Staying Connected: Five Issues in Student Affairs

1. Staying Connected: Five Issues in Student Affairs Brian Anderson Dee Graham Susan Harris Danny Pham

2. Campus Safety • Parents and Family • Assessment • Technology for the Multi-tasking Millennial • Making Meaning

3. Campus Safety and Communication

4. Text-Messaging (Simple Message Systems) • It’s predicted that ownership of mobile devices will reach 3 billion people by the year 2010. • Taken from http://www.edenonline.org/contents/publications/SMS/Ericsson.Mobile.A5.pdf • Cell phones with text-messaging capability are the top technology, next to computers, that college students bring to campus • Taken from http://connect.educause.edu/Library/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/StudentCampusTechnologyTr/45537?time=1202618606

5. (cont.) • Text-messages are a way that colleges and universities can provide students with relevant, timely information • Faculty and staff can electronically (online or via email) input information that will be text-messaged to students • Text-messages can be sent to students to alert them of emergency situations on campus • Text-messages are also a way for universities and colleges to let students know about last minute information regarding unforeseen campus closures or class cancellations • Taken from http://campustechnology.com/articles/57290/ & ftp://doaftp04.doa.state.wi.us/doadocs/governorstaskforcecampussafetyfinalreport.pdf

6. Desktop Popup Alerts • Some colleges and universities have started implementing Desktop Popup alerts that let students know about a situation if they are in front of a computer or laptop • Taken from http://campustechnology.com/articles/57290/

7. Video Surveillance Systems • Video cameras are capable of using “computer algorithms to detect suspicious activity”, such as a person entering a prohibited area • Colleges and universities can use video cameras to monitor suspicious activity and respond to incidents while they are happening, as well as identify perpetrators easily • Taken from http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1611164,00.html • Video cameras use wireless technology to provide instant images and information to campus security personnel via computers • Taken from http://www.motorola.com/networkoperators/vertical-markets/pdfs/edu/Coastal-Carolina.pdf

8. Digital Acoustics Intercom System • Digital Acoustics high-tech intercom system “can immediately broadcast a message to a single classroom or to the entire campus or to any combination in between” • The intercom system creates a way for students to be aware of eminent dangers on campus without the delay of going home to check email or even checking text-messages via cell phones • Taken from http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1611164,00.html

9. Social Networking Websites • Studies show that social networking websites may have a positive effect on peer relationships • Taken from http://publications.naspa.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1832&context=naspajournal • This positive peer connection can be utilized during times of emergency or crisis • Websites like Facebook and MySpace could serve as a point of contact for parents and friends of students in an emergency, providing a way to post information, as they did after the shootings at VirginiaTech

10. Global Positioning Systems • GPS tracking devices can be connected to a cell phone in order to alert campus security via a timer • If the student does not turn off the GPS before the timer goes off, an alert is sent to campus security electronically • GPS with cell phones might help students feel more secure walking on or near campus when alone or after dark • Taken from http://www.ravewireless.com/artmanager/publish/news/AP_Cell_phones_have_campus_safety_dialed_in.shtml

11. (cont.) • Faculty and staff could encourage students to share thoughts and feelings after an emergency through social networking websites to bring a campus community together • Taken from ftp://doaftp04.doa.state.wi.us/doadocs/governorstaskforcecampussafetyfinalreport.pdf • Applications on Facebook could be developed as a way for students to find out about emergency information • Taken from http://www.universitybusiness.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1005

12. Redefining relationships with parents Parents & Family

13. Parents’ current level of involvement • The level of communication and interaction between college administrators and parents of college students is changing. In a 2004 Associated Press article exploring this issue, West Virginia University parent advocate Susan Lantz states that in recent years, parents have become more involved in their students’ college education, and that “a lot of students want their parents involved, too.” • To find out if this trend is occurring at UC Davis, SARI conducted a QuickSurvey on MyUCDavis during the first week of spring quarter, 2004. • The results are that most Davis students had parental involvement in their education and liked that arrangement. The poll also showed that of students not satisfied with their parents’ current level of participation, there were more students desiring increased involvement than decreased involvement. • The poll asked students to select the answer that best suited their parents’ current level of involvement, and then to indicate whether they wanted their parents to be more or less involved in their college life. A total of 3187 students completed this survey. Of this group, 1901 (60%) stated that their parents were involved and that the student wanted to maintain the current level of involvement. An additional 661 (21%) said that their parents were not involved and they preferred that it stayed that way. About 13% of the students wanted their parents to become more involved while 5% wanted less involvement.

