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IntroductionUntil recently, the number of courses offered entirely online was extremely small. The number of full degree programs available online was considerably more limited. And, the services provided to support distant learners were almost non-existent. But that has begun to change with an increasing number of institutions now developing materials, courses and full degree programs online. Despite the rising use of information technology in instruction, both in the traditional classroom and at a distance, there remains a paucity of online student services that are equivalent to on-campus resources. Some well-established online programs, for example, still require the student to submit application materials and payment through standard means (e.g., coming to campus or using regular mail), despite the existence of excellent e-services in other areas. To attract and retain new students, institutions that provide e-learning, whether offering totally online or hybrid (blending face to face instruction with an electronic modality) courses, cannot effectively provide new distance learning programs without providing the academic and student support services needed for student success. Students will demand these services and the presence or absence of them may make the difference with regard to the institution the prospective student selects. Furthermore, accrediting agencies will be looking much more closely to ensure that appropriate services are available to support online learners. The absence of physical proximity creates the need for new structures and processes, new ways of thinking and new approaches to recruiting and retaining students. Interestingly, many institutions have found that by designing and providing accessible support services for their off-campus students, they are better able to serve on-campus students as well. A New ApproachAn increasing number of institutions have instituted the concept of a Call Center as the focal point of their technological and student services integration. Call centers are single points of contact, accessed by a toll-free number and supported by an integrated system of resources that provide seamless support for students and faculty on an anytime, anywhere basis. Call Centers allow colleges and universities to be both technologically sophisticated in their support of e-learning while at the same time offering highly personalized service...high tech and high touch. Using telephones, internet-based resources and tracking software, the Call Center includes staff (onsite or outsourced), online content that supports staff, faculty and students, and automated procedures and functions. Students and faculty are able to contact the call center for personal support and appropriate resolution of issues. The center provides a centralized tracking and management system for all inquiries, issues and support needs. Staffed by trained, customer service-oriented professionals, a Call Center is primarily dedicated to helping students. It is a way to initiate communication with other campus staff, as well as a resource for admission information, course consultation, enrollment in classes, academic advice, personal assistance, degree audit, financial aid assistance and the array of other services needed to successfully complete a course or degree program. When trained effectively, Call Center staff can assist students with information on course and degree requirements and in selecting the appropriate degree program; help complete an admission application; provide information on financial aid and placement testing; and aid in understanding technical requirements and technical problems. Most importantly, individuals in the Call Center are well-versed in understanding the fundamental differences, both strengths and weaknesses, between a traditional classroom-based courses and programs and those offered at a distance or online.
Creating the Call CenterThe creation of Call Centers can be achieved by adding new staff or by shifting staff and responsibilities from other offices. What is most important is that those offices and functions that will be affected are involved in the planning of the new center. Business process re-engineering is an excellent way to determine which functions can be shifted to the "student services generalists" in the Call Center and which should remain in the existing units to be handled by "specialists." Several examples may help to make this point. Call Center staff are capable of assisting students in understanding what hardware, software and telecommunications capacity they will need to participate in an online course and they can certainly assist in answering the most commonly asked question: "Can you tell me my password?" The staff of the technical help-desk, however, might be in a better position to answer the more difficult technical questions. Likewise, Call Center staff can answer an array of questions about financial aid and provide students with an update of their status while more complex questions are best answered by the financial aid specialists. While Call Center generalists often provide academic information to prospective students and academic advising to those who have not declared a major, advising of majors is usually left to the department faculty. Often institutions begin thinking about how to provide better, more seamless services to online students and find that changes in their processes benefit on campus students as well. Alternatively, some institutions have begun with the creation of one-stop shops for their on-campus students and find that they can more easily serve online students as a result. Beyond those services that help prospective and current students resolve specific issues, some institutions provide retention support to ensure that online students adapt and succeed in this new approach to learning. Contact is made by both telephone and email for a variety of reasons. For example, students who have not logged on within a week of the course start can contacted by phone to see if they are having trouble accessing the course. Using the telephone rather than email is often essential if students are having technical difficulties. Students who are having academic difficulty may be contacted and advised of tutorial opportunities. This proactive approach helps ensure student success and allows students to become an integral part of the college community. Faculty SupportCall Centers also provide support to faculty, particularly those who do not have offices on campus. However, even campus-based faculty may need assistance with the logistics of getting material to distant students or learning about faculty development and training opportunities. The Call Center may be involved assisting faculty who have students with disabilities in their courses, provide information