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Michelle Littlefield, director of Strategic Marketing Initiatives in the ɫ����ƵCollege of Graduate and Professional Studies (CGPS), and Elizabeth Benz, senior student support specialist, have been selected to present on retention best practices at the taking place June 15–17, 2015 in Orlando, Florida.

UBTech, produced by University Business, is an annual higher education leadership conference for professional growth, new technology implementation, practical success strategies, and high-level networking.

New in 2015, UBThrive shines the spotlight on Institutional & Student Success. The presentation, “Improving the Online Student Experience through Expert Customer Service,” will showcase the high-touch CGPS student support model.

“Our mission in CGPS is to enhance, expand and enrich learning opportunities in online programs,” says Martha Wilson, Ph.D., dean of ɫ����Ƶ’s College of Graduate and Professional Studies, associate provost for Online Worldwide Learning. “Our staff is fully invested in the success of each and every student that enrolls in a ɫ����Ƶ online program. Through a truly student-centered approach, we are able to uphold our commitment to these students and ensure that they receive a high quality, rigorous education that provides them a true return on their investment in their professional careers.”

Established in 2012, the Office of Online Worldwide Learning (OWL) is a business-oriented unit for the marketing, recruiting, and retention of online students housed within the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. The unit leverages nationally accepted best practice standards in operations. OWL’s student-centric approach embraces the philosophy that relationship is critical to student success in the online classroom.

“The OWL retention model is truly a hybrid of top-notch customer service and basic academic advising,” Littlefield says. “In a time where many higher education institutions are struggling to combat attrition, we are meeting - and often exceeding - term-to-term retention goals of 94%. We do this by putting the student at the center of everything we do.”