14. Parent & Family Online Networks • As more parents become Internet-savvy, e-mail messages and parent Web pages increasingly become important means of communicating information to parents. • The purpose of a Parent & Family Network is to identify and address the unique orientation and transition programming needs of parents and family members of new college/university students and to appropriately develop orientation formats and programs to accommodate parents and family members.  • The Parent & Family Network can generate discussion toward Parent Orientation programs, Parent Service Departments, Parent/Family Weekend programs, and Parent Associations. (Coburn & Woodward 2001)

15. Family & Parent Online Orientation • Orientation and transition programs provide a valuable avenue to introduce and connect parents and families with university information, services and programs. • Colleges and universities set the tone for their relationship with parents long before they arrive on campus. • An increasing number of institutions take an active approach to communicating with parents via parent Web sites and newsletters. • Some sites include e-mail addresses of administrators in the parent program, who respond to inquiries from parents of prospective, incoming, and current students. • Some institutions that are particularly “parent-friendly” establish toll-free numbers prior to orientation, encouraging parents to turn directly to the parent office for information or assistance. (Coburn & Woodward 2001)

16. Family & Parent Online Orientation • Since many parents want to stay involved in their own students’ life at college, many colleges are creating a pre-orientation for parents and family. This online orientation may include… • Virtual Tours (Campus & Community) • Important Campus Information, Dates, Contacts, and Forms • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) • Parent Communities (Online Chat Rooms) • Advice on Student Health & Safety

17. College Parents of America • http://www.collegeparents.org/cpa/about-cpa.html • http://www.onsp.umich.edu/parents_family/orientation.html • Seven Parent Populations Your Institution May Be Alienating Recruitment & Retention in Higher Education; Dec2006, Vol. 20 Issue 12, p3-6, 2p • Put First Things First during Parent Orientation. Student Affairs Leader; 8/15/2006, Vol. 34 Issue 16, p4-4, 3/4p • More Than Punch and Cookies: A New Look at ParentOrientation Programs. By: Coburn, Karen Levin; Woodward, Bill. New Directions for Student Services, Summer2001 Issue 94, p27, 12p

18. Assessment

19. Clickers (Interactive Response Systems) • A clicker is an interactive device that allows students to respond to questions and to have their results immediately appear on the screen (of a laptop or computer) • Taken from http://clc.its.psu.edu/Classrooms/prs/ • Once clicker software is installed on a laptop, the laptop is then plugged into receivers through a USB cable. Students press buttons on their clickers in response to prompts or questions typed into a PowerPoint presentation • Taken from http://campustechnology.com/articles/49681/ • In classroom settings, clickers have been shown to elicit greater engagement from students • Taken from http://www.turningtechnologies.com/highereducationinteractivelearning.cfm

20. (cont.) • Clicker technology is constantly evolving and improving to serve students better • Interwrite clickers use radio frequency, unlike other clickers that use infrared light, which could easily be blocked • Clickers have started to be used not only for the classroom, but also campuswide—from polling student opinions in residence halls to gauging administrators engagement during staff meetings • Taken from http://campustechnology.com/articles/49681/ • The potential exists for clickers to be utilized as an assessment tool for student activities and orientations

21. Social Networking Websites • Higher education professionals can use Facebook to “help students succeed with their academic life…” • Currently, students can view course information and search university libraries without signing off of Facebook • Taken from http://publications.naspa.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1832&context=naspajournal • Faculty and staff could use Facebook and other social networking websites to create applications or surveys that gauge students’ opinions

