Office of Online Learning: Year in Review 2025-2026
In its third year, the Office of Online Learning continued to expand programming and student support while identifying new ways to meet the needs of the university’s growing online student population.
The online learning team supports prospective students interested in 50 of the university’s online degree and certificate programs and provides individualized, 1:1 support to continuing students in eight online programs from inquiry through graduation. For students in the university’s remaining online programs, the team provides broader population-level support focused on community building, engagement and belonging.
Lead Volume and Outreach
Our student outreach process, which combines personalized manual outreach with complementary automated communications, provided timely follow-up to 5,457 requests for information from prospective students.
Over the past year, the team facilitated more than 74,400 unique interactions with this population through phone, text and email using Slate and Navigate.
Overall online student enrollment grew from 1,245 in fall 2024 to 1,342 in fall 2025, up nearly 8% year over year.
Online Student Virtual Events
We continued to host a number of virtual events to support student success. We hosted 13 admitted student webinars, welcoming 197 new online students in these sessions to NIU and providing valuable guidance throughout the enrollment process while helping students prepare for academic success. The webinars had an overall 69% attendance rate.
We also hosted 83 program-specific information sessions for prospective students and three virtual open houses, which featured student and faculty panels and provided opportunities for prospective students to learn more about the online student experience.
Additionally we hosted the annual virtual trivia event to celebrate Graduate Student Appreciation Week, attended community college transfer events to promote our RN to BS program, and held 453 pre-scheduled appointments in Slate with prospective students.
NIU Online Website Refresh
Phase two of the NIU Online website refresh was completed, expanding program pages to include a “Fast Facts” section outlining course lengths, part-time and full-time options, and course formats. Program pages also now feature career outcomes data from Steppingblocks, including average mid-career alumni salaries, top industries in which alumni work and leading employers of alumni.
Online Student Engagement and Support
We continued to expand our existing digital literacy video series and introduced Wellness Wednesdays, a new series highlighting practical strategies for well-being and connecting students with relevant resources. We distributed five digital newsletters to our online student population featuring relevant news, virtual events, technology tools, important date reminders, and student spotlights. Our NIU Online Student Facebook Group grew to 135 members and continues to serve as an informal space for students to learn about upcoming events, important deadline reminders, and other resources to help them succeed at NIU.
Online Student Advisory Committee
The Online Student Advisory Committee (OSAC) was launched in spring 2025 and consists of a diverse group of online student members who represent the broader student population. OSAC serves as a collaborative space for discussing and influencing key decisions and initiatives related to the online learning experience. This committee met 4 times during 2025-2026 and provides a vital voice for the student body, offering feedback, recommendations and insights to enhance the quality, accessibility and overall student experience of online education at NIU.
Members
Program Collaboration and Celebration Events
We continue to strengthen relationships with campus partners to ensure online students receive consistent, timely and up-to-date information. Regular meetings and collaboration with departments across the university helped foster communication, strengthen connections and build a greater sense of community across departments. In addition to our virtual engagement efforts, the team prioritized opportunities to connect with students in person, including volunteering at commencement and attending events such as the DNP immersion day. These opportunities allowed us to celebrate students’ accomplishments alongside them, build rapport and reinforce that online students are valued and connected members of the NIU community.
Refresh of New Online Student Orientation
We also refreshed the new online student orientation in Blackboard during summer 2026. The updated orientation features more student-friendly language, images that better represent our online adult learner population, and expanded information designed to ensure students have the resources and knowledge they need to begin the semester successfully.
Awards
In December, the Office of Online Learning was recognized as the 2025 recipient of the UPCEA Excellence in Advancing Student Success Award. The award recognizes an institution that has implemented a successful strategic initiative, project, or service that significantly advances the success of adult and/or non-traditional student populations.
New Systems Integration
In February 2026, we launched EnrollML, a machine learning platform designed to help institutions better understand admissions data and make more strategic enrollment decisions. The platform integrates with NIU's student information system and uses machine learning to predict which students are most likely to enroll, helping teams prioritize their time and resources. It also identifies behavioral trends, informs outreach strategies and supports yield efforts. Through AI-generated insights, EnrollML can identify topics prospective students may be seeking more information about based on their interactions and actions, and can even assist staff in drafting targeted outreach messages.
Contact Us
Office of Online LearningPhone: 815-753-6660
Email: online@niu.edu