With the rapid growth of social media and accompanying surge in online activity, particularly among university and college students, student affairs staff are using the latest technologies to engage students and forge stronger ties to programs, services, and events. Increasingly, senior student affairs officers (SSAOs) are building their own communities and initiating important conversations through a variety of social media sites. This article provides an overview of social media and how it can help student affairs make and keep vital connections.

Facebook, with more than 500 million users, is the most-used social media site. Twitter, the 140-character microblogging site, has become an important communications tool within higher education. Other widely used social media sites and tools include: wikis, LinkedIn, Flickr, Delicious, and YouTube. This article focuses on Twitter, Facebook, and blogs, which currently hold the greatest value for SSAOs who are diving into the social media sphere. Successful navigation of social media can take time, patience, and an understanding that in most cases you must “use it” to “get it.”

Strategic Thinking
With limited time and resources, it is important for SSAOs to create a social media strategy. Incorporating social media into a comprehensive communication plan allows for outcomes-based assessment and an answer to the often-asked question: “Why are we doing this?” Social media strategies may take time to develop and evolve, but a clearly defined rationale for social media use can contribute to the overall sustainability of social media endeavors.

It is perfectly acceptable to have a team of student affairs social media content creators. However, delegating is not engaging. As a leader, the impact of your personal tweet, blog post, or Facebook update is important to consider.

Twitter
It may take up to a year of listening, lurking, and learning before an SSAO realizes that Twitter holds amazing potential. Twitter can be described as the social media Swiss Army knife. Like most communications tools, Twitter is multifaceted with its own strategies, protocols,and etiquette. Create a highly defined strategy that limits your initial uses of Twitter. Focus on doing one thing really well before trying everything that Twitter can do.

The most successful SSAOs on Twitter use a variety of methods to frequently update their tweetstreams. SSAOs may consider installing a Twitter application (app) on their smart- phones. It is much easier to create one or two updates per day while on the go if you can tweet from your phone. Apps like UberTwitter (Blackberry, iPhone) and TweetDeck (iPhone, Android, iPad, and desktop) are free to use and easily installed.

Refer to this small but powerful list of tweeting SSAOs. A free guide to understanding the basics of Twitter can be found at: http://business.twitter.com/.

Facebook
Facebook is a revolutionary site for making professional and personal connections. You can ask a colleague about a higher education issue in one instance and chat with a friend moments later. While a large number of SSAOs are already on Facebook for social networking, using Facebook as an element in a social media strategy may require sacrificing a certain amount of privacy. Unlike Twitter, which only has a public or private option, Facebook has multiple levels of privacy settings. Experimentation is required as students cannot connect with you on Facebook if you are “hidden” from them.

Blogs
Blogs have appeared on the Internet for some time. The primary difference between a regular website and a blog is the frequency of content updates and the ability to allow commentary. A blog can serve as the hub for a social media strategy. Blogs can be used to communicate on a variety of topics to students. Facebook widgets and embeddable Twitter feeds mean that all social media channels can be readily available in one place. By allowing students to engage with social media content in a variety of locations, you increase the likelihood that connections will be made and that information will be exchanged.

The website of Dean of Students Kenn Elmore at Boston University (BU) is a stellar example of an effective SSAO blog. Elmore’s enthusiastic embrace of social media is a terrific display of how an SSAO can use a variety of social media channels to engage with students. He frequently updates his blog and is one of the more active SSAOs on Twitter. His tweets are embedded on BU’s Dean of Students website so students can jump into the conversation through numerous entry points.

Leading Change
Being a leader IRL (in real life) requires courage, authenticity, wisdom, and the ability to listen. Social media tools create ample opportunities for SSAOs to model effective leadership through a variety of engagement styles. While Facebook and blogs have the potential to showcase these styles, Twitter is the quickest, most direct social media site for SSAOs to quickly connect with their communities.

The Engager
Dean Elmore, with thousands of followers on Twitter, has created a unique voice in the SSAO social media world. His tweets are peppered with questions, contests, and riddles that grab your attention. Seemingly in attendance at every BU event, Elmore tweets via his iPhone for on-the-go interaction.

Authenticity is an important aspect of Elmore’s social media voice. His tweets represent his personality: vibrant, inquisitive, and packed with leading-edge thinking. He engages with BU students by tweeting @t them. It is fascinating to watch as Elmore tweets a riddle in the form of a haiku about an upcoming “tweetup” for the BU community. Tweets that simultaneously develop inquiry and conversation are tremendously engaging.

