Abstract
This paper will explain investing in products and services within my own organization and how they produce returns so that stockholders, stakeholders, and others are interested in the organization.
In the most recent economic downward spiral many have turned to areas of opportunity to invest back in themselves via education in hopes when the economy turns around they are the cream of the crop and ready for the new employment opportunities. Online education providers are in need of the same mind set to which they must find ways to invest in the student via products or services. These types of investments in my current organization of education is label as student success; not only driving profit by accepting the student in class but over time providing services that will prompt the overall success of the student until graduation. “Most Americans, I believe, would define student success as the ability of a student to support themselves in society after completing the educational process. Our value and belief systems are strongly based on economics and accumulation of material wealth. How often do you hear parents say, “I don’t want my children to have to come home to live with me after completing their education” (Edutopia, 2012)?
Online education is simply online education unless the provider is doing something different to give the student a better experience than the market of profit schools. Currently my university has not only grown with more ground campus but has implemented strategies that give a more tangible face to online education. It has been said many times over and over through history, “Your first impression is your last impression”. Thus the new launch of the Orientation Class with our students will be the new way to reach out with the student and provide a more tangible experience. When a student completes their Orientation Class are 20% more likely to successfully complete their first course. These students also attend their first week of class at a 95% plus rate. The Orientation Class helps prepare them for their programs, classes and sets them up for success. The new role out will be when a student completes their orientation course successfully we will now send out our school decal, with a hand written not congratulating them. The cost for this project in minimal for only a stamp and envelope. The only component that is sacrifices is time with current student.
Since this is an internal change and the organization has not provide numbers that will impact the student changes or success. This new policy is simply a trail and error method to get a positive student response by initiating a method that will prompt the success of the student. The values of the organization have shifted from a driven profit environment to student success. The university has shifted to retention and attainment, the longer the student is successful by staying in class until graduation the more profits over time will increase. It is vital do to the search of stability to “redefine what student success means beyond the acquisition of basic skills, support the time it takes to experience success, and develop sophisticated ways to measure it” (Edutopia, 2012).
The new approach is adventurous however will not have immediate impacts but over time will increase value. There could be different approaches to this type of communication and contact by building a department alone for the initial greeting process in the orientation classes. The overhead cost would increase due to the new department at the same rate increase revenue due to continued satisfaction of the student being successful. This type of department would reduce the time that is traded for admission representative recruiting. Nonetheless, which ever trade off is chosen there would not be a huge impact in cost with or without the department.
Time vs. money is a huge risk in an online school environment. Employees are going to demand more pay in return for more task to be complete in a daily 8 hours shift. It is the best interest that the leaders of the organizations take in consideration of the factors that will correlate with increase moral to want to serve the student body. Abraham Lincoln said on several occasions, “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years” (Gauthier, 2012). “Time is money.” This is an old adage that most people have heard at some point in their life, perhaps even using it themselves. Just looking at it grammatically, it is a simile. A simile is used to compare two things that are similar or equal. So in this sense, time and money are either equal or so similar that they could be used interchangeably to represent an idea or concept.
The employee along as the student wants to feel valued and invested in to reach personal, education and career success. The employer has a huge part in the life of the employees, they decide how much money you can make, when you can take vacation, what time you eat lunch, what time you have to be at work, when you can leave work, how many sick days you have, how often you can be late or absent before being let go, how many breaks you can take, how long you can be on maternity leave. The trade of is as huge as the value to drive moral between all parties involved.
The current areas that are being measure and viewed in student retention and success are, implantation of associate degrees helping students matriculate from first-year program or 2-year, to 4-year school, targeting more private sector schools, implantation of assessment outcomes, supporting students transferring from 2-year to 4-year schools, diversity education, active-learning and creative teaching strategies, providing more tutoring and basic tools for using technology in the first-year seminars and increased academic advising.
“A college degree is not a sign that one is a finished product but an indication a person is prepared for life” (Malloy, 2012). We have always believed that each generation will be better off than the one before it. However, it is the adults and children in our schools today. The current generation along with online schools that do to value the success of the student could begin a slide that will bring down the standard of living for all Americans. Future generations will live in a nation that no longer has control over its economic destiny and cannot assure prosperity for its citizens. This is a stark truth borne out by relentless studies and statistics.

References:

Edutopia. (2012) The Definition of Student Success. What does it mean to you? Retrieved July 3, 2012 from http://www.edutopia.org/redefining-school-day-student-success

Gauthier, Craig. (2012) Trading Time for Money in the X-Zone: Why it’s a Bad Idea
Retrieved July 4, 2012 from http://www.gochay.com/the-ultimate-life/trading-time-for-money-why-its-a-bad-idea/

The Quotation Page. (2012) Reverend Edward A Molly: Monks Reflections. Retrieved July 4, 2012 from http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Reverend_Edward_A._Malloy