McApple College: Technology in Student Affairs

1. McApple College: Technology in Student Affairs Megan Bottoms Katy Buerger Talea Drummer Matt Real

2. Media Mentors Program • Who we are: • A medium sized institution • 80% Residential • Near the city of Boston • What is the program: • Hour and half training session • All areas of student affairs divison are participating • Presented as professional development for staff • Why do we need it: • Technology is changing • Student Population is changing • The way we provide services are changing • WE NEED TO BE PREPARED!

3. Topics Covered in Program • 1. Changes in Technology • 2. Impact on Student Affairs Services • 3. Impact on Student Development • 4. Student Affairs Role in Paradigm Shift • 5. Policies and Practices for Student Affairs & Technology

4. 1. Changes in Technology • Development of new campus environments • Utilization and/or Implementation of online services, programs, and methods by students, faculty and administrators “Charles Darwin observed that it’s not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one’s most responsive to change.”(Isselmann, 2007)

5. Changes in Technology: Campus Environments • Understand the extent to which McApple College has become dependent on Technology across functional areas. • Housing, Financial Aid, Admissions, Registration, Career Centers, Student Activities • Continue to provide and develop “tech-friendly” areas on campus. • wireless, labs, laptops, 24/7 tech support, flat screens, etc.

6. 1. Changes in Technology: Utilization by Students, Faculty & Administrators • The Way Technology Changes How We Do What We Do - by Maria Tess Shier • “File sharing, Internet addiction, and technology’s effects on campus community are three critical issues for student affairs practitioners to be aware of and responsive to.” (p.77) • File Sharing - legal and development concerns. • Internet Addiction - highly wired v. unhealthy activities (gaming, gambling, etc.) • Effects on Campus Community - Social-Networking sites, i.e.- facebook.com & myspace.com

7. 1. Changes in Technology: Implementation by Faculty & Administrators • Cell Phone Text Messaging • provides campus safety alerts • Instant Messengers & Email • streamlined communication • Symplicity et al. • one of the various online career management resources (designed for universities/colleges) connecting students and employers. • Podcasts • delivery of courses and/or workshops

8. Changes in Technology Driven by technology, Peter Drucker predicted, “that in the next half-century, schools and universities will change more drastically than they have since assuming their present form more than 300 years ago, when they reorganized themselves around the printed book.”(Isselmann, 2007)

9. 2. Impact on Student Services Benefits of technology on services • Technology is instantaneous: • Students can have immediate access to staff and vice versa. This can increase production and more can be completed in a shorter amount of time • 24 hour access to staff: • This allows students and staff the opportunity to work during their personal optimal time frame • Services reach more students: • More opportunities for advertising and services can reach a wider student population

10. 2. Impact on Student Services: Benefits of technology on services • Increase in relationships: • Students and staff have more frequent interaction with others, easier to build relationships • Close the generation gap: • Students appreciate staff efforts to increase knowledge of technology and relate to them more • More opportunities for assessment and higher response rate.

11. 2. Impact on Student Services Cons of Technology • Can often be the same as the benefits • Instant gratification: • Because students are used to having information instantaneously, they can become impatient when they have to wait for answers • Decrease in quality of relationships: • although there is more access to more people, the quality of relationships can decrease because there is less face to face interaction • Decrease in interpersonal skills: • students (and staff) tend to utilize email and technology to confront issues and address conflict rather than address these issues face to face

12. 2. Impact on Student Services Cons of Technology • Lack of privacy: • for students and staff. Although you might be using technology wisely, it does not mean that everyone else is • Student leadership could be less valued: • It is easier to utilize technology for services but certain leadership skills are not always used, such as interpersonal skills and conflict management • Ethical boundaries are questioned: • Staff can openly see what students are doing and vice versa

13. 3. Impact on Student Development There are several theories that will help to explain the impact of technology on student development. Chickering – Development Vectors Astin – Involvement Theory Schlossberg – Transition Theory Sanford – Challenge and Support Theory

14. 3. Impact on Student Development Chickering’s Development Vectors • Three pertinent vectors: • Develop Competence:developing the student mentally, physically, and intellectually. • Mature Interpersonal Relationships: the student develops appropriate relationships with others • Establish Identity: developing a sense of self and pride in one’s identity, background, and culture • Technology Influence: • Continue their developmental competence in technology while they are enrolled in the institution and once the graduate from the institution • May lead to a decrease in competence of communication skills and abilities through slang words and jargon • May decrease educational competence with access to information and increase the likelihood of plagiarism • Decrease in personal interaction may lead to lack of cultural competency • Technology may increase or decrease affects of physical health • Develop online communities of friends who share similar interests • Face to face interactions are decreased and students have not developed personal human interactions • Conflict resolution takes place through an exchange of online messages and emails and is no longer resolved through face to face collaboration & consensus • Individual identities and personalities are developed through electronic communication and virtual chat-rooms; dual personalities instead of healthy cohesive personal identities Komives & Woddard, 2003 Evans, Forney, & Guido-DiBrito, 1998

