Student Affairs Online Virtual Case Study Competition

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Student Affairs Online Virtual Case Study
Competition

• The University of Mississippi

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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

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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.
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Web-Based Student Services
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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 Colleges web-based student
  services http//www.wiche.edu/telecom/resources/pu
  blications/guide/guide.htm

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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/w
  eb/studentservices/

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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 (FAQs)
• Calendar, schedule of events
• Photo gallery
• Credit/debit card capabilities (where
  appropriate)

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Student Services Departments online

• Financial Aid
• Bursars Office
• Library
• Career Services
• Admissions/Registrar
• Bookstore
• Orientation

• Student Activities/ Campus Programming
• Student Media
• Campus Police
• Greek Life
• Housing

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Financial Aid online

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

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Bursars Office online

• 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

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Library online

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

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Career Services online

• 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/

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Admissions/Registrar online

• Applications
• Admission
• Graduation
• Transcript requests
• Directory information changes
• http//www.ferris.edu/htmls/admision/application/h
  omepage.htm

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Bookstore online

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

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Orientation online

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

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Student Activities/Campus Programming online

• 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

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Student Media online

• Newspaper http//www.thedmonline.com/
• Editorial submissions
• Surveys/polls
• Classified submissions
• Radio station http//rebelradio.olemiss.edu/
• Television channel http//www.olemiss.edu/orgs/n
  ewswatch/

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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

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Greek Life online

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

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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/maintenan
  ce.html
• Virtual tours
• Complaint form

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Benefits of Web-based Services

• Efficiency
• Retention
• Access

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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!!!!!

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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

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Access

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

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NEW COMMUNITY
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What is Community??

• Community is defined as any group living in the
  same area having interests, work, etc. in common.
• Websters New World Dictionary, 1990.

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How to Identify Community

• The 6 Is 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)
  

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What is Community Now??

• COMMUNITY IS NOT NEW BECAUSE OF TECHNOLOGY. . .
• IT IS ONLY DIFFERENT.

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Virtual Community Includes

• 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

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OVERCOMING CHALLENGES

• Closing the Digital Divide and Bridging the Gap
• Costs associated with Challenges

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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/)

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A Digital Divide Exists. . .
Between

• Students
• Students
• Parents
• Parents
• Students

• Faculty / Staff
• Students
• Faculty / Staff
• Students
• Businesses

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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Costs Associated with the Challenge

• 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

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ONLINE HARASSMENT

• Types of Harassment
• Creation of policy

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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/cy
  berstalking.html)

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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/cy
  berstalking.html)

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Online Defamation

• One may find defaming words or images displayed
  on someones 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/cy
  berstalking.html)

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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/cy
  berstalking.html)

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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.
• Dont run from it, use it.