The Broadcaster
Luoluo Hong, vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of Hawaii, is a student affairs techie who has embraced the use of Twitter as a communication tool. Tweeting as @UH_Hilo_vCSA, Hong uses Twitter to broadcast a variety of messages. Twitter played an important role in the dissemination of information in February during the threat of a catastrophic tsunami in Hawaii. Twitter was one way that Hong was able to share critical information with the university community. Providing real-time information to those who need it most during emergencies is one of the true benefits of social media sites. Developing connections through followers adds an extra layer of value when you need to share critical information with the campus community.

The Connector
Levester Johnson, vice president for student affairs at Butler University, actively uses Twitter to forward a variety of interesting tweets. From posts that mention his family to Butler University sports to contest promotions, Johnson creates a holistic blend of engaging tweets. Johnson’s use of Twitter resonates because there is something for everyone. His tweets represent a terrific depiction of a day in the life of an SSAO. His social media presence is approachable, authentic, and engaging. Social media works best as a comfortable conversation.

Applying Strengths
It is important to note that what works for one SSAO will not necessarily work for another. It is essential to develop your own social media style. Individual strengths should be reflected in the social media engagement of student affairs professionals. Read an SSAO blog, peruse the tweetstream, or read through comments on a Facebook profile, and you will better define your own online strengths. Focus on what you do best IRL, and your social media presence will be more creative, deliberative, and engaging. Everyone has a story to tell. All stories can be told differently, and this variety should be celebrated.

Identifying and Understanding Trends
Social media is not a trend. It cannot be ignored. In today’s landscape of web-based communication technologies, social media is the primary mode of connection-making and information dissemination.

Social media tools and sites like blogs, Facebook, and Twitter are perfect vehicles for listening and learning. New and emerging technologies are often revealed through social media connections. These tools will continue to evolve as technology changes and new ways to communicate appear.

Social media represents a shift in how we think about learning. A question posted on Twitter or Facebook can generate insightful responses in a matter of minutes. A blog post on a particular student affairs topic can elicit commentary from professionals in multiple functional areas. A broad network can help you keep up with trends. If you don’t understand an application, the digital community can provide clarity and wisdom.

Social media can be a wonderful way to keep track of the “pulse” of a campus despite the hectic schedule of the SSAO. Listening and lurking can be powerful ways to identify trends and opportunities. Note that “lurking” is an acceptable social media practice. You can’t always be responding, engaging, and posting. Sit back and watch the stream. It just might surprise you.

Life Balance
Social media is a personal learning network. In addition to using social media to enhance your ability to stay abreast of trends, its most important personal and professional benefit is the network and community. Social media enables you to maintain professional connections with colleagues around the world on a year-round basis, building on the connections made at annual meetings and conferences. Support, guidance, and advice are readily available via Twitter and Facebook. The community of student affairs professionals in social media is robust, genuine, and nurturing.

#SAchat
The Twitter-based #SAchat peer-to-peer learning network is a favorite student affairs social media community. Student affairs professionals from all levels engage with each other in a weekly, moderated Twitter conversation. Undergraduate students who are interested in careers in the field, current graduate students, new professionals, mid-level practitioners, and SSAOs engage in learning opportunities via the #SAchat. The community frequently rallies support for members who need project assistance, research ideas, and mentoring. The success of the #SAchat demonstrates the power and versatility of social media. For more information about the #SAchat, visit: http://thesabloggers.org/sachat.

Tweet, Post, and Update
Social media success will not happen overnight. As all SSAOs know, connections must be nurtured and grown. Start tweeting, updating, and posting. Reach out to those staff members who are already engaging with social media. You will not have to look far to find on-campus social media superstars. Learn from them. Ask questions. Social media is an adventure: #TweetOn.

Originally published (and re-posted with permission) in the Spring 2011 edition of the NASPA Leadership Exchange.

I’ve been testing out 3 web-based social media apps. Built to leverage the API’s of sites like Twitter and Facebook, these apps are web-based and can be accessed from any net enabled computer. TweetDeck (Chrome only), HootSuite, and Seesmic are all amazing in terms of functionality. I tested them all out using Google’s Chrome browser. This was mostly due to the fact that TweetDeck is only available as a web app via Chrome.

Aesthetically speaking, I really like the look and feel of Seesmic. It’s been my favorite Twitter app on Android and the web-based version doesn’t disappoint. It’s feature-rich and integrates the following social media services: Twitter, Foursquare, Google Buzz, Facebook, and LinkedIn. TweetDeck works almost as well as the desktop version. HootSuite has long been a popular alternative to TweetDeck. However, I find it’s interface to be less intuitive and quite a bit more “clunky” than Seesmic or TweetDeck. The API connection that TweetDeck leverages in Chrome is impressive. Tweets stream into your web browser almost as fast as they are posted. This makes it very easy to participate in Twitter-based chats using “ChromeDeck.”

