October 12, 2012

Addendum:

Online Student Support Services

College of the Desert offers a comprehensive set of online student support services to all prospective and currently enrolled students. Online services available to students begins with a comprehensive College website that includes information about the admissions process, registration in courses, student support services, academic programs, college policy and student life activities. Through our websitestudents have 24-hour access to online admissions application (CCCApply),online financial aid information and applications (FAFSA), an online orientation program, electronic forms and petitions, online FAQs with regard to counseling and advising, and links to various services outside of the College. (Please see attached web shots.)

Specific onlinestudent support services offered to distance education students include:

  1. Online Application
  2. College of the Desert utilizes the state-wide CCCApply common application for admissions purposes. Students can access the application via the COD website or directly through CCCApply. Students who are having difficulty with the application are often assisted via telephone and CCCApply offers online technical support.
  3. Online New Student Orientation
  • College of the Desert implemented an online orientation program over four years ago. Students who complete the online orientation are provided with a registration date over the telephone or via e-mail. Students who meet the criteria for a matriculation wavier can access the matriculation waiver form online and submit the form via e-mail or fax for review and approval.
  1. Online and Telephone Counseling and Advising
  • Counselors are available to distance education students via telephone and/or e-mail. Appointments can be made via telephone or via an online appointment system called E-SARS. If needed, students are able to submit documents to counselors via fax and/or as e-mail attachments for use during counseling/advising sessions. Students can also access the College's online catalog and schedule of classes for counseling and advising purposes via the College's website.
  • Through its webpage, the Counseling Center also offers a counseling services FAQ and several links to academic planning resources (such as ASSIST.org, UC Pathways, and CSU Mentor) that can be accessed by distance education students on a 24 hour basis.
  • Students also have the ability to check on their progress toward degree attainment via their online WebAdvisor account.
  1. Online Financial Aid Services
  • The College's Financial Aid department has a comprehensive webpage that provides extensive information about the financial aid resources available to students. Applications and petitions are available online and can be submitted via fax or as e-mail attachments. Financial Aid staff are available for telephone appointments and are accessible via e-mail.
  1. Online Registration for Courses

All students, including distance education students, are able to access a live online course schedule and can register for classes online via WebAdvisor. Student who are experiencing technical difficulties with regard to WebAdvisor can receive assistance from the Counseling Center via telephone or online via a WebAdvisor technical assistance link. Students are also able to pay fees, sign-up for the payment plan, and request refunds online.

  1. Online Access to Graduation Evaluation and Academic Records
  • The College's Admissions and Records office provides students with online access to the various forms and petitions related to graduation evaluation and access to student records. For example, student can request copies of transcripts online, submit petitions via e-mail or fax, submit graduation evaluation requests online, and can consult with an Admissions and Records specialist via telephone or e-mail.

Through its Title V - HSI grant, the college is also in the process of implementing a student portal system. This portal will allow students to access their various accounts (WebAdvisor, Blackboard, e-mail, etc.) through the use of a single sign-on. This portal will also allow the College to more efficiently send information to students electronically through general information posts on the student portal. The College is currently engaged in implementing the portal software and integrating it with our student database (Datatel). Pilot testing will occur will small groups of students during the latter part of the Fall 2012 term and early part of the Spring 2013 term, with full implementation scheduled for May 2013.

In addition, the College is utilizing its Title V - HSI grant to implement an early alert system. This software, integrated with our student database (Datatel) and student portal system, will enable instructional faculty members to electronically refer students to the various support services on campus (i.e., counseling, tutoring, academic skills labs, etc.). Once a student has been identified and referred, the appropriate service area will be notified via the early alert system and can electronically follow up with individual students to make them aware of available services. As this early alert system will be integrated with the student portal, the implementation timeline will closely mirror that of the student portal project. Pilot testing will occur during the 2012 - 2013 academic year with full implementation scheduled for September 2013.

Lastly, the College conducts surveys and reviews data on the use of support services by remote users. The Education Technology Committee of the Academic Senate has surveyed faculty and staff within the past two years. Currently, the Community College Survey of Student Engagement is being administered. The results will be reviewed and considered to ensure that DE students are being served effectively. While the results of some data analysis are implemented on the fly, some requires broader planning efforts and are incorporated into departmental annual Program Reviews and Program Review Updates. These program review documents are the foundation for planning and implementation at College of the Desert.

Students are provided with direct access toonline resources via the College website located at:

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