IU Online Newsletter - May 18, 2016

As part of the vision for online education outlined in Moving Forward 2.0 and in Executive Vice President for University Academic Affairs John Applegate’s Model for Collaborative Online Education, the Office of Online Education (OOE) has made the development of seamless student services for students interested and enrolled in IU’s online programs a priority.

With funding from the distance education fee, OOE will partner with campuses to deliver an initial set of services that are critical to supporting online enrollment growth and student success. These services do not replace the services currently provided by the campuses, USSS, or the University Bursar, but will instead add to these services and adapt what is currently available to the needs of online students. 

Purpose: Provide personalized and individualized recruitment of prospective students to IU Online programs. Implement a high-touch, high-energy recruitment plan to maximize the effectiveness of the comprehensive IU Online recruitment and marketing plan. Coordinate IU Online conversion plan with campus recruitment plans to ensure efficiency and effectiveness of resource utilization.

Project leader:Angie Siders, director of undergraduate admissions at IU Kokomo

Career Services

Purpose: Provide career service planning and counseling to IU Online students. Emphasis on maintaining and improving placement rates of graduates and maintaining statistics regarding these placements.

Project leader:Alison Bell, director of the degree completion office at IUPUI

Coaching/Mentoring

Purpose: Provide weekly contact with new online students to assist with the transition back to college and/or online classes. Contact will continue throughout the first semester and will remain available to students until they graduate. Assigned coach/mentor will assess needs of students and refer students to services available, providing support and ensuring that services were provided.

Project leaders:Mary Blakefield, interim vice chancellor for academic affairs and associate vice chancellor for student support and engagement at IU East; Alison Bell, director of the degree completion office at IUPUI

Financial Aid and Services

Purpose: Provide information and proactive monitoring of financial aid and financial counseling to current and prospective students. Attention will be given to building relationships with individual students and to broad-based communications and educational modules. 

Project leader:Marvin Smith, director of student financial services at IUPUI

Math and Writing Support Services

Purpose: Provide 24/7 academic support services for online students who are enrolled at any IU campus and who need help in an online course.

Project leader:Mary Blakefield, interim vice chancellor for academic affairs and associate vice chancellor for student support and engagement at IU East

Onboarding/Orientation

Purpose: Design and implement an online “onboarding and orientation” program for students new to online education. Provide assistance and support to familiarize students with the technology and expectations of online courses and programs. 

Students who are new to online courses will be invited to complete a series of online modules that introduce and acculturate them to IU Online.  

Project leader:Alison Bell, director of the degree completion office at IUPUI