Four faculty members in Siena Heights University’s Distance Learning program will present at a national conference focusing on online education. Their topic, “Retention Techniques for the Remote Student in a Totally Online Course,” will be presented at the 10^th Annual Pearson eCollege Users Conference, scheduled for April 15-17 in Denver, Colo.

According to Jim O’Flynn, SHU’s coordinator of the Distance Learning Program, this is the first time Siena Heights has been asked to present at the conference, which is also called CiTE. SHU’s Gail Ryder, Dr. Jim Sam and Michael Winstrom will join O’Flynn in making the presentation.

O’Flynn said the focus of the presentation will be how institutions need to anticipate students’ needs in order for them to be successful in an online program. Faculty and courses have to be developed to meet those needs. It will also discuss how to monitor the quality of the learning experience, as well as student satisfaction and program viability.

Instead of the usual conference format, SHU’s presentation will be delivered as an online class, showing a variety of course material alternatives.

“eCollege executives have told us that our 98 percent course and 94 percent program retention rates are one of the highest of all their clients,” O’Flynn said of SHU’s online program.