Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, Volume XXI, Number 4, Winter 2018
Faye Lesht, Research Associate Professor, Marquette University
Mark Mailloux, Data Analytics Manager, University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
David Schejbal, Vice President and Chief of Digital Learning, Marquette University
Roxanne Shiels, Director of Alumni Strategy, Outreach and Online Education, Penn State University
Although alumni and students of online degree programs might live a long way from campus, they are an important part of higher education’s advancement strategies and campaigns. This multi-institutional quantitative study examined the giving patterns of alumni of online degree programs as compared to alumni of campus-based degree programs
at five universities including three public land grant universities, a public urban university, and a private research university.
Results suggest that alumni of online degree programs tend to donate early after graduation. In the case of one institution, alumni of online programs donated up to 12 percent more than alumni of on-campus programs within the first three years of the most recent degree earned at the institution.
Among the takeaways of the research is the need for institutions to develop effective processes to identify students in online programs and associated alumni records, and develop differentiated engagement and solicitation strategies.
