While providing access to courses is essential to educating students in remote areas, helping them feel they are a part of the campus community is another key piece for retention and completion efforts.
What: A branded campus app used to connect students with courses and campus life
Where: Lindsey Wilson College, located on the southern tip of rural Appalachia, in Columbia, Kentucky
Link to main story: How colleges reach remote students
When and how: Created in 2015 using a mobile platform developed by OOHLALA
App actions: – Join a campus club – Create a study group – Make an appointment with an academic tutor – Receive a request to see a counselor if grades are falling behind – Review class schedule and grades
Usage boom: 82%—Students who used the app the first year it was adopted
Retention boost: 2.15 times—How much more likely
app users are to stay in school than non-app users
Sources: Lindsey Wilson College and OOHLALA.com
Sherrie Negrea is an Ithaca, New York-based writer and frequent contributor to UB.
