Building belonging at scale: OHIO Online’s new approach to student connection

On April 9, 2026, OHIO Online hosted its inaugural in-person networking experience for online students at Ohio University’s Dublin Center in Columbus, Ohio, an initiative designed to reimagine how institutions cultivate belonging and peer connection in online education.

While online learners have the flexibility to participate from anywhere, the majority of OHIO Online students reside within the state of Ohio. Recognizing that today’s online students increasingly seek meaningful human connection alongside academic flexibility, OHIO Online developed the event as part of a broader strategy to strengthen engagement, community, and persistence among remote learners.

“Students consistently tell us they want opportunities to build relationships with peers beyond the virtual classroom,” said Kathy Wilson, Senior Director for Affinity Programs and Student Engagement. “We saw an opportunity to intentionally design an in-person experience that met students where they are geographically while strengthening their connection to the university and to one another.”

More than thirty online students attended the inaugural event, many bringing family members and support networks with them. The response reinforced a growing understanding within online learning: student success is often deeply connected to personal and familial support systems.

“We know that participating in an online program is rarely an individual experience, it’s often a shared commitment involving partners, children, friends, and employers,” said Thomas Raimondi, Senior Director for Strategy and Operations. “Creating space for those support systems to be part of the university experience added another dimension to the sense of connection and community we hoped to foster.”

The event featured facilitated peer-to-peer discussions centered on professional growth, career pathways, and the realities of balancing personal responsibilities alongside academic goals. Each roundtable concluded with participants exchanging contact information and identifying opportunities for continued networking and collaboration beyond the event itself.

One participant reflected, “When I joined an online program, this was exactly the kind of experience I hoped would exist. I made a genuine connection tonight and would absolutely participate in future events like this.”

To further strengthen institutional affinity, the event also included a pop-up Ohio University store and participation from the Ohio University Alumni Association, extending the broader Bobcat experience to online learners in a tangible way.

OHIO Online plans to expand this model with additional regional engagement events across the state, reflecting a continued institutional commitment to innovating beyond the digital classroom and creating more connected, student-centered online learning experiences.