Online Learning team posing around NIU sign

A year in review: Highlights from the Office of Online Learning

News, Resources

As the demand for online education grew, the Office of Online Learning was established in 2023 to provide centralized support for NIU’s online learners. In its first year, a team of eight Online Student Success Specialists laid the foundation for this vital office, creating processes and procedures from scratch to better support NIU’s online students.

Lead Volume and Outreach

Graphic illustration of customer profiles connected to a target, representing customer relationship management and targeted marketing strategies.Over the past year, the Office of Online Learning has significantly enhanced its support services. The team followed up with 3,441 requests for information from prospective students, made over 12,086 interactions in Slate, 13,952 in Navigate, and held 420 one-on-one pre-scheduled appointments. These efforts were facilitated by a structured outreach framework, ensuring personalized and timely communication with prospective and continuing students. This outreach is complemented by the automated Slate drip marketing campaign built over the past year.

Events

The Office has dedicated significant effort to developing virtual events for prospective, new, and continuing online students, including the following:

  • NIU Online Admitted Student Webinar: Welcomed over 140 new students with an overall 80% attendance rate, covering essential topics like online student life, student services, and success strategies.
  • Virtual Open House: Collaborated with the College of Business to provide program insights through interactive sessions and student panels.
  • Virtual Trivia Night: A fun event during Graduate Student Appreciation Week, fostering community among our online students.
  • Program Info Sessions: Provides an overview of the program, offers an opportunity for attendees to ask any questions they have, and occur 1-2 times every month for select programs.

New Student Enrollment

Welcome aboard written on graphing paper on wood table next to a cup of coffeeOnline student enrollments for the population that the Office of Online Learning supports saw a significant increase in new student starts for the fall 2024 semester, up 26% year-over-year from last fall and prior to having a dedicated internal NIU team to provide comprehensive online student success services and support. The Office of Online Learning supports these students all the way through graduation.

Continuing Student Support

Online Support Conceptual IllustrationThe Office of Online Learning is essential in supporting the retention and progress of continuing students in eight NIU online programs. Staff assist with course planning, manage student registration each semester, and monitor engagement through Blackboard to promptly address any issues. Acting as a key liaison, the team ensures students have access to campus resources, connects them with professional development opportunities, and provides proactive, ongoing support throughout their academic journey, including for those who have paused their studies.

Additional Developments

Our team has introduced several new initiatives to enhance student support:

  • Enhanced Orientation: Equips new students with essential skills for navigating their digital learning environment and utilizing university resources.
  • Online Student Success Tip Series: Videos featuring our team sharing strategies for online learning success.
  • Student Success Podcast: Explores topics related to online education and the development of the Office of Online Learning.
  • Tutorial Videos: Help students navigate the digital learning environment and university processes.
  • UCF Coaching Academy: Completion of the Coaching Essential Practitioner training to ensure our support aligns with best practices in student success.
  • Weekly Virtual Office Hours: Consistent time each week tha team members are available on Zoom to engage with students in real time.
  • Welcome Calls: Proactive outreach to admitted students in select programs to congratulate them and generate excitement about the upcoming semester.

Looking Ahead

Action Plan Concept on a white table: Improvement, Check, Strategy, Act, Implementation, Schedule, Collaboration, ObjectiveWe’re currently working on a major redesign of the NIU Online website to provide a more comprehensive resource for students. This update will clarify processes, highlight services, and showcase the unique aspects of NIU Online.

The online learning team, in collaboration with campus support units, conducted a thorough review of online student services using the OLC Quality Scorecard to identify areas for improvement during the spring 2024 semester. We will be working towards synthesizing this feedback into a plan to guide our work over the next few years.

As we move forward, we remain committed to enhancing our support for NIU’s online students, continually adapting and improving to meet their needs throughout their academic journey!

For more information on the Office of Online Learning, please review the data and resources on our Year in Review webpage. To contact a member of our team, please visit our Staff webpage.

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