In terms of social media listening / engaging, I would recommend that you try out all 3 apps to determine which one works best for you. I’ve been using TweetDeck in Chrome for fast-paced Twitter chats and Seesmic works really well in Firefox. HootSuite offers up a paid, Pro service for folks who want access to a larger feature set. It will be interesting to see how these app providers can continue to provide such amazing apps while at the same time covering their operating costs. While these apps are certainly not as powerful as the social media listening stations that Gatorade and Dell launched last year, I’m certain that you can do quite a bit with a browser, a connection to the Internet, and one of these web-based social media apps.

Which of these 3 apps do you use? Do you use something else?

Hootsuite – (Works in Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Chrome)

Seesmic – (Works in Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Chrome)

TweetDeck – (Chrome browser)

Leslie Dare is one of my favorite student affairs techies. I remember reading Leslie’s call to action regarding the NASPA Technology Knowledge Community in 2006: “Technology in Student Affairs: Seeking Knowledge, Craving Community.” Having been present for the disbanding of the original KC, I was encouraged by Leslie’s leadership and insight into student affairs technology.

Leslie has created a poll that I think asks an important question for anyone who works in student affairs. This poll indicates to me that the relationship between technology and student affairs is complicated and emerging. Leslie and I would both love to know your answer to this question:

This month marks the 1 year anniversary for the #SAchat. I wanted to share a little bit about what the #SAchat community has meant to me.

I first found out about the #SAchat in September of 2009 when I received a direct message from one of the creators of the chat – Debra Sanborn. Her message was simple, but it captured my attention: “We have the beginnings of an #sachat going.” I was intrigued. When the other co-founder, Tom Krieglstein, posted a tweet in October of 2009 with the #sachat hashtag, I was hooked. While I haven’t been able to “attend” every #SAchat, I have been able to participate frequently and read through the weekly chat transcripts.

I can say without hesitation that if you are in student affairs (and/or interested in the profession) and are interested in seeing how social media can be a place for learning, networking and making connections, then you need to check out the #SAchat.

Personally and professionally, the #SAchat community has been a source for learning, mentoring, caring, inspiration, knowledge, and friendship. I have made so many meaningful connections through #SAchat including the following amazing student affairs professionals: Debra Sanborn, Tom Krieglstein, Cindy Kane, Ed Cabellon, Teri Bump, Kristen Rupert, Stacy Oliver, Rey Junco, Mike Severy, Christopher Conzen, Julie Kirchmeier, Becca Fick, Kathy Petras, Niki Rudolph and Thomas Valdez. I didn’t know any of them prior to engaging / connecting on #SAchat. I’ve met several of the #SAchat community in real life and have made lasting friendships.

The #SAchat community contributed greatly to my decision to take a ride on the “Stoller Coaster.”

#SAchat members have enriched my mind, nurtured my soul, and touched my heart. I am so thankful that Debra and Tom had the courage to start this community.

Here’s to many more years of #SAchat. Thank you.

One of my mentors once told me that mentors are everywhere and that all I needed to do was to seek them out. At the time, I had been struggling with finding experienced practitioners who were as into learning / using technology within student affairs as I was. It took me a while to realize that what I had been looking for was the ultimate mentor. I was seeking someone who matched up with every nuance, every interest area, in effect, the “perfect” mentor.

When I woke up this morning, I had a realization. A thought that I had never really allowed to materialize. I currently have multiple individuals who I call “mentor.” No single person. Not a lone individual. I have multiple mentors. Some of my mentors provide professional advice. Some of my mentors assist me in the “apprenticeship of life.” This cadre of mentors provides me with an amazing breadth and depth of learning, experiences, and guidance. A community of mentors who I look to for strength, insight, humor, and caring.

My mentors come from all over the place. They have been instrumental in where I am and where I want to be. Here are a few ideas that I have been pondering about mentoring:

• Sometimes mentors bring mentorship into your life without it being strategic or intentional. It just happens.
• Age does not always equal wisdom. Be open to mentoring from anyone. Wisdom can surprise you.
• If your mentors are well-known, be prepared to spend less time with them. Learn as much as you can when you have access. Maximize your time with them.
• Social media spans the globe. Your access to mentors has just increased…be ready.
• Sometimes mentors and mentees switch roles depending on circumstances, timing, and need. It’s okay.

Photo credit: quacktaculous

Bill Gates and I don’t often disagree. However, at the recent Techonomy conference, Bill was predicting the future of higher education. I took umbrage with some of his comments. Per his usual rhetoric, Bill positioned technology as the panacea for the future of higher education.

