THIBODAUX – Imagine trying to complete a college degree while working a full-time job. It’s tough to commute to campus after a long shift, and finding time for classes can feel almost impossible. This is the exact challenge facing many students in graduate programs.
Recognizing this obstacle, two leaders at Nicholls State University decided to reshape the way their Master of Education program operated. Dr. Leah Peterson, professor and coordinator for the Higher Education Administration program, and Dr. Channing Parfait, the assistant dean and head of Teacher Education, teamed up to move the entire degree online.
They knew that simply moving classroom lectures onto a computer screen wouldn’t be enough. If students were going to succeed completely on their own schedules, a setup called asynchronous learning, they needed an entirely new support system.
Dr. Peterson said, “We had to look past the technology and ask ourselves a harder question: how do we keep a student who is sitting alone at a computer from feeling completely isolated from the university?”
Drs. Peterson and Parfait spent months rebuilding the program from the ground up. They coordinated everything: how students were recruited, how they were paired with advisors and how the actual class assignments were designed. They introduced clearer communication channels so online students never felt ignored or lost, and they simplified onboarding so newcomers knew exactly what to expect before their first day.
In June 2026, the two educators shared their strategy with the rest of the academic world. They published a peer-reviewed article titled “Planning the Online Pivot: Integrate Student Recruitment, Advising, and Curriculum to Sustain Graduate Enrollment” in Planning for Higher Education, a journal run by the Society for College and University Planning.
The results of their work were clear. After the fully online format was launched, student enrollment increased by 37.5%, and student retention improved. Because the classes were structured, consistent and fully flexible, working adults could balance their education with their jobs and family lives.
By sharing their story in a national journal, Drs. Peterson and Parfait didn’t just help their own students; they provided a blueprint for other universities across the country looking to make online education more accessible and successful.
This is the innovative work being conducted at Nicholls State University. It highlights the university’s leadership in graduate education, online learning and data-informed planning. The findings contribute to ongoing conversations about enrollment management, student persistence and expanding access to higher education through high-quality online programs.
To learn more, visit www.nicholls.edu/education/graduate-programs.