15. 3. Impact on Student Development Astin’s Theory of Involvement • This theory of student involvement is based on the premise that “the more students are passionate and wholehearted about their educational experience, both psychologically and physically, the morelikely they are to succeed and be satisfied with their collegiate experience” • Three common goals that form the concept of student involvement: • Retention • Intrinsic benefits of education • Development of student’s values • Technology Influence: • Get students involved by getting them connected to the institution. • Students that are connected to the institution are more likely to have a successful college experience and matriculate through to graduation • Technology is a good way to connect students. Connecting them greatly benefits their college experience and development • Technology can also decrease the amount and quality of involvement by students • Students can use technology to find other students and organizations who share their same interests • Advertisement of events and activities for students to attend and be involved with has expanded with technology Austin, 1984

16. 3. Impact on Student Development Schlossberg's Transition Theory • “A transition is.. “any event, or non-event, that results in changed relationships, routines, assumptions, or roles” (pg 111) • Three components in Transition Theory • Approaching Change • Taking Stock  4 S’s • Situation • Self • Support • Strategies • Taking Charge • Technology Role: • Technology may distance some students in coping with transition. Students may become more reclusive and not reach out for help • Opposing, students may transition easier in the comfort of being electronically close to family and friends from back home • On-line communities may help students become more acclimated to the campus and students before coming to college • News permeates faster through technology so students can anticipate change earlier, but also they can become much more uncomfortable faster Komives & Woddard, 2003 Evans, Forney, & Guido-DiBrito, 1998

17. 3. Impact on Student Development Sanford’s Challenge and Support Theory • This theory states that change happens in college and it is the university’s position to create an environment that will develop the student’s growth. Continuing the growth of the university will continue the growth of our students. • “… help the student to return to his rightful place at the center of the colleges activities.” (Ward, Trautvetter, Braskamp, 2005) • Technology Role: • Technology is a form of growth. Technology is a part of our culture overall and our culture should reflect institutional mission. • Technology can transform education with on-line courses, on-line support services, and discussion opportunities for students • Allows students increased access to support services for success • Students begin to rely on technology for solving problems or expect that faculty and staff will be available on a moments notice Komives & Woddard, 2003

18. 4. Student Affairs Role • Student Affairs needs to set the bar for McApple College for what is appropriate use of technology • Student Affairs needs to take the lead on paradigm technology shift and be ahead of the curve • What technology means for assessment

19. 4. Student Affairs Role Set the bar “…We are already playing “catch up’ and it is time to adapt.– Leslie Dare, Ed.D (2007) A Dozen Geeky Things • Be the example for McApple College & Higher Ed • Work hand in hand with IT • Have those conversations with Students about emerging technology • Increase Collaborations with Academics • NASPA & ACPA taking the lead; follow them • New Directions for Student Services: Supporting Student Learning & Services: • Chapter 3 Who Is Driving the Changing Landscape in Student Affairs? (Nessa Kleinglass). • The author discusses the need for student affairs to play a larger role in the technology conversations that occur on campus and the competencies necessary to advance the use of technology in student affairs.

20. 4. Student Affairs Role: Stay Ahead of the Curve “The student affairs profession should leverage its resources not to just keep up with that change, but to seamlessly integrate technology into our practice to the benefit of our students.” • Leslie Dare, Ed.D, (2006)Technology in Student Affairs: Seeking Knowledge, Craving Community • We need to anticipate changes in technology as much as we can: • Hardware (Computers, PDAs, iPods, servers, cellphones, flash drives, and so on) • Software (Databases, wikis, blogs, portals, browsers, instant messaging, and so on) • Stay up to date on professional literature • New Directions for Student Services: Supporting Student Learning & Services • StudentAffairs.com knowledge communities • Online Course 4: Face the Facts: Online Communities Are the Way College Students Communicate • Electronic handouts, community networks, and learning communities • Conference Professional Development Opportunities

21. 4. Student Affairs Role: Assessment • On-Line Survey • Zoomerang • Survey-monkey • Electronic student inventories • All are easier and more efficient to manage than paper • Foundational Documents • Learning Reconsidered: A Campus-Wide Focus on the Student Experience (ACPA & NASPA) • “The most important factor is that student development education always occurs in the active context of the students’ lives” (p. 12). • Learning Reconsidered 2: Implementing a Campus-wide Focus on the Student Experience (ACPA, ACUHO-I, ACUI, NACADA, NACA, NASPA & NIRSA) • New Directions for Student Services: Supporting Student Learning & Services: • Chapter 6. Electronic ­Co-Curricular Student Portfolios—Putting Them into Practice (Marilee J. Bresciani). • The author explains how electronic portfolios can be used to assess student learning outcomes. • Co-curricular Transcripts and on-line reflection submissions

