Determining Summer Session Needs More Accurately Begins with Communication

The literature includes various studies that address students’ summer course needs and preferences, but little has been published about the types of data used and the factors influencing institutions’ planning and decision-making processes for summer session. The purpose of this study was to conduct a needs assessment that would result in the development of a model to help institutions identify and acquire the necessary data to determine the summer course needs of students. The study, conducted at Illinois State University, included both quantitative historical data and qualitative data derived from focus groups with department chairpersons and advisers, who are familiar with student needs and other contributing factors that may affect summer session. The focus group data were analyzed and various themes emerged, but the results did not produce a distinct formula for addressing summer course offerings. Instead, using the needs assessment process as a theoretical framework led to the identification of a strategic communications plan that addresses core elements of summer session planning as the program’s most eminent need.