New Student Retention Program Serves Up Digital Lemonade and Cookies at The Front Porch

Nov. 29, 2010 - PRLog -- The Front Porch at LeTourneau University: Students Welcome Here

New Student Retention Program Serves Up Digital Lemonade and Cookies at TheFrontPorchLETU.com

When R.G. and Evelyn LeTourneau founded a school for returning WWII GIs, their vision went beyond just the students’ academic success.  

“They wanted to make sure that the students were taken care of, so Mom LeTourneau would frequently invite them to her home, where they would have meals, cookies and lemonade—it was a place they could relax and be nurtured,” says Carol Green, vice president of LeTourneau University’s School of Graduate and Professional Studies.

Serving the Whole Student
Today, LeTourneau University is maintaining the nurturing vision of Mom and Pop LeTourneau by launching an online initiative known as The Front Porch, dedicated to helping non-traditional students thrive in college by meeting their specific needs academically, spiritually, and emotionally. Students will find resources to interact with the LETU team at its new website, http://www.LETUFrontPorch.com.  

Just as a front porch is an entryway into a house, The Front Porch at LETU is an entryway into the LeTourneau University family.  The Front Porch acknowledges LeTourneau’s students as individuals who want to connect with others.  Through The Front Porch, students can participate in live chats, visit the online virtual prayer room, or connect with a local pastor via a scheduled face-to-face meeting. The Front Porch creates valuable and engaging orientation experience, then supports students all the way through to graduation.

“Some of our students’ needs go beyond preparing them to attend classes,” said Lisa Stewart, who heads retention efforts in the non-traditional program.  Stewart and Green founded The Front Porch Initiative. “We provide mentoring and tutoring opportunities to address their academic needs, but also reach out to connect with students emotionally and spiritually.  As a Christian institution, we care about developing and supporting the whole person.”

A national leader in online education, LETU wants to increase its retention efforts by helping and mentoring students who are struggling. The Front Porch website facilitates easy communication between mentors and students.  Information provided through The Front Porch covers the full academic cycle, from new student orientation to career resources designed to help graduates find fulfilling work.

More Than Just Advice
LeTourneau University students are assigned academic and financial advisors to answer questions, but The Front Porch provides a friendly informational environment in a personal, easy-to-navigate website that provides answers beyond the normal questions.

“If students can’t find the answers to their questions within their normal team of advisors, then they can get an answer at The Front Porch,” Green said. “It is a one-stop shop where students know they can get the help they need, and so they won’t have to look at our organizational chart to find out who can answer their questions.”

Community Life Means Student Retention
“Our goal isn’t just getting students in the door, but getting them to graduation,” Green said. “We know that when students feel lost or discouraged, they may decide to give up and may not enroll the next semester. Many other universities believe non-traditional students only want to come to class to get their degree, but we value community, because we know that students who feel supported in a caring community have a better educational experience and higher success rate.  They enjoy the journey.  And while we know that serving the whole student takes creativity, we have determined that our multiple locations and heavy online presence will not limit our ability to connect with our students. Our digital lemonade and cookies on The Front Porch allows us to do that in a 21st century way.”

Learn More About LeTourneau University
LeTourneau University is an interdenominational, evangelical Christian university serving nearly 3,200 students.  LETU’s 162-acre main campus is in Longview, Texas, with degree programs offered online and through education centers in Austin, Bedford, Dallas, Houston and Tyler. Academic majors include the aeronautical sciences, business, education, engineering, engineering technology, health care, psychology, the humanities and sciences.  
LeTourneau University is consistently recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of "America's Best Colleges" and in the “Top 40 U.S. Colleges in the West” for Master degrees.
For information on traditional on-campus degree programs, go to http://www.LETU.edu. For information about non-traditional and online programs, go to http://www.Adults.LETU.edu.

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LeTourneau University School of Graduate and Professional Studies is an accredited university with both online and on-campus offerings. LETU is recognized as fifth in the nation in online education by the Online Education Database (OEDb).