With the growing popularity of online classes, colleges and universities have begun taking a hard look at how they deliver their student services to their distance education population. If a student in Alaska is taking online courses from a school in Texas, that particular student cannot hop into the car and drive down to the financial aid office to get some questions answered. The information might be on the website, and the student could possibly call the office – but fortunately, there are now better ways of communicating with distance education students.
One way that schools have decided to tackle this issue is by developing virtual campuses for their online students. Historically, a “virtual campus” just referred to schools that offered online classes and programs. These courses were similar to the ones delivered on a college campus, but they were housed on a learning management system that allowed the student to work from home. However, with more students taking advantage of online courses from outside their home states, a virtual campus now typically includes other student affairs resources such as admissions, financial aid and career services.
With the growing needs of virtual campuses, many campuses are beginning to offer assistance with online student services that work beyond the classroom. One of the key focus areas today is accessibility. As most students with disabilities require documentation for their modifications to be implemented, an advanced online student service can help automate the process, allowing for paperless distribution of those modifications.
Another area that is benefiting from the growth in online student services is the virtual career center. Career counselors now have all the tools to assist their students, wherever they are, on everything from resumes tips and edits to performing mock interviews. Virtual students don’t miss out. They can still form relationships with counselors via video conferences and various other online forms of communication. Even on-campus students can benefit with a job kiosk, which allows students on campus to walk to any kiosk, swipe a card and get the latest in job information.
There are a lot of options available to institutions that are looking to build an effective virtual campus, and choosing between them can be an overwhelming process. By selecting a single set of services that can enable the learning and career growth of distance education students, a college can distinguish itself and attract the kind of talent it needs to flourish.
