Online Student Offerings Discussion
In 2000 and 2003, the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) was funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) to research best practices in online student services. The commission’s research team reviewed the websites of a broad cross-section of institutions, evaluating the provision of online student services and identifying exceptional practices.
Imagine that you have been appointed to serve on a follow-up research team to assess the current state of online student services at several institutions across the country. Select and review 12 higher education institutions, two from each Carnegie classification (listed below). Prepare a 6–8-page report that evaluates each institution’s Web-based services. Use Burnett’s model of student services (Generations One through Four) to classify each institution and explain your reasoning for each classification.
For this project, you will need to spend time online visiting and reviewing multiple student services areas on each institution’s website. The evaluation will be based upon what you experience as an online visitor. Pages 91 and 92 of your Technology in Student Affairs: Supporting Student Learning and Services textbook provide additional details on each of Burnett’s generational models.
Carnegie Classifications:
Associate’s Colleges
Baccalaureate Colleges
Master’s Colleges and Universities
Doctorate-granting Universities
Special Focus Institutions
Tribal Colleges
Additional information on Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education can be found at the following website:
Carnegie Foundation. Carnegie classifications of institutions of higher education. Retrieved from http://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/