Traditionally, distance education has focused solely on delivery of online courses, including little focus on student activities, clubs, and community. This directly conflicts with the longstanding awareness that community involvement, campus life, student activities, and institutional activities are essential for student buy-in, and ultimately, student retention. In this May 14, 2013 webinar, the executive education team at Centura College demonstrated an array of approaches and techniques they use, within the online classroom and other internet-based utilities, to build the identity of the school and retention of its students. These presenters demonstrated different approaches that can be used within online courses, curriculum development, and environments outside of the classroom to promote engagement and retention.

1. Extracurricular Activities in
Online Programs
Distance Education Is More than Coursework
Will White, Director of Online Learning
Shannon McGurk, Director of Education
Joel English, Regional Director

2. Overview
• Student engagement and extracurricular
activities
• Connecting students to campus
• Centura Connect

3. Student Engagement Defined
• “Student engagement represents the time and
effort students devote to activities that are
empirically linked to desired outcomes of
college and what institutions do to induce
students to participate in these activities”
(Kuh, 2009).

4. Why Extracurricular Activities?
• Tie students to campus
• Begin building professional networks
• Source of support

5. Groups with Unique Needs
• Non-traditional students
• Online students
• These groups need quality extracurriculars the
most
• However, they are unlikely to participate
outside of class

6. Non-Traditional Students
• Defined as students over 25
• 43% of students at degree-granting schools
nationwide (NCES, 2011)
• 66% of Centura College students
• Nontraditional students:
– Are often more career-focused than traditional
students
– Often have jobs and families
– May have been out of school for a long time

7. Online Students
• Defined as students taking one or more
courses online
• 32% of students take at least one online
course (Allen & Seaman, 2013)
• 29% of Centura College students take entire
program online
• Roughly 500 additional residential students
take online coursework each semester

8. Challenges for Online Students
• Students taking mostly/only online classes
aren’t automatically connected to campus
• Online students have few opportunities to
interact with their instructors or classmates
outside of class
• Students taking asynchronous courses may
not have common availability

9. Aspects of Extracurriculars
• Take into account differing time commitments
for different students
• Be relatable to students’ future careers
• Acknowledge or include students’ families
• Bring together online students

10. Considerations for Online Students
• Time: synchronous and asynchronous
activities
• Usability of technology
• Institutional control vs. student-driven
activities

11. Timing is Everything…..
• We grab our students on Day 1
– Student Success in College and the Workplace

13. Student
Services
Acclimation
Connection
Support

14. Connect
Outline Goals &
Objectives
Professional &
Career Development
Workshops
Assist in Career
Placement
Career Services

15. Financial Aid Counseling
Student Loans Title IV Bills
Housing Employment Student Payments

16. Academic
Advisor
Instructor
Program
Coordinator
Campus DOE
Academic Resources

17. The Social Networking Model
• LMS for Coursework
• Social Networking Site for Extracurriculars
• What is it about social networking, anyway?

18. LMS vs. Social Network
• LMS Suggests Classroom
• Social Network Suggests Student Union

19. Extracurricular Activities in
Online Programs
Distance Education Is More than Coursework
Will White, Director of Online Learning
Shannon McGurk, Director of Education
Joel English, Regional Director