3 challenges you’ll face developing new online programs—and how to meet them

It’s no surprise that enrollment leaders have doubled down on growing graduate and adult learner programs amid declines in undergraduate enrollment. Our researchers have found that the growth in graduate enrollments is actually happening in the online market. Enrollment in online graduate programs (including both master’s and professional doctoral programs) grew an average of 6.6% per year from 2013 to 2018, compared to a yearly average 1.8 percent decline in face-to-face graduate enrollment during this period.

Online programs represent a substantial and fast-growing share of the graduate market

Graduate enrollments by modality, Fall 2018

And the growth in online enrollment doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon. EAB’s recent survey with NAGAP found 62% of surveyed enrollment leaders expanded fully online courses and programs in light of COVID-19, and 47% plan to do so in the future.

But developing online programs comes with a variety of internal and external challenges—challenges I experienced first-hand in my former role as a business school dean tasked with moving face-to-face programs online. Here are a few of the hurdles academic leaders often encounter when launching online programs and strategies you can use to improve your online programs and the program development process.

DEVELOP AND MARKET ONLINE PROGRAMS IN A POST-COVID-19 WORLD

Select the right programs to offer online

When I was a dean, faculty members often raised ideas for new programs based on anecdotal interest from students, news articles, or conversations with peers. But the competitive and expensive nature of developing online programs means schools need to be especially rigorous in their program validation process.

When identifying the right programs to launch online, analyze:

As you’re conducting these analyses, I’ve found it can also be helpful to give your marketing team a seat the table. For example, a marketing leader at one of our partner institutions recently shared that her team asks questions of program directors prior to launch such as “Is there a market need for this program from our institution specifically?” and “What do we offer that’s different from what’s already in the market, and why will students choose us?” These questions help ensure all stakeholders are thinking critically about a program’s competitive advantage and marketing positioning early on.

A PRIMER: MARKET ONLINE PROGRAMS TO GROW AND SCALE

Achieve faculty buy-in

Since the start of the pandemic, many of our Adult Learner Recruitment partners have told me that they encounter fewer faculty who are opposed to online teaching and learning. But some faculty are understandably nervous about teaching online. Their concerns range from increased workload (especially upfront), limited familiarity with the tech required to teach online, and declines in program quality or student experience.

RESOURCES TO SUPPORT REMOTE INSTRUCTION IN THE SHORT AND LONG TERM

In my experience, it’s critical to listen to and validate instructors’ concerns about online learning – and to be open to restructuring a program or offering additional technical support based on their feedback. In addition to ensuring faculty have access to training pedagogical and technical training they need to teach online, make sure they know they have an advocate in conversations about online programs.

Consider joining a faculty senate meeting to educate faculty about the importance of online programs and to share how your online programs will maintain the same quality as your on-campus programs. And where possible, resist the temptation to make every faculty member’s course identical to those of other faculty members. Standardization is important, but leaving some room for faculty to add personal touches to their online courses can increase faculty buy-in.

Streamline the program approval process

When developing new online programs, colleges and universities can’t just apply the same program launch policies and processes they use for more traditional, face-to-face programs. The online graduate and adult learner markets are more volatile than traditional undergraduate markets —and institutions with inefficient program approval processes can lose out on market share.

Research from our Organizational Benchmarking Initiative found program launch cycles that take from six to 24 months allow institutions to effectively conduct rigorous demand and competitor analyses, develop targeted marketing campaigns, and prioritize program quality while capturing revenue opportunities.

Institutions can make their program approval more efficient—without compromising any stage of the process—by allowing approval committees to met as needed rather than waiting for regularly scheduled meetings. Designating a specific governance body to approve potential online programs and allowing that group to vote by email or electronic survey can also accelerate the online program approval process.

Of course, these are just a few of the many factors to consider when developing online programs, including accreditation, authorization, intellectual property policies, technological infrastructure and support, instructional design, and support services for online students. Consider me as a resource for questions you may have about developing online programs—and scaling them for growth.