center designed to serve online and distance students. Learn how to adapt the welcome center approach or adopt components of it in Successful Support Services for Online and Distance Learners.

The 75-minute audio seminar on CD details the tools and strategies for providing exceptional service to online and distance students. The Florida State College District Welcome Center covers everything from the initial contact, admissions, and financial aid to advising, enrollment and registration, and all other necessary assistance via a single employee in a single interaction with minimal transfer to other parties. By embracing and employing innovative technologies, the Welcome Center effectively supports the unique needs of its diverse learners and enables them to meet their educational goals.

Developed by Florida State College’s Kimberly Hardy, Ph.D.,, Executive Director of Student Success and Learning Engagement, and Katie Meyer-Griffith, Campus Achievement Leader, Successful Support Services for Online and Distance Learners: A Magna Online Seminar provides insight into and tactical steps for developing all of the essential facets of a proven online student success center, including the following:

• Physical call center structure
• A recommended staffing plan
• A 24/7 knowledge base
• An extensive phone tree and call center system
• A centralized, electronic workflow system
• An advisor training series

Seminar recommendations focus on building the infrastructure of a virtual welcome center and will cover physical layout, staffing (including student employees), and technological components necessary to provide all vital student services. Hardy and Meyer-Griffith also will share tips on designing and implementing an extensive training program for student success professionals working in a virtual environment. This includes a segment on valuable lessons learned to ensure extraordinary service standards are upheld.

Who should view Successful Support Services for Online and Distance Learners

• Vice presidents of student affairs or enrollment management
• Deans of student development or success
• Deans or directors of distance learning
• Directors of advising services

Supporting online and distance learners can be more challenging than teaching them. But Florida State College at Jacksonville has developed a program that works, and they are willing to share their strategies so that you can provide your online and distance students with all the services they need to meet their educational goals as well as your institutional standards.

TO ORDER: Successful Support Services for Online and Distance Learners
Description Price Seminar CD only $279 Seminar CD w/ Campus Access License $479	Satisfaction Guaranteed If you're not completely satisfied, return your purchase within 30 days of receipt for a full refund.