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:
Tag: social-media
ACPA + Twitter on the BreakDrink podcast
The main topic for today’s BreakDrink podcast was the potential unification of ACPA and NASPA. ACPA President, Dr. Tom Jackson, Jr. was on the podcast to talk about his thought’s regarding the unification process.
I had asked a question on the BreakDrink blog in preparation for today’s conversation. Jeff Jackson, host of the show, asked my question about how/if Dr. Jackson had plans for using Twitter at next month’s ACPA Annual Convention. I decided to call in to the show and was able to use the Skype link on Blog Talk Radio to call into the show.
[audio:http://ericstoller.com/blog/audio/break-drink-podcast.mp3]
[download]
I begin talking about the Social Media session that I’m co-presenting at ACPA 2010, Twitter, #ACPA10, the ACPA 2010 TweetUp, and #SAChat at about 28:25 in the podcast.
Please follow @ACPAPrez. Dr. Jackson readily agreed to use Twitter during the ACPA Annual Convention and I think that it would be great if he had a huge following of Student Affairs Twitterati.
NACADA Region 8 is on Twitter
The NACADA Technology Seminar at the NACADA Region 8 Conference resulted in a lot of Twitter activity. As the lead faculty at the technology seminar I was very pleased with the level of professional engagement that occurred on Twitter. Participants used Twitter hashtags (#NACADATech or #NACADAR8) to create a back channel of connectivity. It was inspiring to see so many of the technology seminar participants using their Twitter skills during the conference. Hundreds of NACADA-related tweets were generated!
Here are the top contributors:
#NACADATECH:
@ericstoller (24)
@oakvich (23)
@UOAdvDir (15)
@sally_garner (14)
@laurapasquini (13)
@mavet (7)
@yojpoj (5)
@OSUMary (4)
@tbump (4)
@dmmoos (3)
@OSU_UESP (3)
@stephaniehambli (3)
#NACADAR8:
@ericstoller (25)
@kurtxyst (23)
@cschwenn (15)
@oakvich (15)
@sally_garner (13)
@UOAdvDir (7)
@ReaAdvising (5)
@laurapasquini (3)
@OSU_UESP (3)
@AdvisorLoftis (2)
@BilOregon (2)
@carmenincalgary (2)
@OGPY (2)
PS: Thanks to Julie Meloni for providing me with the NACADA hashtag stats.
Sustaining social media strategies
I was checking out the Twittersphere the other day via TweetDeck when I noticed a rather edgy tweet by Brad J Ward:
How sustainable is your social web strategy? 4 tweets since June from @elginspartans. Just some food for thought. via @bradjward
Brad’s tweet got me thinking about how I approach the Twitter accounts that I manage for OSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences. We have two accounts: HHS Advising and OSU HHS. My personal Twitter account, @ericstoller, is not affiliated with the HHS accounts. I keep everything separate during the work day with the help of CoTweet. If I am on vacation, out sick, etc., our web team can access CoTweet and post on the HHS Twitter accounts. Our social media strategy in HHS is not predicated upon the social media following of any one individual. It’s a team effort. It’s an organizational strategy that will (hopefully) continue regardless of individual personnel ebb and flow.
Student Affairs Practitioners and Twitter
Tweet, tweet, tweet: Student Affairs is on Twitter
A microblogging phenomenon known as Twitter has recently rocketed into popular consciousness. In existence for 3 years, Twitter is not exactly the newest social networking site. However, it was in 2009 that Twitter’s mainstream notoriety occurred. Twitter users in Iran produced thousands of microblog posts informing the world of post-election protests. Ashton Kutcher and CNN held a contest to see which of their popular accounts could garner the most followers. Oprah and Ellen began tweeting this year. Even President Obama utilized Twitter as part of a successful election communications strategy. Twitter provides a content platform that can be used for personal tweets, organizing, event updates, networking, content syndication and research.
What does Twitter have to do with Student Affairs and its practitioners?
The answer to how Twitter is relevant to Student Affairs practitioners is stunningly simple: communication. Hundreds of higher education institutions, senior leaders within those organizations, and social media savvy faculty/staff/students are posting 140 character microblog updates to Twitter on a daily basis. Twitter provides a conduit for a wide variety of communication-based applications that Student Affairs professionals can utilize.
OSU is Powered by Orange
Oregon State University’s Powered by Orange campaign features a social media extravaganza that includes: a WordPress-based blog, Flickr photos, a Google Map, Twitter updates, a LinkedIn group, YouTube videos and a Facebook group.
What’s Powered by Orange? It’s you — the network of alumni, students, faculty, staff, friends and fans connected to Oregon State University. It’s the positive impact you make every day in Portland and beyond — on the economy, the environment and the community. Use this Web site to tell your story and connect with the other practical idealists who are Powered by Orange.
Are you Powered by Orange?
You are if you’re connected to Oregon State University — whether you’re alumni, student, faculty, staff, friend or fan. You are part of OSU’s enduring purpose to make a positive impact on people, the economy and the environment in Oregon and beyond. At work and in the community, it’s your talent, innovation and dedication that turn OSU ideals into action. Use this site to show your impact and network with others who are Powered by Orange.
Oregon State University Social Media Directory
Oregon State University has a new social media directory page. Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, YouTube and WordPress are the primary communication mediums for OSU’s social media presence. I’m sure this list will continue to grow as more and more departments engage in social media implementations.
Facebook pages and groups
- Oregon State University
- Oregon State Athletics
- Terra Magazine
- College Colors Fridays
- Corvallis Science Pub
- New 2 OSU: Class of 2013
Flickr photo feeds
Twitter Feeds
YouTube
Other Social Media, Video and Audio Sites
OSU Bloggers
- Admissions Blog
- blogs.oregonstate.edu
- Ecologue: Sustainability at OSU
- Marketing
- Transmissions from the Ice Sheet
- Web Communications
- Sea Grant Climate Change Blog
Wikis
via the OSU Dialog blog
Strands
Strands is a web-based social media aggregator with a twist. Strands is currently in beta (I have 2 invites, if you want one let me know) and it currently pulls in my personal feeds from Flickr, Delicious, Twitter, Facebook, this blog, and a few other sites.
“Strands helps people discover new things from people they care about. Strands gives users the ability to record their activities and keep track of their friends across multiple social networks and services. Based on your aggregated activities, Strands enables discovery of new things based on your own behaviors as well as those of your friends and influencers.”
Strands (the company) also happens to be located in Corvallis, Oregon! They sent me that spiffy t-shirt after I sent them an email…the site is still in beta so there are definitely still some issues, but overall, it looks promising.
Student Affairs Technology
The following videos were not created specifically for student affairs practitioners. However, due to their extreme awesomeness, I feel that they are must-watch for anyone who is interested in technology and student affairs.
What is a podcast?
What is social media?
What is Twitter?