22. 5. Policies and Procedures Student Affairs needs establish policies for appropriate staff and student behavior for technology use Guidelines for Appropriate Professional Actions and Interactions Development of a student affairs social-networking service (similar to facebook.com) through ACPA & NASPA initiatives. StudentAffairs.com Webinars Institutional Webinars

23. 5. Policies and Procedures Creating Policies Models for Creating Policies: • North Carolina State University • “Student Affairs staff will provide a seamless integration of technology that supports all activities within the Division.” Technology planning will help the Division maximize effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of student services, developmental programs and academic courses. • Technology Standards • Funding • Personnel • Partnerships • Planning • Technical • Managing Information Technology in Student Affairs: A Report on Policies, Practices, Staffing, and Technology.– Will Barratt, 2001 • Student affairs administrators must assume four roles: • Architects who construct the vision, goals, and objectives of technology implementation • Facilitators of change who impart information • Educators who share information technology's importance • Policymakers who ensure proper use and student learning. - Ausiello & Barry (1997) Information Technology and Student Affairs: Planning for the Twenty-First Century

24. 5. Policies and Procedures Appropriate Guidelines for Interaction and Usage Understand that staff technology usage should reflect the mission and values of the institution and the division; and should be in line within the acceptable code of ethics of either NASPA, ACPA, or another professional organization; and that staff should conduct them in a safe, legal, ethical, and responsible manner. “Are you on Facebook” Almost expected that student affairs is up to date and participating in new technology Appropriate interaction between students and staff when using any type of technology Staff Usage Guidelines What is technology is acceptable for staff to access and when On-line office and instant messaging hours Personal time vs. Professional work time with regards to technology usage Dissemination of Information What is appropriate to send out and receive Who should receive certain information and what is excessive Reporting Inappropriate Behavior What should be reported if accessed or viewed Explanation of appropriate student behavior Drawing the line between student privacy and student endangerment

25. Group Discussion Questions Technology • Should we as student affair professionals feel obligated to match the students’ knowledge and usage of technology? • By increasing our technology usage, are we helping or hindering students? • Are we as staff also subjected to the negative aspects of technology? How? • How has technology both helped the services we provide for students? Our relationships we have with students? • How has technology hindered the services we provide for our student? Our relationships we have with students? • How are our services going to have to change to not only keep up with technology, but also our students? • Examples of how we have used technology in our own work to increase productivity? Improve Student Services • Additional thoughts…..

26. “Does adopting a new paradigm require abandoning the old paradigm? Of course the answer is no, but our systems are not set up to be multi-paradigmatic and inclusive. Paradigm shift (Kuhn, 1970) is a fact of life. The required changes are in our selves and in our management system if we are to adopt information technologies. We need to literally become bicultural - a culture of interpersonal interaction, and a culture of computer mediated information exchange. We must embrace both synchronous and asynchronous lifestyles. We must make distinctions between the media and message. We must relate to each other differently and not be pejorative toward people who work with technology…. Perhaps the best way to expand our paradigms and myths, and to become multi-paradigmatic is to use information technologies and manage the changes as we go. There is no single way to face change, but change must be faced.” - Technology and Student Affairs: An Unlikely Pair Will Barratt, Ph.D., 2000 www.studentaffairs.com

27. References • Austin, A. W. (1984). Student Involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of College Student Personnel, 25, 297-308. • Ausiello, K & Wells, B (1997) Information Technology and Student Affairs: Planning for the Twenty-First Century. New Directions for Student Services, n78 p71-81 • Barratt, W (2000) Technology and Student Affairs: An Unlikely Pair. StudentAffairs.com, Vol 1, No 1. • Dare, L (2006) Technology in Student Affairs: Seeking Knowledge, Craving Community. StudentAffairs.com, Vol. 7 No. 2 • Dare, L (2007) A Dozen Geeky Things. StudentAffairs.com, VOl. 8 No. 3 • Evans, N., Forney, D., Guido-DiBrito. (1998) Student development in College: Theory, research, & practice. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco • Isselmann, M. C. (2007). To be successful, institutions must be responsive to change. University Business, 10, no. 10, pp.57-58. • Kleinglass, N (2006) Chapter 3: Who Is Driving the Changing Landscape in Student Affairs?New Directions for Student Services (Edited by Kevin Kruger), January • Komives, S. R. & Woddard, D. B. (2003). Student services: A handbook for the profession. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass • North Carolina State University Division Technology Plan, (2006) http://www.ncsu.edu/student_affairs/techplan/studentaffairs_techplan.pdf • Shier, M. T. (2005). The way technology changes how we do what we do. New Directions for Student Services, 112, 77-87. • Ward, K., Trautvetter, L., Braskamp, L. (2005) Putting students first: Creating a climate of support and challenge. Journal of College and Character, 1(8), 1-6