Best Practices for Supporting Online Students in the Dissertation Phase
Concurrent Session 7
Brief Abstract
Online doctoral students are often working adults, balancing the demands of work, school, and family. Ensuring these students are well supported can be challenging. In this session, we will discuss strategies for engaging and supporting online students during the dissertation phase and share ideas across institutions for supporting students effectively.
Presenters
Extended Abstract
For working adults, online doctoral programs provide an opportunity to earn an advanced degree when traditional, face-to-face programs are not feasible. In any type of doctoral program (face-to-face, hybrid, online), students who are in the dissertation phase typically need a great deal of support. However, online doctoral students, who are often working adults balancing the demands of work, school, and family, may require additional and/or unique supports. Therefore, it is important for faculty and student support staff to implement strategies to ensure online dissertation students are well supported.
At Northcentral University (NCU), we have implemented student support and engagement strategies personalized to the needs of working adults enrolled in doctoral programs. Some of these strategies include but are not limited to: weekly submissions/check-ins with their chair to encourage continual progression, regular synchronous meetings with their chair and other committee members, a focus on socioemotional support in addition to academic support, monthly group support sessions for students, and bi-weekly faculty meetings designed to offer support to dissertation chairs.
During this session, these support and engagement strategies will be discussed briefly. However, the primary focus of this session will be on sharing ideas and best practices for supporting online doctoral students. This will be a forum for meaningful exchange about how to help ensure these students successfully complete their program. After briefly summarizing NCU’s support strategies, the presenter will facilitate a conversation among participants about which strategies may be more effective and why, brainstorm additional strategies for supporting online doctoral students, and participants will be asked to share what is being done at their home institution to support online doctoral students. A handout summarizing NCU’s strategies will be distributed. Whether you are an educator or administrator, this session is intended to help you identify new ways to support online students while they are in the dissertation phase. You will leave this conversation armed with immediately applicable examples of effective strategies to support and engage online doctoral students.