distinctions between creator, owner,
and consumer of information are fad-
ing. The operative assumption is often
that if something is digital, it is every-
one’s property.
13
Implications
What do the differing learning prefer-
ences and views of technology of the “new
students” mean for colleges and universi-
ties? There might be few implications if
students were passive consumers and did
not use their “purchasing power.” How-
ever, there are many indications that
students actively compare programs,
evaluate institutions based on the charac-
teristics they consider to be important,
and make choices. Beyond the tuition
provided by students, many institutions
actively seek out the “right” individuals to
be part of their student body in the belief
that the caliber of the student body in part
determines the quality of the institution.
As a result, colleges and universities may
find that understanding—and meeting the
expectations of—the “new students” is im-
portant to their competitiveness.
A number of current programs exem-
plify a good match between expectations
and services. A few examples will illus-
trate some of the options available to
those institutions that seek to modify
their programs to address the needs of the
“new students.”
Elimination of Delays
In a 24x7, customer-service culture, de-
lays cause dissatisfaction and disengage-
ment. Institutions are finding ways to
eliminate delays in processes that range
from admission to academic support.
The University of North Carolina at
Greensboro utilizes online personal as-
sistants, automated e-mail responses, dy-
namically created Web portals, and cus-
tomized Web-mail to provide instant
responses to students. Through their
Virtual Information Station (http://
infostation.uncg.edu/), students can get an-
swers to a range of questions that often
begin with “How do I . . . ?” “Where do I . . . ?”
or “When do I . . . ?” The Web site covers
topics from admission to graduation. For
example, an online chat tool allows staff
to respond to Web-based queries in real
time. Prompt responses make a differ-
ence in the decision-making process of
prospective students.
14
At many institutions, financial aid is a
chronic source of dissatisfaction for stu-
dents. Confusion over the process, com-
plicated paperwork, and data-entry er-
rors cause delays and even rejections.
Compliance with federal guidelines fur-
ther complicates the situation. To provide
better service, the University of Phoenix,
with 152,000 students and more than 120
campuses, created the Financial Aid Pa-
perless Project (FAPP). Prospective stu-
dents can complete an online applica-
tion, then link to the Free Application for
Federal Student Aid Web site to obtain a
federal financial aid application, includ-
ing a master promissory note. A student
may then file the application online with
the lender of his or her choice. If the
lender participates in the university’s
FAPP project, the lender’s system com-
municates with the FAPP computers at
the university and pulls data from the stu-
dent’s application for enrollment. The
lender uses the information to complete
the student’s master promissory note,
eliminating the need to rekey data and
ensuring that data is consistent across the
two applications. The university then re-
trieves the completed master promissory
note, enabling the university to validate
the information and process the applica-
tion. The student is informed almost im-
mediately that his or her application is
complete and has been received for pro-
cessing. The time to fill in and process an
application has also been cut by several
days, so students get faster responses to
their applications.
15
Customer Service
For today’s learners, customer service is
an expectation, not an exception. Yet it is
rare that students and institutions have
the same expectations for service.
At Athabasca University, service ex-
pectations are clearly spelled out on a
Web site (http://www.athabascau.ca/
misc/expect/) as well as in print material
provided to entering students. Whether
provided by the registrar, counseling ser-
vice, academic support, or library, each
service is accompanied by a standard as
well as a contact person’s e-mail address
and phone number. This practice helps
set expectations for students as well as for
staff. How well units meet service expec-
tations is measured, as is also the level of
student satisfaction.
16
Adult learners bring customer-service
expectations to the institutions they at-
tend. In many cases, customer service is
more than a preference—it is a prerequi-
site to retention and effective learning.
One reason often cited by adult learners
for abandoning their studies is the lack of
timely support. As an institution focused
on serving adult learners, Rio Salado Col-
lege has adapted its approach to ensure
that learners have the services they need.
A “beep-a-tutor” program, available seven
days a week, guarantees students that tu-
tors will respond to their question within
one hour. With beepers, the tutors receive
questions no matter where they are.
Tw o other Rio Salado programs focus
on being sure the right person responds to
queries. Online students often seek help
from instructors when they encounter
problems, whether these are related to
technical issues or to the subject matter. To
ensure that instructors are not deluged
with technical questions—and to ensure
that students get the best responses—Rio
Salado created a technical help desk.
Staffed by noninstructional personnel, the
help desk is specifically tasked to help stu-
dents resolve technical issues.
Also, because instructors cannot be
online at all times, Rio Salado has an in-
structional help desk staffed by generalist
faculty who answer questions about the
logistics of a course at times when the
class instructor is not available. The in-
structional help desk personnel, avail-
able seven days a week, also provide e-
learning orientations to students and
serve as a liaison between the instructor
and the student. By reducing the number
of non-learning-related inquiries, this
service assists students who need imme-
diate answers and also maximizes the
amount of time an instructor can spend
on activities directly related to learning.
17
42
EDUCAUSE review
July/August 2003
For today’s learners, customer service is an
expectation, not an exception. Yet it is rare
that students and institutions have the same
expectations for service.