Off Campus Student ServicesUniversity of Connecticut

Strategic Plan

• Academic Plan of The University of Connecticut– Diversify the student body– Internationalize Student Population

• Strategic Plan– Quicker and easier communication – Accessible to students in their comfort zone– Help students become competent in living successfully

off campus with little to no walk in physical experience/ training

Astin’s I-E-I Model• Input, Environment, Output• Each student is different and bring different life

experiences to college with them• Therefore we need a variety of programs to meet

each individual students’ needs

Astin’s Theory of Involvement

• Students will learn more, the more they are involved in academics and social aspects in college

• Student plays an important role in determining his or her own level of involvement within both aspects

• The more quality resources available, the more likely students who get involved will grow and develop

: The Basics

What is Facebook?• Facebook is a social networking tool where people can

create user profiles, search for friends, engage in discussion through the message or chat feature, create/join common interest groups, post pictures, post free classified advertisements

• Carlson (2011) stated that there are over 600 million monthly active users according to Goldman Sachs– Heiberger and Harper (2008) stated that Facebook holds

an 85 percent market share of four year colleges and universities

• General Commuter Facebook Page– Post events for the Commuter Student Association

• Housing– Use discussion feature to find roommates– Provide information about the surrounding areas

• Restaurants, Gas Stations, Supermarkets, Entertainment, Retail Stores

– Reviews about specific Landlords/Apartment Complexes

• Link Facebook to other social media networks to create a central hub (Twitter, Youtube, Podcasts, etc.)

• Links to campus resources and other departments

:How to Use it

• Tweet: a thought, website, question, witty remark, etc. of 140 characters or less posted by an accountholder

• Timeline: the main page viewed by accountholder; consists of tweets of the people they follow

• Follow: following someone results in their tweets appearing on your timeline

• @Mention: the @ symbol is used to note that a tweet is directed at or mentions someone you follow

• Retweet: to tweet someone else’s tweet for your followers to see

: The Basics

Tweeting up a storm• Things to tweet about:

– Upcoming Commuter Student Association events– New off-campus housing options as they become available– Local events in towns in which off-campus students typically live– Where the office mascot is on campus – Events such as Commuter Appreciation Week and the Off-

Campus Housing Fair• Ask commuter students to tweet

@UCOffCampusStudentServices* when commuter lots are full and then Off Campus Student Services will retweet that information

• Reply to questions tweeted by students about off-campus living, office services, and roommates

*Not an actual Twitter Account

Blogs: The Basics & Uses• What is a blog? – A blog is a type of website that is typically arranged in

chronological order from the most recent post to the oldest post. Blogs are usually updated regularly and often address a particular topic. With a blog you can share ideas, make friends, post pictures and videos and share your interests and life with people from all over the world.

• How would a blog be used in off-campus student services?– Students could blog about their commuter experience– Blogs could be created to update commuters on

upcoming events and past initiatives by the office

Uses of Podcasts• Develop a “Good Morning Commuters” podcast

that includes the following content:– Traffic updates– Empty/full parking lots– Emergency notification– Schedule of campus events – Recap of university sports scores– University special guest– Tips on how to be a good :

• Roommate• Neighbor • Renter

Podcasts: The BasicsA podcast is a relatively new way for individuals to communicate a

message or deliver content to a large number of people. Subscribers can listen to pre-recorded podcasts or live podcasts using their iPod, MP3 player, radio or computer. Unlike traditional radio, which is often filled with more commercials then music, the content of a podcast can be created by anyone with a computer and a mic and could address an array of content topics.

Examples of podcast topics:– Education– Government– Health – Science – Economics– Sports – Technology

: The Basics & Uses• YouTube is a public video-sharing website where people

can post self-made videos that encompass and address a wide variety of topics.

• In the case of Off-Campus Student Services, YouTube videos could be created to address an assortment of issues as they pertain to commuter students, some which include:– “How to” videos

• How to Cook• How to change the oil in your car/fix a flat tire• How to decorate your apartment without damaging walls or floors• How to address concerns with your roommate and/or landlord

– Showcase the different types of housing options offered around campus. In this video it would be essential to introduce the different complexes and give them a tour of apartment types and amenities.

– Create video that introduces students to the town in which they are becoming a member of. This video could include a welcome from the town mayor and a brief overview of town events.

– Addressing student safety

:the basics

• Skype allows for free video calling using a personal webcam– Can be used on a computer or a capable Smartphone

• Being able to Skype office hours– Having a representative available to speak with

students face-to-face• Conversations with incoming students looking to live off

campus and advice on where to look for housing• Students are more likely to feel a connection and sense of

belonging with visual interactions

Instant Messenger: The Basics• Instant Messaging is a written form of real-time

communication– Can be between personal computers or Smartphones

• Instant Messaging usage in Off Campus Student Services– Office representative available to chat with students with concerns– Student employees can respond to frequently asked questions– Increased productivity rather than fielding questions from high walk-

in rates– Quicker and easier to respond to than phones– Can be linked directly from department website for easy student

access

ReferencesAstin, A.W. (1984). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of

College Student Personnel, 25, 297-308.

Carlson, N. (2011). Goldman to clients: facebook has 600 millions users. MSNBC. Retrieved from Astin, A.W. (1984). Student Involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of College Student Personnel, 25, 297-308.

Halic, O., Lee, D., Paulus, T., & Spence, M. (2010). To Blog or Not to Blog: Student Perceptions of Blog Effectiveness for Learning in a College-Level Course. Internet and Higher Education, 13(4), 206-213. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Heiberger, G., & Harper, R. (2008). Have you facebooked Astin lately? Using technology to increase student involvement. New Directions for Student Services, 124, 19 35. ‐

Pascarella, E. T. & Terenzini, P. T. (1991). How college affects students. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Read, B. (2007). How to Podcast Campus Lectures. Chronicle of Higher Education, 53(21), A32-A35. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Schwartz, M. (2010). Social Media 101. Gifts & Decorative Accessories, 111(6), 30. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.