Creating community for on-line learners.(In Their Own Words)

Earning a bachelor's degree has become more accessible for many people through on-line education. While most students' ultimate goal is to earn a degree, many also seek opportunities to get involved and desire the sense of community often found on "brick based" campuses. Women especially find on-line education is a flexible, non-intrusive way to learn and earn a degree.

To meet their non-academic needs, the Center for OnLine Learning (COL) at Saint Leo University FL has designed and created a virtual community and involvement portal to accommodate students' yearning for connection and to ultimately increase their learning and overall satisfaction with the school.

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In the April 2002 issue of Women in Higher Education, Dr. Jody Conway shared insights into Saint Leo University's efforts to provide student services to an on-line population and on how to engage on-line learners. The article detailed information on concepts pertaining to the creation of services that went beyond basic offerings such as admissions, registration and payments.

Since that article, the Center for Online Learning has made great strides in providing its student body with an array of interactive areas, both asynchronous and synchronous, where discussion, interaction and involvement with instructors, staff and peers can occur in an on-line environment.

This involvement platform, known as iRoar (Involvement through Redefined Online Activities and Resources), was inspired by Saint Leo's mascot, the lion. Its unique approach provides on-line students with a sense of community and connection outside of the classroom.

They discussed it at conferences of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) in St. Louis in March and the American College Student Personnel Association (ACPA) in Minneapolis in April 2003.