22. Web Surveys • Higher education professionals can create their own websites using HTML to develop surveys easily accessed online by students. • An even easier method of generating web surveys is to use an online web-based survey server, such as surveymonkey.com or zoomerang.com. • These websites enable faculty and staff to generate a list of email addresses. Emails can then be sent to students with a link to the survey. • Follow up emails are sent to those who don’t initially access the survey. • Once all participants have responded to the survey, data can be downloaded and saved. • Web surveys can be a fast and efficient way to gather a large amount of data, especially in comparison to a paper-and-pencil method. • Taken from http://studentaffairs.com/ejournal/Fall_2005/StudentAffairsAssessmentPlans.htm

23. Technology for the Multi-Tasking Millenial • "[Millennials] are impatient and goal oriented...are used to instant feedback. They want it now. ..They want flexibility — in the classroom and in their lives. To get this generation involved, you have to figure out a way to engage them and make their learning faster at the end of the day.” • - Richard T. Sweeney

24. Student Service Solutions • Various technology solutions firms are available to student affairs professionals. When campuses are in need of outsourcing technological advancements, these firms can provide services that streamline what used to be paper processes for students, student organizations, and student affairs.

25. Examples • OrgSync - Student Organization Management (www.OrgSync.com) • Resume Builder - Tracks community service hours, involvement and leadership • “Modular Design” - Provides options for the types of services student organizations want to use • On-line Form Builder - Decrease or eliminate paper forms • Increase Student Participation - Provides forums, polls, and on-line calendar of events

26. Examples • PaveSystems - Judicial and Student Safety Services (www.PaveSystems.com) • Allows students to: • report suspicious behavior or violations • provide feedback on police officer abuse • provide feedback on their hearing process and to share ideas on improving the judicial process • Targeted communications to/from students, parents, administrators, police and safety experts. • Provides for wireless, automatic email notifications and innovative technology capabilities.

27. Portable Programming • With the various advancements in PDAs and portable media players in the past few years, new channels are created for Student Affairs to disseminate information to students. • For example, Apple’s iPod Classic is able to play powerpoint files allowing students to view presentations from or for class as well as presentations from student affairs programs. • Taken from http://www.engadget.com/2004/11/16/how-to-put-powerpoint-on-your-ipod-photo/ • In the same way that professors can record their lecture and put them into podcasts, certain forms of student affairs programs and presentations can be turned into podcasts or video podcasts (vodcasts) for students who could not attend the original event. One way in which these videos can be distributed is via YouTube.com.

28. (cont.) • Podcasts have also been used in RSS feeds to update students on upcoming programs or changes in services. • While some schools provide podcasts directly from their own websites, some have made use of Apple’s iTunes U service. • iTunes U has allowed many colleges, including community colleges, to provide audio and video files about the on-goings of administration, presentations and programs, services on campus, and general academic advising.

29. Making Meaning

30. Guidry (2006) states that online communication is a transformative and normal scenario for college students. Using this technology they build lasting relationships through these online activities.

31. Social Networks • Facebook • Out on Facebook: regularly update his online profile • "It's very much something students use to connect with each other now." Young gays and lesbians regularly come out through this online outlet. • Advocate, The,  Oct 25, 2005  by Ryan James Kim

32. Activism • Like Social Networks, Rheingold (2002), noted that technology increasingly makes communication and information dissemination possible for political activism.

33. Online Student Activism Websites • All have active blogs, increase in activity on them (Malaney, 07) • www.campusactivism.org, • CitizensForLegitimateGovernment • freedomfight • trustthepeople-disc.

34. Blogging or Publishing – Opinions and Journal Writing • Deaf students at Gallaudet university have used blogging, text messaging, and instant messaging as a way of life. More importantly, they have used it to fight against the election of a non-deaf president-elect. • Even Mr. Taylor -- who says he owned neither a laptop computer nor a pager when protests against the appointment began last spring -- said the Internet had proven to be a transformative technology for deaf people (Read, 2006).

