Supporting the Distance Education Student

Institutions focusing on higher learning in health care are turning to distance education as an opportunity to increase enrollments and deliver high-tech education to students. This viable solution is being used to address the need to stay abreast of the many technological changes in health care delivery and the increasing demand for more health care professionals. As institutions change the way they offer education, they must also change the way they offer student support services. Students enrolled in a distance education program at a public health-sciences research university were surveyed to determine their administrative support needs. Identifying if support services meet the student's needs and if additions or improvements in services are needed is essential to student satisfaction and future accreditation.