To appeal to a larger student base, institutions have utilized current online technologies to provide courses to those students who would not otherwise be served. Unfortunately, the online learning experience has not been a positive one for a substantial portion of participating students. Thus, a key issue for postsecondary institutions is that of trying to find ways in which student retention in online courses can be improved. The purpose of this study was to determine the variables significant for retention in online courses as asked by questions listed on an online course survey at a small Midwestern university. This article deals specifically with those institutional variables relating to online instruction. The analysis deals specifically with the mean levels of importance and satisfaction regarding these variables.