Partnership with Alamo Colleges District, Rio Salado College, and WCET
addresses the social connection gap that leads online students to drop out.

DENVER, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — InScribe Education, the leading provider of digital communities and online engagement advisory services for higher education, today announced its selection as the platform for a new initiative aimed at improving belonging and persistence for online learners. The partnership brings together Alamo Colleges District, Rio Salado College, and WCET (WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies) around a shared belief: institutions have the power to strengthen persistence for online learners by fostering belonging and connection.

For today’s online learners, especially those at broad-access institutions, the path to a degree is rarely just academic. Research shows that access to social capital, the relationships, networks, and informal guidance that connect students to peers, mentors, advisors, and alumni, is one of the strongest predictors of persistence and long-term opportunity. Yet for students learning fully online, those connections are often left to chance. This initiative sets out to make them intentional.

“Access to networks and relationships shouldn’t depend on whether a student learns on campus or online,” said Katy Kappler, Co-Founder and CEO of InScribe. “Online students often have the most to gain from strong social capital, and the least access to it. This initiative is about closing that gap deliberately, using community and connection as a core strategy for student success.”

InScribe’s digital community platform will be scaled across both institutions to create virtual spaces where students can build real relationships and tap into networks that support their academic and career journeys. Faculty will be supported in weaving community-building into the learning experience, and peer moderators will help keep conversations active and responsive.

“We’ve invested heavily in digital learning because we know it expands opportunities for our students. Students who feel connected stay. This partnership gives us a real way to build that into the online experience from the start,” said Dr. Luke Dowden, Vice Chancellor for Digital Learning and Transformation at Alamo Colleges District.

“Rio Salado has been serving online learners for decades, and we know that flexibility alone isn’t enough. Students need to feel like they belong in college. This initiative is about making that happen deliberately, not by chance,” said Janelle Elias, Vice President of Strategy & Academic Affairs at Rio Salado College.

WCET will document and share project findings broadly, with the aim of helping community colleges nationwide adopt evidence-based approaches to building social capital for online learners.

Both Alamo Colleges District and Rio Salado are committed to making social capital and peer connections a permanent part of the online student experience. For InScribe, the partnership deepens its evidence base and advances its mission of ensuring every student, regardless of how or where they learn, has access to the people and networks that help them succeed.

Explore InScribe’s partnership outcomes and case studies at https://www.inscribeapp.com/case-studies.

About InScribe
InScribe is a digital student support platform that leverages the power of community and artificial intelligence to connect students with the answers, resources, and individuals they need to succeed. InScribe’s digital communities cut across the traditional support silos in higher education, giving students a single place to turn when they need help—no matter the topic or time of day. Students benefit from on-demand, peer-to-peer, and student-to-expert collaboration which helps them feel more connected, increasing student engagement, satisfaction, and persistence. Learn more about InScribe at https://www.inscribeapp.com/.

About Alamo Colleges District
For 80 years, the Alamo Colleges District has expanded access to higher education and transformed lives across Bexar County and beyond. Founded in 1945, the District has grown into a nationally recognized network of five colleges, serving 88,000 students annually, including more than 18,000 online learners enrolled in 150 online degrees, certificates, and other offerings. Known for its high-quality education and affordable cost, the Alamo Colleges District provides exceptional value to students and alumni who are vital contributors to the region’s economy and culture. Learn more at alamo.edu.

About Rio Salado College
Rio Salado College is one of 10 Maricopa Community Colleges and one of the largest online public community colleges in the nation, serving over 40,000 students last year with more than 21,000 online learners both here in Arizona and in all 50 states across the country. Founded in 1978, Rio Salado offers over 600 online classes, 156 degree and certificate programs and general education courses. The college works with local and national partners to create lifelong learning opportunities for military and incarcerated students and serves as Arizona’s largest provider of adult education and dual enrollment instruction. Learn more at https://www.riosalado.edu

About WCET
WCET is the leader in the practice, policy, and advocacy of technology-enhanced learning in higher education. As a national cooperative of colleges, universities, and education technology organizations, WCET facilitates collaboration, sharing of best practices, and policy development to advance digital learning. Learn more at https://wcet.wiche.edu.

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SOURCE InScribe