Eric Stoller's blog

I asked a question and received 40 comments: “Where are the Radical Practitioners?” One of the interesting themes was the idea that people couldn’t be radical (as they defined it) for fear of losing their jobs…couple that logic to another theme: because I am no longer a fulltime student affairs practitioner, I am no longer qualified or credible when it comes to asking about or asking for radical practices in student affairs. Seems like I am in a prime position to add radical commentary as I am not in a position to “lose” my job. Although, some (and I would agree) would say that I am in a far riskier position as a consultant who generates controversial critical conversations. And, while I was employed fulltime, I would like to point out that that was when the majority of my radical writing took place. In fact, I remember when I got raked over the coals after this post came out about student affairs and technology. That particular post, in my view, was fairly benign in terms of its “radical” nature. However, it was perceived by some as too provocative. That’s me….a thought provoker.

Radical Student Affairs Practitioners … Do they exist? Does our profession allow them to exist? Do we nurture them or isolate them? Are they leading our associations or quietly leading from the periphery? Does Student Affairs deconstruct the status quo or do we sustain it?

What do you think? Add your voice to the comments at the original post on Inside Higher Ed.

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From the Chicago Tribune:

National Louis University on Tuesday will offer a Groupon for a graduate-level introduction to teaching course, officials said.

With the Groupon, prospective students can save nearly 60 percent on tuition for the single, three-credit course and earn credit toward a graduate degree, said Jocelyn Zivin, the vice president of marketing and communications for the Chicago-based, private university.

So what do you think. Has National Louis University stumbled upon a legitimate strategy to market their courses or are they just using Groupon as a “shiny new toy” to get people to talk about their school? The tuition break is significant, but will this deal attract students who are interested in teaching?

The course is described as being “tailored for people with no exposure or experience with teaching” and that it was specifically structured for use in conjunction with a Groupon deal. Seems like a PR stunt to me…especially since they make a point of noting that National Louis University is the first “academic university” to use Groupon to “boost student interest.”

It will be interesting to see if National Louis University releases data on whether or not their Groupon experiment actually worked as an incentive for course enrollment. My guess is that National Louis University is elated with the buzz that’s taken place regarding the school’s decision to be the first higher education institution to use Groupon.

At this point, does it really matter if anyone signs up for the class?

There are at least 3 student affairs panels up for vote in the SXSW panel picker. I wrote a description of each one over at my Inside Higher Ed blog.

In order for a panel to be accepted, it has to get enough votes. Sue Beckingham – Sheffield Hallam University, Laura Pasquini – University of North Texas, and Jeff Jackson – University of Texas Health Science Center and yours truly have submitted a panel on alternative forms of professional development for higher education practitioners.

If you get a chance, we’d love it if you took a look and wrote a comment. We’re going to take your thoughts and ideas and implement them into our presentation. #AltProDev is most-likely the future of professional development for a lot of higher ed folks. We’re going to show you how to access worthwhile content and introduce you to networks that will assist you to do your best work.

The 2011 International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Annual Conference and Exposition is the largest education technology (EdTech) event in the United States. In this recap video from the conference, attendees share their thoughts about why they attended ISTE and what they think is the future of EdTech.

It was my first time attending an ISTE event and I was greatly impressed. Educators + Solution Providers + Technology + Strategy = Awesome!

For more info about ISTE, check out my ISTE recap post at InsideHigherEd.com

Disclosure: My attendance at #ISTE11 was supported by the Adobe Education Team.

In about a week’s time, I’ll be heading out to New Orleans to give a featured talk at the ACUHO-I Annual Conference & Exposition (ACE). In addition to speaking, I’m also meeting with ACE attendees as the “social media expert-in-residence” for the conference. I’m really looking forward to connecting with so many fantastic professionals. Here’s the description of my talk:

“We’ve Always Been Social (Media)”

Our communications and marketing tools evolve on a continual basis. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have become mainstays in our communications strategies. Learn how you can use the “big 3” to enhance your marketing endeavors, create opportunities for engagement, implement a content-based social strategy, and build measurable/sustainable connections.

After moving 3,000 miles in May, writing for InsideHigherEd.com and spending time getting to know my new home of Columbia, South Carolina, I inadvertently missed posting some of my #SAlive show archives. So, having said that, head on over to http://higheredlive.com to catch up on all sorts of student affairs related shows.

Recent topics/happenings included: residence life, student conduct (conceal and carry was the topic), an epic conversation with Gwen Dungy (Executive Director of NASPA), Semester at Sea, the #NASPACPA Consolidation Vote, Dean of Students, and Academic Advising

Social Media and the Senior Student Affairs Officer (SSAO)
Educate, Engage, and Energize Students

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. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re looking for a job within student affairs, you really need to listen to this podcast interview from Higher Ed Career Coach.

Ann Marie Klotz, Assistant Director for Selection and Training in Residential Education at DePaul University, shares her thoughts on mentors, finding the right fit, and gives a ton of tips for folks who are conducting a student affairs job search.

Well, Delicious doesn’t really have a taste per se…it’s a website. However, users of the site were pleased to find out this week that Yahoo! had sold Delicious:

“Yahoo! is excited to announce that Delicious has been acquired by the founders of YouTube, Chad Hurley and Steve Chen. As creators of the largest online video platform, Hurley and Chen have firsthand expertise enabling millions of consumers to share their experiences with the world. Delicious will become part of their new Internet company, AVOS.”

If you’re wondering why the sale of Delicious is important, feel free to surf over to a blog post that I wrote for Inside Higher Ed. I currently have more than 3,800 bookmarks in Delicious. It is my brain’s external hard drive. I use Delicious to keep track of a variety of sites that I come across.

When it was announced last year that Yahoo! might be closing down Delicious, I was devastated. The news this week is terrific because it means that Delicious should be available for several more years. For users of Delicious, the utility of the site is tremendous. Long live Delicious!

Jeff Lail joined me in a vibrant discussion on how social media impacts professionalism.