The OLC Quality Scorecard for Online Student Support provides self-evaluation guidelines for institutions seeking to improve the services they provide to online learners.
It is designed to assist individuals and organizations interested in providing a high-quality online student experience by evaluating student services across the institution. The scorecard assists in the identification of gaps in services and provides a pathway to improve support services for online students. The companion guidebook gives additional information on the standards and best practices used by other institutions, to assist in this process.
Institutions can pursue a third-party, independent program review through the OLC Quality Scorecard Endorsement. Those that achieve exemplary status may be eligible to display an OLC Exemplary Program logo on their website.
The Quality Scorecard Navigator is our premium service which brings OLC experts to your institution to perform an expert analysis for you, guided by your input.
Developed out of a joint State University System of Florida and Florida College System initiative, the scorecard is an introspective look at 11 key areas of the institution.
- Admissions
- Financial Aid
- Pre-enrollment Advising
- Veterans Services
- Career Counseling
- Orientation
- Post-enrollment services
- Library
- Students with Disabilities Services
- Graduate Student Services (universities only)
Several big ideas drove the development process of the student support scorecard. The first was to provide a comprehensive review of the entire academic life-cycle of a student at the institution, starting when the students indicate an interest in attending until graduation. The second was to expand access to the services that on-campus students receive. The third was to provide an online academic experience. Finally, increase engagement between the online students and the institution. The criteria are not an extensive evaluation of all services and do not intend to limit the scope of the services you seek to improve at your institution.
The most difficult part of providing excellent online student services institution-wide is achieving cooperation from the diverse service areas represented in the list above. The scorecard truly shines in its role as an internal conversation starter and proven to help the institution coalesce around a commitment to providing at least as good a service to their online learner community as those who are on campus. Improvements to services for online students are improvements for all students. The design of the scorecard and associated materials is to help improve the experience of every student.
An Interactive Version is available for OLC Institutional Members. It serves as an online, collaborative dashboard and repository to assess, enhance and measure the effectiveness of your programs online. Become an OLC Institutional Member.
If you prefer paper workbooks, you may purchase Quality Scorecard: Online Student Support Services Guide through our Publications page.
A free version of the OLC Quality Scorecard For Online Student Support is also available to download.