Career Services for the Distance Learner

The purpose of this study was to explore whatassumed that distance learners are perceived to be
career planning and placement services are currentlygrounded in an occupation or career path, and that
offered at four online, degree-granting institutions inthey are involved in distance education for
the United States. This study examined whatprofessional development. While this may be true for
distance education administrators perceive as idealsome distance learners, it has been noted that many
career planning and placement services for their onlineenroll in courses in an attempt to make a significant
degree-seeking students. Finally, this study examinedcareer change and/or advancement (Connick, 1999;
the obstacles in moving from what is offered toSchwitzer, Ancis, & Brown, 2001). Some distance
what is ideal. The goal of this study was to collectlearners may know the directions they wish to
data that would allow institutions of higher educationpursue, while others may simply just desire a change.
with online degree programs to better serve theirDistance learners may not consider career-related
students in career planning and placement services.services to be a necessity in comparison to
The literature in the field of distance educationregistration or financial aid, but students often do not
primarily examines the in-course experience ofrealize that the benefits of services until they actually
students, but research has also been conducted onutilize them.
how to create a successful distance educationDistance Education Today
program. In addition to studies regarding the growthDistance learning and education are new terms for
of online learning and how its students' demographicsmany student affairs administrators. The terms
differ from traditional students, the research mainlydistance education and distance learning tend to be
focuses on faculty attitudes towards teaching onlineused interchangeably. In the most basic terms,
and student issues within the course. Within thesedistance learning is defined as the process by which
studies, however, there is little discussion of overallany student-instructor relationship occurs over a
student support services, particularly those servicesphysical distance. More specifically, the term distance
related to career planning and placement.education refers to "the provision of academic
Student services for this population are notcourses and entire degree programs when instructor
considered to be an issue in the field of distanceand students are geographically separated"
education (Berge & Mrozowski, 2001). The limitedDistance education can occur through a variety of
data collected on support services focuses on thevehicles. In the beginning, distance education included
perceived necessities, such as online availability ofcorrespondence courses, conference calls, and
admissions, registration, and financial aid. Importantvideoconferences. Today, distance education
services that a student might utilize on campus, suchprograms are primarily online programs conducted via
as career planning and placement services, are notemail correspondences, chat rooms, and Internet use.
considered.The growth of distance education has spawned
The purpose of this study was to examine thevarious types of programs, such as online universities
perceived need for career planning and placementand virtual campuses. "An online university is likely to
services by distance education programbe an offshoot of a traditional university, offering all
administrators and to explore what services areits courses and programs via the Internet and World
currently offered at four online degree-grantingWide Web. A virtual campus has no campus and no
institutions in the United States. The researcherfaculty of its own.