Sorenson Showcase:
USU Distance Learning Implements EnVision for Student-Advisor Counseling

The Problem

Like other Land Grant institutions, Utah State University has a mandate to provide state-wide access to its educational services and degree programs. The university's academic content is delivered to rural education centers via satellite, but there are further challenges. Roger McEvoy, communications and marketing specialist with USU's distance learning department, says, "Our students, located all over the state, need personal guidance to help them move through their programs effectively." Previously, academic advisors would spend a week of every semester on the road, driving as much as seven hours each day, getting from one appointment to another. As McEvoy says, "If you're on the road for seven hours, that's seven hours you're out of contact with people." Yet individual contact is what academic counseling is all about.

The Solution

In an attempt to reduce wear and tear on both advisors and their cars, McEvoy's staff tried several technology-based solutions. "There's only so much you can do with a phone and fax machine," McEvoy admits. Years of counseling experience suggest that face-to-face collaboration is an absolute necessity. A student and advisor need to be able to discuss each aspect of the educational program without communication barriers. They must have access to documents which can be dynamically updated while they discuss them. Most of all, an advisor needs to be able to "read" the student, making sure he or she understands the impact of each decision.

After trying several software collaboration systems, the distance learning department chose Sorenson EnVision to connect their students and advisors. EnVision, Sorenson Vision's revolutionary desktop visual collaboration system, delivers high-quality, low-bandwidth video and audio and facilitates effortless collaboration. Now, instead of driving for hours between each appointment, academic advisors stay in Logan and conduct their appointments from their computer desktops. Hundreds of personnel hours and thousands of travel dollars are saved each year, much to the delight of the road-weary counselors. Advisors can schedule appointments every 15 minutes and interact with students from all over the state, while maintaining contact with the department and access to crucial records and network resources.

EnVision's features seem almost custom tailored to USU's needs. With application sharing, advisors and students can work together on transcripts and planning worksheets. Participants on both sides of the connection can make changes to shared documents, and documents can be saved and filed for future reference. Both student and advisor can use EnVision's white board to jot notes and draw diagrams during their discussions. Best of all, EnVision's robust video and audio conferencing ensures that student and advisor can see and hear each other perfectly, greatly reducing misunderstanding and confusion.

McEvoy's department is currently working on implementing EnVision in a related application: career counseling. According to McEvoy, "the packaging of all the components in the system allows tremendous flexibility." With this flexibility, USU realizes the greatest benefit of using EnVision: connecting people.

"If you're on the road for seven hours, that's seven hours you're out of contact with people."

Roger McEvoy
Communications and Marketing Specialist
Utah State University

The Program

The Utah State University Extension is dedicated to providing a university education to people who might not be able to become full-time students. Rather than bringing students to the university, the Extension brings the university to the students. The USU Extension is a model distance learning institution.

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