Student Affairs Online Virtual Case Study Competition

1. Student Affairs Online Virtual Case Study Competition The University of Mississippi

2. Building Community Through Technology StudentAffairs.com Virtual Case Study Competition The University of Mississippi Presented by: Chad McCracken, Katie Murphy, Scott Oliver, and Jennifer Simmons

3. Executive Summary The Vice President of Student Affairs at Telnet College has made a sweeping assumption that the level of technology on campus has had detrimental affects on the student body and the nature of the community at Telnet. We would like to challenge that assumption and assert that the rapidly changing technology is in fact a very positive transformation. Despite a few undesirable aspects, technology is not only a great and integral part of leading college campuses, it is essential for the learning and development of students, faculty, and staff alike. In advocating a technologically savvy campus, we believe it is the responsibility of Telnet College to lead the charge by offering exceptional web-based student services. A proactive approach should begin with hiring full-time personnel to create and maintain the web pages for all student services departments including those services that may be affiliated with academic affairs. Our vision for Telnet College is that all student services that would be beneficial online would in fact, be available online. The benefits of implementing these services are far-reaching and include everyone on campus. We have compiled a list of three main benefits. It is by no means conclusive, but other benefits will most likely fall under the following categories: efficiency, retention, and access. Our solutions to these challenges entail reevaluating what community actually is and how the use of technology is not “new community;” but rather, “different community.” We propose to embrace technology as a positive addition only helping to enhance and strengthen “traditional” community.

4. Web-Based Student Services

5. For All Student Services Departments: • Getting Started: • Hire outside web-design company to create web-sites for every department (outsource) • Hire a full-time employee to maintain all web pages • Include certain services that may be affiliated with Academic affairs (i.e. admissions, career services, orientation, etc.) • Consult other outside resources and develop a vision for Telnet College’s web-based student services http://www.wiche.edu/telecom/resources/publications/guide/guide.htm

6. For All Student Services Departments: • ORGANIZATION: • All departments should have the same format for user-friendliness and easy recognition • Sample- Ball State University http://www.bsu.edu/web/studentservices/

7. For All Student Services Departments: • Web pages should include: • Mission statement • Contact information (phone #s, physical and e-mail addresses of appropriate personnel) • Frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) • Calendar, schedule of events • Photo gallery • Credit/debit card capabilities (where appropriate)

8. Financial Aid Bursar’s Office Library Career Services Admissions/Registrar Bookstore Orientation Student Activities/ Campus Programming Student Media Campus Police Greek Life Housing Student Services Departmentsonline

9. Financial Aidonline • All forms available electronically • FAFSA • Scholarship • Appeals • Summer school • Dependency overrides • http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/financial_aid/online

10. Bursar’s Officeonline • Pay tuition • Pay tickets, student fees • Add money to meal card • Receive refunds • Apply for Direct Deposit (PDF Form or Online Form) • http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/bursar

11. Libraryonline • Research for articles • Connected to professional journal clearinghouses (i.e. EBSCOhost) • E-books • Catalog • Book Renewal • http://www.asu.edu/lib/access/erpage/

12. Career Servicesonline • Create/post resumes • Search for jobs • Personal assessments • Interest inventories • Scheduling appointments • Employer-student communication • Salary comparison • Cost of living estimates • http://career.olemiss.edu/

13. Admissions/Registraronline • Applications • Admission • Graduation • Transcript requests • Directory information changes • http://www.ferris.edu/htmls/admision/application/homepage.htm

14. Bookstoreonline • Order textbooks • Order other course materials • Request on-campus delivery or pick-up service • www.asbookstore.com/Templates/Level3.lasso?CatID=11

15. Orientationonline • Registration and Information • http://www.olemiss.edu/orientation/ • Virtual tours/ orientation for those unable to attend on-campus program • http://www.olemiss.edu/livecam/

16. Student Activities/Campus Programmingonline • Surveys and evaluations • http://www.olemiss.edu/teacheval/ • Program sponsorship request forms • Leadership position applications • Publicity (links to media coverage of events) • Links to vendors

17. Student Mediaonline • Newspaper: http://www.thedmonline.com/ • Editorial submissions • Surveys/polls • Classified submissions • Radio station: http://rebelradio.olemiss.edu/ • Television channel: http://www.olemiss.edu/orgs/newswatch/

18. Campus Police online • Parking tag applications • Crime reports of public record • http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/u_police/ • Anonymous reports • Presentation information/requests • Rape prevention • D.U.I. Prevention • Crime prevention

19. Greek Lifeonline • Rush applications • Recommendation forms • Transcript upload abilities • Links to chapter web pages • http://www.olemiss.edu/orgs • Links to national affiliates • Social event registration

20. Student Housing and Residence Life online • Student Housing and Residence Life Information • http://www.unh.edu/residential-life/ • Application for hall room • Room selection request • Roommate selection • Maintenance request • http://www.housing.olemiss.edu/kincannon/maintenance.html • Virtual tours • Complaint form

21. Benefits of Web-based Services • Efficiency • Retention • Access

22. Efficiency • Eliminates time: • Standing in line • Having to run errands around campus • Of student service support staff spent on serving walk-ins • Eliminates countless paper waste • Frees up students, faculty and staff to spend more time on studies and social activities!!!!!

