Computer & Internet

Archive for February, 2010

Greetings from data land with the Multi Institutional Study of Leadership results for my campus!

As my previous few posts have indicated, I’m strolling down a very long road with analyzing our rather large volume of data from this study.  Some changes in our Institutional Research department on campus have left me with more of a role in managing this step of the process than I had planned, so this is a little more than what I expected!

As some of you know, the MSL is structured around assessing leadership as structured around the values of leadership in the Social Change Model. (read about the theoretical frame for the study on the NCLP website!) This model offers values of leadership based on individual, group, and community values.

We were investigating the specific results along one of the values that is essentially important to our campus, Citizenship.  Our campus has invested a great deal of time and focus around building our commitment to a mission of service as indicated in our motto, “not to be ministered unto, but to minister.”  I’m working with a graduate student on our campus this semester on a project relating to community service involvement of men on our campus, so I immediately went to that area and looking at gender differences.

Rather than digging in to this aspect of the data, my eye strayed over toward the opportunity to look at other areas of campus involvement in addition to prior involvement in community service.  Instead, I went to look at the students who have cited prior involvement in campus programming organizations.

DING! DING! DING! We have a winner!

Students who cite prior involvement in programming organizations reported significantly higher results on Citizenship than our general student body. Their results are comparable to those from students who note prior community service involvement.

We knew this all along, didn’t we?!  Or did we?

I know that our programming board students are always among the most selfless students that I have the pleasure of working with.  I also know that their commitment to improving our campus has always been second-to-none after over 15 years of experience across a few institutions.

Knowing all of this, why have I never linked this to Citizenship before?  Conversations about citizenship on our campus typically only include discussions of service activities outside of our campus boundaries and various forms of political activism.  Yet, this study is telling me that the value of Citizenship is alive and well in our programming students to a comparable extent to our students involved in more typically termed “service” activities.  I am really not saying that all groups of students are meeting a “need” that is even comparable, but our students working in all of these capacities are telling me they understand Citizenship in a different way than our general student body.

If our field is emphasizing a focus on student learning and we see that learning about Citizenship is happening in campus programming, is there any hope of expanding a definition of service to include campus-based service?

I’m looking forward to your thoughts on this one.

Source: nope

Two weeks ago, the Student Affairs Collaborative #SAchat talked about advice and best practices for those graduate students searching for jobs this spring.  With all the great advice that was given, I wanted to help these folks in another way, by featuring some of them in a blog post!  Below are those who have put themselves out there and I recommend you take a look if you are hiring this year!  I asked them to send me their name, picture, any links about them, and to answer the question, “You need to hire me because…” Here’s what I received:

Constanza (Connie) Cabello

You need to hire me because… I am ready for new challenges and excited to continue my career in Student Affairs! My interest in Student Affairs began when I was an undergrad at UConn. I worked in the Involvement Office as a Student Organizations Peer Advisor and enjoyed the experience of coaching my fellow students. I will graduate from Central Connecticut State University in May with my Masters in Counseling: Student Development in Higher Education.  I am a currently a Graduate Intern and have gained valuable experience in both Student Activities and Student Center Operations. I am passionate about student success and find this work rewarding. I feel fortunate to have a career that allows me to be creative and learn something new every day. I enjoy working in a fast paced environment and with a diverse group of people. I am open to new experiences and am willing to move almost anywhere if the job is right for me, and if I am right for the job! Fun facts: I love eating, shopping, traveling, and all Boston area sports!

Meghan Harr

You need to hire me because… I’m responsible, knowledgeable, and dedicated to student activities and residence life.  In my current work, I manage all facets of advising the university programming board (known here as the Student Activities Council) including budgeting, contracts, event management, officer transition and training, and more.  Additionally, I serve as an area coordinator for a hall of 150 residents, primarily first year students, and supervise the hall staff, advise on hall programming, and serve as an administrative hearing office for conduct incidents in my building.

Michael Baumhardt

You need to hire me because…I am a motivated individual with progressive experience in many functional areas of higher education and student affairs including campus activities, orientation and first year programs, fraternity and sorority life, and leadership development.  I believe my passion for interacting with students, combined with my commitment to the integration of co-curricular involvement will enable me to make a valuable contribution to the growth and success of your institution.  I feel that my experiences in higher education and student affairs have provided me with valuable insight and abilities that I am ready and prepared to demonstrate at your institution.