Here are some of Bill’s comments:

“The self-motivated [college] learner will be on the web and there will be far less place-based things.”
“College, except for the parties…. needs to be less place-based.”
“Place-based activity in that ‘college thing’ will be 5 times less important than it is today.”
“The room for innovation, thank God for charters, there’s no room for innovation in the standard system.”

Bill’s commentary at the conference was picked up by TechCrunch and posted as “Bill Gates: In Five Years The Best Education Will Come From The Web.”

The post quickly spread like a wildfire throughout Twitter:

The interesting thing is that the quote that’s being passed around on Twitter as originating from Bill Gates seems to have been actually just the post title from TechCrunch. I wasn’t able to find video or text where Bill Gates actually said what is being attributed to him by a lot of folks on Twitter.

The disturbing aspects of Bill’s quotes from the video are that he seems to have a negative attitude toward the physical spaces of higher education. Bill constructs his arguments around cost and access, but fails to adequately critique his own points. “Self-motivated learners” generally do not include students from traditionally marginalized groups. Bill Gates went to an exclusive preparatory high school and attended Harvard College. His is not a story of overcoming obstacles. Access issues are pervasive in higher education. Socioeconomic status catapulted Gates to where he is today. His arguments around access fail to include awareness of the digital divide in terms of both class and disability. Simply offering more web-based opportunities for learning will not improve access issues. And don’t get me started about the bit about “parties” being the only rationale for “place-based” institutions.

Bill’s rhetoric is consistently anti-student-involvement. Gates approaches his arguments from the position that every student is coming out of an innovative charter school and where self-motivated learners roam the higher education sphere. What Bill is forgetting is that involvement is crucial to student success. Can a student be successful when there primary involvement opportunities take place via the web — absolutely. However, most of our students benefit tremendously from their involvement and interactions within the brick and mortar activities of their educational institution.

Student involvement theory is a foundational element for student affairs professionals. Research has shown that increased involvement leads to higher amounts of persistence and greater academic success.

According to Alexander Astin (1984) [pdf]:

[S]tudent involvement refers to the amount of physical and psycho- logical energy that the student devotes to the academic experience. Thus, a highly involved student is one who, for example, devotes considerable energy to studying, spends much time on campus, participates actively in student organizations, and interacts frequently with faculty members and other students.

Astin (1984) concluded that “the greater the student’s involvement in college, the greater will be the amount of student learning and personal development.”

I wish that Bill Gates would offer a blended approach. Why can’t we have both? Amazing opportunities can be created to support students in both the virtual and physical spheres.

References
Astin, A. (1984). Student involvement: a developmental theory for higher education. Journal of College Student Personnel, 25(4), 297-308.

Career Services and Social Media: Todd really says it best

Let’s shift some paradigms: Introducing my new blog at Inside Higher Ed.

Challenge and Tech Support: Student Affairs practitioners and Tech Support departments…please let us be admins.

Do you YouTube? Don’t forget to add captions: Would you build a new building without an elevator? Nope… Then why would you ever create videos without captions?

George Orwell, Web Stats, and Your Site Visitors: Student Affairs + Web Stats….Nerdvana

I am thrilled to announce that I’m going to be blogging about Student Affairs and Technology for Inside Higher Ed (IHE). As an avid reader of IHE, I am very excited to join the IHE blogging team. I think that my posts on student affairs + technology will complement Joshua Kim’s blog on Technology and Learning.

Recently, I held a contest via Twitter to name my new blog. The incentive — a $100 Amazon gift card — courtesy of Inside Higher Ed. Several folks came up with interesting/creative blog names. I think the #SAChat Community provided the majority of ideas. Student Affairs folks are uber creative.

Here are my 3 favorite submissions:

• Jeff Jackson: The Stoller Strikes Back, Return of the Blogosphere, Student Affairs….I am Your Blogger
• Zack Ford: Challenge and Tech Support
• ACUHO-I (sent via DM): Binary Code of Conduct

Choosing a winner from these 3 has been extremely challenging. Star Wars references, Sanford, and an entire Association…how cool is that?!! After more than a week of deliberate (intentional ) deliberating I have decided that the winner of the gift card is:

Zack Ford’s submission made me laugh. It’s subtle….and I love subtlety. The obvious nod / homage to Nevitt Sanford warms the heart. Challenge and Support is one of my all-time favorite, and oft-used, student development theories.

It should be noted that Julie Larsen was correct…the official name of my new blog is going to be: Student Affairs and Technology. The name needed to be something that would be simple enough that any IHE reader would know exactly what it was about. The blog also needed to be search engine friendly…”Students Affairs + Technology” is simple and searchable.

