InsideTrack partners with CMU to aid, provide coaching to online students

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Central Michigan University has partnered with InsideTrack to prepare new online students for success.

InsideTrack provides a type of orientation for students who are new to online classes, said Jody Hassen in an email. Hassen, director of student services and enrollment management for ProfEd, said coaching through InsideTrack will help students set aside time for classes.

“This is a new service that will be provided to the CMU online student that will more closely align with the services that a student attending a face-to-face on-campus or off-campus location would receive,” she said.

The contract with InsideTrack is about $200,000 with an expected 10-percent to 20-percent return on investment, Hassen said.

Many non-traditional students are balancing work, home responsibilities and school, and don’t have the opportunities to interact with face-to-face services in an online environment.

“Our goal is to have InsideTrack’s coaching services to provide tools for students to help them balance these competing pressures,” Hassen said.

InsideTrack Director of Program Development Chris Tilghman said in an email CMU does a great job helping students engage with their digital classroom, but online learners often require additional structure and support to thrive in this learning environment. He said InsideTrack’s experience with thousands of students each year suggests community support beyond the classroom is vital to success.

“Coaching provides a bridge that not only links students to the myriad resources that CMU has to offer but also keeps students connected to their educational experience through regular, personalized contact, motivation and support,” he said.

Engaging students early and offering support throughout their college experience increases their ability to stay in college and graduate prepared for a career, Tilghman said.

InsideTrack coaches work one-on-one with students to clarify where they want to go in college and beyond, map out a plan for getting there and provide guidance along the way, he said.

“This process is energizing,” Tilghman said. ”It helps students understand that everything they do toward their life goals is meaningful, important and worthwhile.”

It is inspiring for them to connect with someone who knows who they are, who cares about them and supports the effort they’re making to achieve their goals.”

Tilghman said InsideTrack has conducted more than 55 controlled studies of its service and consistently found that their coaching improves college graduation rates by 15 percent.

Hassen said online enrollment at CMU has experienced strong growth from both off-campus and on-campus students, with a 20-percent increase each year for the past three years.

“We attribute this growth to new programs, new courses and students’ needs for more flexible courses in scheduling,” she said.

CMU decided to partner with InsideTrack because it identified the need for coaching services for students and did not have the staff resources to meet this need, Hassen said.

CMU monitored InsideTrack’s customer base and checked references from other institutions. Hassen said she is unaware of other Michigan institutions that use InsideTrack, but the fact that other major universities such as Columbia University and Penn State University use InsideTrack influenced their decision.

“In order to provide the best service for students, we needed to work with experienced service providers in this area,” she said.

The contract with InsideTrack is roughly about $200,000 with an expected 10 percent to 20 percent return on investment, Hassen said.