35. Blogs, or on-line journals, have become very popular among social and political activists, non-traditional journalists, and traditional news organizations (Klotz, 2004). • Jayson (2006) argued that because of the Internet this generation of young people is much more aware of the world. • “Those who aren't in school "don't suffer from a lack of interest; they suffer from a lack of access," says co-founder Adrian Talbot, 26.”

36. With increases in technology, young people are not always more knowledgeable. Social Networks and Activism can only go so far. In many situations, global issues are still not prominent in their lives.(Adamson, Belden, Davanzo, & Paterson, 2000; “Global Goofs,” 2002). • Teens4Peace began as an outlet for real change when no organization existed. • “Everyone in my class was shocked and they didn't know what was happening," says Bergerson, 17, a high school senior from Potomac, Md. "So I created a means for them to get involved and for them to participate.”

37. Petitioning • Arend (2004) would define the above behaviors as engagement. Some administrators may see this internet usage as a waste of time, students see this as a means of connecting across the globe. • Gemmill & Peterson (2006) state that the findings from their study indicate that 25% of the students encounter disruptions from technology, which leads to higher stress. Thus not all students are gaining ground with increases in technology.

38. In addition to Gemmill and Peterson, Kvavik & Caruso (2005) and Lloyd et al (2007) found that positive benefits of using technology include knowledge acquisition, socialization and entertainment. The negative outcomes of technology exist when it is solely used for entertainment purposes.

39. Final Thought • “As we recognize the challenges, we should equally consider the opportunities we have to be more creative and innovative in connecting with our students by providing services and programs that assist us in understanding the values that shape them” • Wilson, S. (2007) The Influence of Technology on College Student Values. StudentAffairs.com Ejournal, 8, Art 3. Retrieved on February 15, 2008 from http://studentaffairs.com/ejournal/Fall_2007/InfluenceofTechnologyonCollegeStudentValues.html

40. Additional References • Adamson, D. M., Belden, N., DaVanzo, J., & Patterson, S. (2000). How Americans view world population issues: A survey of public opinion. Retrieved July 21, 2004, from http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1114/ • Arend, B. (2004, July-August). New patterns of student engagement. About Campus, p. 30-32. • Gemilll, E. L., & Peterson, M. (2006). Technology use among college students: Implications for student affairs professionals. NASPA Journal, 43(2), Art. 5. Retrieved October 26, 2007 from http://publications.naspa.org/naspajournal/vol43/iss2/art5 • Guidry, K. R. (2006). Online communication is healthy, normal and critical to identity development. NASPA NetResults, Retrived October 26, 2007 from http://www.naspa.org/membership/mem/nr/PrinterFriendly.cfm?id=1561 • Jayson, S. (2006, October 24). Generation Y gets involved. USA Today, pp. 1D-2D. • Klotz, R. J. (2004). The politics of Internet communication. Lanham, MD: Rowan & Littlefield. • Kornblum, J. (2006, October 24). Student activists use Web tools to make noise, bring change. USA Today, p. 8D.

41. (cont.) • Kuh, G. D., Kinzie, J., Schuh, J. H., Whitt, E. J., & Associates. (2005). Student success in college: Creating conditions that matter. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • Kvavik, R. B., & Caruso, J. B. (2005). ECAR study of students and information technology: Convenience, connection, control, and learning. Retrieved October 26, 2007 from http://educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ers0506/rs/ERS0506w.pdf • Lloyd, J., Dean, L. A., & Cooper, D. L. (2007). Students’ technology use and its effects on peer relationships, academic involvement, and healthy lifestyles. NASPA Journal, 44(3), Art. 6. Retrieved October 26, 2007 from http://publications.naspa.org/naspajournal/vol44/iss3/art6 • Read, B. (2006, January 20). Think before you share: Students' online socializing can have unintended consequences. The Chronicle of Higher Education [Electronic version]. Retrieved September 3, 2006 from http://chronicle.com/weekly/v52/i20/20a03801.htm • Read, B. (2006, November 10). Technology and influential blogs helped galvanize protests at Gallaudet. The Chronicle of Higher Education, p. A40.