Online Master of Social Work program reaches record enrollment following operational enhancements

Ohio University’s Online Master of Social Work (MSW) program has made several key changes in order to best meet the needs of today’s students. Faculty and staff from several different units worked together to make operational enhancements to the program, and the transformation has proven to be very successful.

In the summer of 2023, a cross-functional team began transitioning the Online Master of Social Work (MSW) program to an enhanced support model led by OHIO Online. This team had approximately 90 days to plan, develop and launch new marketing, enrollment and student support initiatives.

Within the first 45 days, Ohio University’s University Communications and Marketing (UCM) launched a new dedicated website, created an engagement campaign, and implemented a marketing strategy to generate qualified leads.

During this period, the OHIO Online undergraduate enrollment advising team temporarily stepped in to assist prospective students until graduate enrollment advisors were hired and trained. Following the fall semester drop/add period, a newly formed online graduate student success team assumed responsibility for advising and retention support for more than 200 enrolled students.

Behind the scenes, OHIO’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) developed a student success dashboard and a pilot space in Slate to enhance support for enrolled students. Through remarkable coordination, the first cohort was seated, completing the transition to the new model.

“Spring 2024 was 500% better than our prior experience by any measure. I never knew it could be so easy to work with a partner like this,” said Ken Larimore, who served as Online MSW program director during the transition. “The quality of leads and the accuracy of information our students receive during enrollment have strengthened the program. As a result, we’re delivering a better student experience, and students are progressing more successfully.”

By Fall 2024, in just three terms, the program exceeded its largest starting cohort and achieved the highest total enrollment since its inception, all while delivering enhanced support to students, program leadership, and faculty.

The collaboration among University units was pivotal in this successful transition. This effort also served as the pilot for a new online graduate student services model. This model included developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) with MSW faculty and OHIO Online enrollment and success advising teams, using Slate as a centralized hub for student communication and tracking, and creating a dashboard linked to the LMS to identify and assist students facing challenges in their coursework. This approach provides students with a seamless transition from applicant to graduate, supported by advisors and faculty at each stage.

Following the success of this model with the MSW program, it has been refined and applied across other online graduate programs, with plans for further expansion across OHIO Online’s undergraduate programs and the wider university.

"We are extremely proud of this highly collaborative effort, OHIO has raised the bar for support and service to online students,” said Kari Lehman, vice provost for OHIO Online. "Our new support model for online graduate programs is designed to enhance the student experience from their initial inquiry to graduation, improving persistence and graduation rates. Additionally, we are increasing support for online program faculty leaders, including regular updates on student progress and new enrollments."

OHIO Online’s graduate enrollment and student success teams are now partnering with online program faculty across campus to customize SOPs for each program and incorporate them into the new online graduate success framework. Additionally, Slate has been implemented as the system for advisor tracking and communicating with online students, providing advisors with a comprehensive view of each student's journey.