| During the fall 2011 semester 1,089 students dropped an online course at Wilmington University. This loss totaled 11.8% of the initial online enrollment for the fall semester. For the university this is a staggering increase from the 6.6% drop rate for an on-campus course. If there is a high attrition rate, the perception is that the institution has a quality problem. Identifying the reasons why students drop courses is critical in determining what services and delivery methods Wilmington University will need to provide in order to ensure successful completion of online courses.;The purpose of this project is to help Wilmington University improve retention through the lens of student service. This Executive Position Paper (EPP) examines the problem of students dropping an online course, identifies gaps in student services, and recommends interventions to help keep students on track to complete courses. In particular, the following issues are examined: (1) Characteristics of student participants; (2) Student expectations and satisfaction with current academic and co-curricular services; (3) Technical and service needs associated with online learning (e.g., electronic communication, technical difficulties); (4) Reasons students drop out of online courses; (5) Factors that facilitate course completion, including student persistence and social interactions; and service directors' recommendations. |