Stay tuned for my first official post on Inside Higher Ed!

Honorable mention:

Julie P-Kirchmeier: Stoller: Resistance is Futile

Niki Rudolph: Epic Stoller

Justine Carpenter: Tech Tips for SAPs

Christopher Conzen: The Stoller Coaster

Conducting a successful student affairs job search requires patience, networking, and technology. That’s right, technology. One particular tech tool that is extremely useful for conducting a search is RSS. Job postings delivered to your feed reader via RSS means that new job announcements are efficiently delivered to your virtual doorstep.

If you aren’t familiar with using RSS, please watch this video for more information:

If you need an RSS feed reader, I would highly recommend using Google Reader:

There are a few student affairs websites that offer job postings via RSS feeds, including:

• ASCA
• HigherEdJobs.com
• Inside Higher Ed
• NAFSA
• NACAS
• NACUBO

Remember to look for the RSS symbol – – or for a link to RSS data. Ideally, all student affairs job sites will offer RSS feeds in the near future as this makes conducting a search ultra-convenient.

An alternative to RSS feeds for job postings is the “Email Alert.” Several sites offer email alerts based on a variety of search queries. ACPA, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Placement Exchange, and the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium all offer student affairs job search updates via email alerts.

In addition to the RSS and Email solutions mentioned above, most student affairs associations / higher education news sites offer job listings on their websites. Here are direct links to the student affairs job listings for the following associations / resource sites.

Student Affairs jobs via professional associations:

• American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)
• American College Personnel Association (ACPA)
• Association of College Unions International (ACUI)
• Association for Student Conduct Administration (ASCA)
• Consortium of Higher Education Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Professionals
• National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC)
• National Academic Advising Association (NACADA)
• National Association of College Auxiliary Services (NACAS)
• National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO)
• NAFSA: Association of International Educators
• National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA)
• The Placement Exchange (NASPA, ACUHO-I, NACA, NODA, ASCA and AFA)

Student Affairs jobs via higher education publications / job sites:

• The Chronicle of Higher Education
• HigherEdJobs.com
• Higher Education Recruitment Consortium
• Inside Higher Ed
• The Spelman & Johnson Group (SPG)
• StudentAffairs.com

NACADA Tech in Advising Recommendations for Use of Online Social Communication in Academic Advising

The purpose of these recommendations is to provide guidance to Academic Advisors contemplating the inclusion of on-line social communication tools in their personal or programmatic advising design.

For the purposes of this discussion, Online Social Communications will be understood as externally hosted Web environments, sometimes referred to as Social Media Environments, in which information is aggregated, presented and shared. Further, where functionality exist, the environments allow you to document and filter connections between individuals, maintain profiles, support multimedia, and facilitate communication with a time shift supporting response at user-defined times. On-Line Social Communication environments include Facebook and other Online Social Networks, Twitter, YouTube, personal blogs and wiki pages. Since Facebook’s introduction in 2004, an ever-increasing number of advisors, student services specialists, academic units and universities have been leveraging the benefits of an on-line presence.

The expanding use of on-line social communication by advisors and advising offices, evidenced by numerous publications and presentations over the past five years, encouraged the NACADA Commission for Technology in Advising to proffer the following recommendations when considering inclusion of Social Communication tools in the delivery of advising information:

1. First and foremost, one should appreciate the importance of face-to-face communication in academic advising and view any forays into Social Media Environments as supplemental to advising in brick-and-mortar environments.
2. As is the case with all communication taking place at a distance, the recipient of the information cannot be verified when posting information in Social Media Environments. Advisors should be familiar with your institution’s FERPA compliance or other student records standards and technology use policies, and as is the case with email and telephone, refrain from discussing these topics in uncontrolled, on-line environments.
3. Advisors should remember that Social Media Environments do not represent the university to most students. This being the case, allowing your students the option of interacting with you in these spaces and regularly surveying your populations to ascertain their continuing level of comfort is recommended.
4. By accepting that Social Media Environments do not represent the university to our students and that we’re reaping great benefit from students’ willingness to engage us in these spaces, care should always be taken to not “clog the drain” with information. Note how likely students are to delete university-generated emails without reading them. Likewise, if one pushes too much information into Social Media Environments, students will stop paying attention and disengage.
5. Finally, Advisors should also bear in mind that these are public sites and as such care should be taken to ensure you are playing the role of the professional–even on personal profiles.

Thanks to Art Esposito, Berdie Eubank, Ned Donnelly, Jennifer Joslin, Sharon Loschiavo, Scott Roberts, and Terry Duncan for creating these recommendations.