Three Ways to Improve Online Student Retention and Graduation Rates
Higher ed institutions need to focus on retaining the students they have just as much as (if not...
Author Profile
Valerie Delleville | Principal Consultant
Current Position and Past Experience
Dr. Valerie Delleville builds learning ecosystems through workforce development, enrollment management, program design & implementation, sustainable strategy, student retention, pathway innovation, and teaching. An online learning veteran, she is committed to designing workforce-relevant programs that advance careers through alternative education models such as credit for prior learning (CPL), experiential learning, and competency-based education (CBE). Delleville consults regularly on learning & development projects that drive economic mobility with a passion to serve historically underrepresented learners.
Valerie was Associate Dean of Business Core and Microcredentials at Western Governors University, launching the College of Business’s first (8) stackable microcredentials and business core for 32,000+ full-time students. More than 70% of WGU students identified as BIPOC, low income, rural residence, or first-generation college students. While at the Council for Adult & Experiential Learning (CAEL) as Director of Higher Education, she partnered with higher education institutions across the U.S. to develop strategy, policy, and operations to maximize their adult learner success. There, she developed and delivered trainings, workshops, and keynote addresses on evaluation, serving adult learners, workforce partnerships, enrollment, retention, CBE, CPL, and serving military students.
At Drexel University (2007-2014), Valerie was tapped by Drexel Online’s president to launch its first department focused on online student retention and engagement, where she led P&L to break even in its first term of operations. Her dissertation (Drexel, 2014) evaluated first-year online student retention, uncovering simple interventions such as coaching, taking two classes instead of one, expanding cohort programs, and providing resources on financial literacy to increase online retention rates. She evaluated three populations to determine effects from coaching and various demographics on retention, and why online students left Drexel. Her masters co-op crafted a proposal for Drexel’s Master of Health Administration program, which launched in 2014 with an immediate enrollment waitlist.
While leading Drexel’s enrollment services department, Valerie’s team delivered 30.4% year over year enrollment growth. In her 4 years as a Senior Business Development Specialist, she formed and managed successful partnerships with organizations like the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Merck, American Federation of Teachers, Lockheed Martin, and national healthcare systems for extensive nursing professional development. She served on the School District of Philadelphia’s (SDP) New Teacher Development advisory board, where in coordination with SDP administration, designed the “Road to Level II,” a certificate program that met PA state teaching requirements while also matriculating towards a M.Ed. degree. Dr. Delleville builds up historically underrepresented learning populations through designing programs, operations, and policy to optimize their success.
Education, Honors and Achievements
Dr. Delleville holds a dual Bachelor of Science in psychology and business administration from the University of Pittsburgh. As a Semester at Sea scholar, she studied abroad in Japan, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, India, Kenya, South Africa, Brazil and Cuba. Valerie earned her MBA and graduate certificate in Human Resource Management from Keller Graduate School of Management, and both a Master of Science in Higher Education and Doctor of Education from Drexel University. Delleville earned a certificate in advanced executive communications skills from Harvard University (2014), a certificate in advanced negotiations skills from University of Notre Dame (2018), a certificate in VUCA leadership from Cornell (2020), and she is certified by the Human Capital Institute as a Leadership Development & Succession Strategist.
Personal Details and Community Involvement
Valerie is published in both peer-review and opinion journals, and she presents regularly to regional and national audiences. Through board service and leadership, Valerie led a continuing education board in drafting its inaugural Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) mission. Her commitment to DEIB is inspired by her favorite hobby – international travel, where she has visited 48 countries to date.
Connect
You can connect with Valerie on LinkedIn.
Dr. Valerie Delleville builds learning ecosystems through workforce development, enrollment management, program design & implementation, sustainable strategy, student retention, pathway innovation, and teaching. An online learning veteran, she is committed to designing workforce-relevant programs that advance careers through alternative education models such as credit for prior learning (CPL), experiential learning, and competency-based education (CBE). Delleville consults regularly on learning & development projects that drive economic mobility with a passion to serve historically underrepresented learners.
Valerie was Associate Dean of Business Core and Microcredentials at Western Governors University, launching the College of Business’s first (8) stackable microcredentials and business core for 32,000+ full-time students. More than 70% of WGU students identified as BIPOC, low income, rural residence, or first-generation college students. While at the Council for Adult & Experiential Learning (CAEL) as Director of Higher Education, she partnered with higher education institutions across the U.S. to develop strategy, policy, and operations to maximize their adult learner success. There, she developed and delivered trainings, workshops, and keynote addresses on evaluation, serving adult learners, workforce partnerships, enrollment, retention, CBE, CPL, and serving military students.
At Drexel University (2007-2014), Valerie was tapped by Drexel Online’s president to launch its first department focused on online student retention and engagement, where she led P&L to break even in its first term of operations. Her dissertation (Drexel, 2014) evaluated first-year online student retention, uncovering simple interventions such as coaching, taking two classes instead of one, expanding cohort programs, and providing resources on financial literacy to increase online retention rates. She evaluated three populations to determine effects from coaching and various demographics on retention, and why online students left Drexel. Her masters co-op crafted a proposal for Drexel’s Master of Health Administration program, which launched in 2014 with an immediate enrollment waitlist.
While leading Drexel’s enrollment services department, Valerie’s team delivered 30.4% year over year enrollment growth. In her 4 years as a Senior Business Development Specialist, she formed and managed successful partnerships with organizations like the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Merck, American Federation of Teachers, Lockheed Martin, and national healthcare systems for extensive nursing professional development. She served on the School District of Philadelphia’s (SDP) New Teacher Development advisory board, where in coordination with SDP administration, designed the “Road to Level II,” a certificate program that met PA state teaching requirements while also matriculating towards a M.Ed. degree. Dr. Delleville builds up historically underrepresented learning populations through designing programs, operations, and policy to optimize their success.
Education, Honors and Achievements
Dr. Delleville holds a dual Bachelor of Science in psychology and business administration from the University of Pittsburgh. As a Semester at Sea scholar, she studied abroad in Japan, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, India, Kenya, South Africa, Brazil and Cuba. Valerie earned her MBA and graduate certificate in Human Resource Management from Keller Graduate School of Management, and both a Master of Science in Higher Education and Doctor of Education from Drexel University. Delleville earned a certificate in advanced executive communications skills from Harvard University (2014), a certificate in advanced negotiations skills from University of Notre Dame (2018), a certificate in VUCA leadership from Cornell (2020), and she is certified by the Human Capital Institute as a Leadership Development & Succession Strategist.
Personal Details and Community Involvement
Valerie is published in both peer-review and opinion journals, and she presents regularly to regional and national audiences. Through board service and leadership, Valerie led a continuing education board in drafting its inaugural Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) mission. Her commitment to DEIB is inspired by her favorite hobby – international travel, where she has visited 48 countries to date.
Connect
You can connect with Valerie on LinkedIn.
Articles by this author:
Developing Continuing Education & Experiential Learning Programs
Valerie Delleville | Principal Consultant
By adapting to an open-loop learning model, universities can best serve their students at every...
