TxGAP Events
Partners in Persistence: The Role of Employer Support in Online Graduate Student Retention
Date: April 15, 2026
Time: 12:00-1:00 PM
Speaker: Amanda Micheli, Online Student Success Advisor at Rice University
Description: Graduate student success is often framed as an institutional responsibility, yet many online and working graduate students rely heavily on support systems beyond the university. Drawing on qualitative research from working students in online master’s programs, this session explores how employer support—through supervisors, colleagues, workplace flexibility, and professional alignment—shapes persistence, motivation, and decision-making. Participants will gain insight into the types of employer support students experience, how students interpret that support, and what institutions can do to better recognize and complement these external influences. This session invites graduate enrollment and student success professionals to broaden their perspectives and consider persistence as an ecosystem that shapes both inside and outside the institution.
About the Speaker: Amanda Micheli, Ed.D., is an Online Student Success Advisor at Rice University, where she supports graduate students in fully online Master of Computer Science, Data Science, and Engineering Leadership programs. With over 20 years of experience in higher education across academic and student affairs, she specializes in student persistence, online learner engagement, and holistic student support. Her work focuses on bridging academic, professional, and personal dimensions of the student experience, particularly for working adult learners. Amanda recently completed her doctorate in Leadership in Higher Education, where her research examined the role of employer support in the persistence of working online graduate students.
Texas Swing Calendar
If you have an event that needs to be added to the calendar, contact Amanda McSween, Chair TACRAO Graduate & Professional Schools Committee, at amanda.mcsween@ttuhsc.edu
Past Webinars
The Current State of the Marketplace and Global Student Flows
Speaker: Jeff Yacup, Regional Partnerships Director, Quacquarelli Symonds
Description: The future of global student enrollment depends on universities' response to challenges and opportunities. Global Student Flows equips your institution to analyze trends and shape the future of education. Watch this webinar to explore market insights and future scenarios for global student enrollment by 2030.
Watch Presentation (Passcode: z4HRPp$M)
TxGAP Board Round-Table (Updates, Insights, and Answer Member Questions)
Speakers: TxGAP Governing Board
Description: Join the TXGAP Board for a round-table on what’s new and ahead for our community.
What Motivates Graduate Students? Looking Beyond Achievements to Connection
Speaker: Elizabeth Rawlings, Owner of Selected Insights LLC
Description: What truly motivates graduate students? Is it a sense of belonging? A desire for a better future? A job promotion? In this session, we will delve into research on the psychological drivers behind decision-making and how these factors influence motivation for degree attainment, needs, and even institutional choice.
The Grad Enrollment Playbook for Google & AI Search Behavior
Speakers: Tony Fraga, CEO and Kirby Wilson, Senior Optimization Strategist of Direct Development
Description: The way prospective graduate students search for programs and make enrollment decisions has fundamentally changed. Traditional SEO tactics that focus on ranking “blue links” aren’t enough to reach and resonate with today’s digitally savvy prospects. Students are relying on new sources of information and expecting faster, clearer, and more detailed answers. This session will explore how graduate enrollment managers must evolve their content strategies to meet these changes.