on obtaining copyright, and check a student's record and answer questions about various policies and procedures. Cost of the Call CenterThe cost of implementing a Call Center will depend, in part, on the approach taken by the institution, the functions performed, the hours of operation and current availability of web-based resources and databases. Shifting staff resources from other units into the Call Center, since some functions previously performed in these separate units will be assumed by the Call Center, may accommodate the cost. There are staff at all institutions such as HelpDesk, admissions, advising, enrollment services and other personnel who have regular contact with students, faculty or both. They are already trained in some of the services that are necessary to support e-learning. Institutions with adult and continuing education often have staff with considerable expertise in assisting students with general help such as registration and bill paying who can also direct them to the most appropriate program or course of study. Combining some of these areas may reduce duplication of services on campus and reduce the overall cost of supporting students. Call Centers and one-stop services require staff that are trained to provide and array of information and services, including strong skills in customer service. They must be facile with the use of web-resources and databases to provide current, accurate information to students. Institutions are likely to need to increase training budgets and may well see additional costs associated with reclassifying positions to higher levels. This does suggest that institutions will need to redistribute funds to accommodate these shifts. Furthermore, if the provision of robust and personalized services helps to increase enrollment and improves retention rates, the institution may eventually need to add staff to the Call Center to accompany the increase in students. The additional tuition can be allocated, in part, to offset these additional costs. Institutions should also consider the costs of not providing services to students and faculty in the most seamless manner possible. Despite the wide range of computer-sophistication of both traditional age and older students, there is an ever-increasing level of comfort with the convenience of conducting transactions on the Web. The demand for such services by students and faculty will continue to increase. Web-based services that support instruction and give off-campus students access to services equivalent to those found on-campus often affect organizational structure. These structures will vary by institution and there is no single correct way to organize. Institutions that seek to provide integrated services may find that previous divisions between student services, academic affairs, and back-office administration is an impediment to implementing seamless support. Some institutions will reorganize offices, merging the bursar's office, financial aid, admissions and other student administrative services. Other institutions might adopt an approach where units remain independent but they collaborate, cross-train staff, engage in joint planning and share responsibility for answering a toll-free number. New technologies will continue to provide an opportunity to rethink the traditional roles, responsibilities and processes of staff, faculty and administration. Relational databases and student management systems allow for significantly more powerful information collection, processing and analysis. Centralized, institutional-focused services are yielding to decentralized, individualized, learner-centered services. It will be structural change that will allow for new ways of providing flexibility, one-stop services and creative faculty and academic process that enhance learning.
Call Center Implementation ProcessWhile the functions provided and the staffing and training needed will vary by institution, the following process of designing and implementing a Call Center or one-stop shop on campus can be effectively used by most institutions.
Frequently Asked QuestionsFor Call Center Staff and website, each institution will need to provide the appropriate answers. General Information General InformationWhat are these distance learning courses? What is distributed education? How can I find out if these courses will work for me? Will I be able to communicate with the faculty member and other students? Are these courses as hard as regular college courses? What are the advantages of taking a distance learning course? Are the courses as good as on-campus courses? What computer skills will I need to take these courses? How can I get help if I need it? Which technology works best? What are the characteristics of successful distance learners?
Is a degree earned via technology equal to one earned on campus? Career Advising and InformationIs career advising and assessment available to me prior to enrolling in a program? Is there a fee for this service? How and where is it available? AdmissionsDo I need to be in a degree program to take a course? Do I have to be matriculated at the campus offering the course? How/where do I apply for admission to a degree program? Does the institution grant credit for prior learning? Can you "test out" of certain courses? Is advanced placement available? Can I take courses before being admitted? If so, how many? Do you accept transfer credits? Student Support ServicesWhat support services are available to distant students and how are they accessed? Is there an orientation for students new to distance learning? Is there a handbook and/or website? Is there a distance education office or a single point of information? Will I be assigned an advisor? Is there a fee for student support services? Is there a place/site I can go to for assistance with study skills? Is on line tutoring available? What subjects are available? Registration InformationWhere can I register for the course? How can I register?
How can I get more info about the courses?
If I live out-of-state, can I register for courses? Tuition? Advising/Placement Exam InformationHow can I communicate with an advisor and when?
Is the advisor knowledgeable in all degrees/courses offered? If I want to contact the instructor for more information, is that possible and how?
What is a placement exam? Should I study for it? Will it affect my admission? Why do I need to take a placement exam? Do I need to take the exam if I've taken other college courses? Have a college degree? Do I have to take SAT's? Will you take my SAT scores in lieu of the placement exam? If it is too far to travel to a center to take my placement exam, are there other options?
Do I need an appointment to take a placement exam? How will I find out if I need to take developmental courses? Where can I take these courses?
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