23. Retention • Retention up when students are connected to campus life • Students attracted to campuses with up-to-date technology • Students and parents more likely to be satisfied with high level of customer service

24. Access • Services are more available to all types of students • Traditional students • Part-time students • Non-traditional students • Distance-learning students • Students with disabilities

25. NEW COMMUNITY

26. What is Community?? Community is defined as any group living in the same area having interests, work, etc. in common. Webster’s New World Dictionary, 1990.

27. How to Identify Community The 6 I’s of Commun-i-i-i-i-i-i-ty: Communities HAVE: Introduction – the practice of welcoming, orienting, teaching the norms, teaching the values and rules of the community Interaction – the practice of providing opportunities to bond together by sharing common experiences Involvement – the practice of people having a high degree of interaction characterized by support of one another with personal and academic problems Influence – the practice vesting in members control over their physical and social environments Investment – the practice of having a reflection of psychological ownership, the CARE element, understand needs of fellow community members Identity – the practice of describing self in collective terms: we, us reflecting an emphasis of common purpose. (Source: B.A.S.I.C.: A Journal for Building a Strong Involving Community, By: Claudia Kamhi, with contibutions by Kim Jones and G.F. Thompson)

28. What is Community Now?? COMMUNITY IS NOT NEW BECAUSE OF TECHNOLOGY. . . IT IS ONLY DIFFERENT.

29. Students chatting with other students Faculty chatting with and/or emailing students Students accessing vital school-related info online Parents accessing vital school-related info online A college/university providing online services Local businesses providing services to students Virtual Community Includes

30. OVERCOMING CHALLENGES • Closing the Digital Divide and Bridging the Gap • Costs associated with Challenges

31. “Digital Divide” ?? “the gap between those who can effectively use new information and communication tools, such as the Internet, and those who cannot” (Source: http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org/)

32. Students Students Parents Parents Students Faculty / Staff Students Faculty / Staff Students Businesses A “Digital Divide” Exists. . . Between

33. Students v. Faculty/Staff • Some students may be more proficient in using various forms of technology and vice versa. • The solution to this challenge is for all parties involved to have a clear understanding of how communication will occur and encourage various forms of communication.

34. Students v. Students • Some students may be a victim of the digital divide. • The solution is to encourage more online, on-campus student chatting to help end this on-campus battle.

35. Parents v. Faculty/Staff • Some parents are not as “tech savvy” as university faculty/staff. • The solution is to educate parents and to help them become more aware and proficient of the various ways to communicate. Therefore, when necessary, they may use these different forms.

36. Students v. Businesses • Some students want access to off-campus services or products. • A solution here would be for businesses to offer unique services to students, such as computer rentals or special ways to purchase items online.

37. Bridging the Gap . . . Solutions to the challenge: • Education • Increase Awareness of Benefits • Constantly offer better equipment and services • Simplification • Adaptability • More Computer Lab Facilities • Better Online and Printed Publishing

38. Sizable initial monetary, minimal in long-run Increase efficiency Costs could be off-set in student fees Increase access to services Increase speed of information Costs benefit University and Students Increase University enrollment and number of people getting some form of higher education Costs Associated with the Challenge

39. ONLINE HARASSMENT • Types of Harassment • Creation of policy

40. Abusive Communication Online communication may result in… • the receipt of abusive or obscene messages. AND/OR • death threats or bodily injury (Source: http://www.safetyed.org/help/stalking/cyberstalking.html)

41. Electronic Attacks • One may be repeatedly disconnected from their Internet service. AND/OR • One may receive destructive electronic viruses to their computer. (Source: http://www.safetyed.org/help/stalking/cyberstalking.html)

42. Online Defamation • One may find defaming words or images displayed on someone’s website, or posted to a discussion board, that they did not consent to and that compromises their integrity as a person. (Source: http://www.safetyed.org/help/stalking/cyberstalking.html)

43. Preventing Online Harassment • Know online etiquette or “netiquette”. • Do not get into online arguments. • Choose a sensible online name. • Ignore the harasser. • Contact online safety personnel. (Source: http://www.safetyed.org/help/stalking/cyberstalking.html)

44. Summary of Presentation The ideas that are associated with community are only augmented by the use of technology in the University and College setting. Telnet College should, in every way that it can, support the propagation of technology in its campus activities and services. Don’t run from it, use it.