Tools and Resources for Student Retention in Online College Programs

This monograph examines student advising in the higher education setting by focusing on shared responsibility strategies that enhance student motivation and persistence in a diverse student population. In the first two sections, a new concept of advising called developmental advising is described in which the relationship between advisor and student is vital and in which the advisor's role is to help the student look at long-term as well as immediate goals.

The tenth annual survey, a collaborative effort between the Babson Survey Research Group and the College Board, is the leading barometer of online learning in the United States. Based on responses from over 2,800 academic leaders, the complete survey report, "Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United States" can be downloaded here.

By mid-term summer semester 2012, Gina Cannell was struggling with her online statistics course. After failing a few quizzes and an exam, she worried her C grade would get worse. She asked her professor for extra help, but couldn't work through sample problems alone online. She needed live instruction.

As the amount of Facebook and Twitter users continue to grow, more and more colleges and universities have begun using social media sites as outlets to relay information to current students. Doing so can help build a sense of community among students and provide students with an easy way to access need-to-know information and resources, thus promoting your school and encouraging student persistence.

Competition discourages collaboration. The competitive environment of higher education—with institutions in a virtual race for faculty, students, and research funds—works against collaboration. This competition, though healthy, can impede institutions' ability to achieve collective impact, diffuse innovation, and drive needed changes in higher education.