Julia Duhan

You need to hire me because… I am committed to helping students. Through a compassionate and empathetic approach, I will encourage students to do more and to be more. I hope to help them make the connection between who they want to be and what the want to be. New to the student affairs game, I am hungry for experience.

Emily Clare Sharples

You need to hire me because…I’ve grown up around higher education. Some of my earliest memories are of going to my local community college with my father, and wanting to learn about the processes of education. I am passionate about learning, aiding students in their endeavors to learn, working with students of all calibers/diverse backgrounds/socio-economic statuses, and making my experience in higher education as incredible as I’ve always felt it could be. I am ready and willing to take on challenges unforeseen, and especially the unforeseeable, and cannot wait to start my career in higher education.

Stephen “Gavin” Weiser

You need to hire me because… I am the person you want in your organization. Whether it is my background in facilitation, or social justice and diversity programs I am a key component to any setting. I have a extremely varied background and utilize this internalized diversity in order to most effectively work with students. I have worked with students ranging from young teenagers, undergraduate students, graduate students as well as students at-risk. I have a commitment to service and an ability to create positive change around me. I am a passionate and dedicated individual and I want to make your organization better.

Daphne Everhart

You need to hire me because… I have extensive programming experience that translates well to success in many areas of student affairs.  Additionally, my positivity and enthusiasm make me a great addition to any team oriented office.  While my primary professional experience lies in student activities, I’m also interested in pursuing a career in first year experience, Greek Life, leadership, and volunteerism/service learning.  When I’m not working with UGA’s programming board, I enjoy spending time with my wheaten terrier puppy, traveling, and working out.

Lauren Hopkins

You need to hire me because… I am passionate about the fraternal values movement and love to have fun!

Christy Tanton

You need to hire me because… like many people in the field, I chose Student Affairs for the opportunities it allowed me to make an impact on students. Through my graduate education I have learned the many ways in which Student Affairs professionals can learn the balance between challenge and support, with the ultimate goal of students reaching their full potential. I am not naive in thinking that every student I come in contact with is going to develop and grow to their fullest potential, but I can promise I will commit to each student with the hope and determination that they can. I believe in the power of self authorship and it is my career goal to be good company for students journey. My resume speaks to my qualities, but I believe what sets me apart is my 110% work ethic, my unwavering passion for students, and the ability to know when to push and when to support.

Shannon Healy

You should hire me because… of my broad range of experiences in student affairs. From welcoming incoming first-year students during Orientation to helping seniors polish their resume for graduation in Career Services, I’ve worked with just about every age and type of student on campus. I’m energized by people and love to motivate them in return.

Lorriz Anne (Lori) Alvarado

You should hire me because … I approach my work with whole-hearted passion, determined focus, and excited wonderment. Like many others in student affairs, I’ve chosen this career because I love it and want to help students. But what sets me apart from them is the intrinsic satisfaction and energy I get when I know I’m working toward improving myself, my work, my college, and the institution of higher education. Although I will soon be done with graduate school (for now), I believe that we are all still students; there are tons of information and resources out there to utilize and better inform our work (e.g. SA Blog).  The sheer idea of being a professional excites me because I have the potential to contribute to the work being done on your campus and ultimately to affect your students’ lives. Combining my love for helping students with my uncanny skills in dedicating all of my attention and energy for long periods of time, I can guarantee that when I set goals for myself, I am determined to put my hopes and full energy into making my work the best it could possibly be.  You may believe my passion and enthusiasm is temporary because I’m a new professional, but I hope you realize that I am more than that. I believe that you should hire me because I am exactly what you need: beyond having the required work experience, I am someone new with a lot of energy, a unique perspective, excited to learn more, and dedicated and passionate about this career field.

Rebecca (Becca) Fick

You need to hire me because … I am deeply committed to engaging students and providing them opportunities to grow. One of my students wrote this during an affirmation, “She plans for the details that others would likely overlook.” I embed learning outcomes and development theories in all of my work, and find meaningful ways to share these ideals with other students and staff. My experiences outside and within student affairs have encouraged me to create meaning in all that I do, and above all to do good. Beyond the theory, I can demonstrate my experience through practice and evidence: I have presented at institutional, regional, and state conferences, interned through the National Orientation Directors Association, held a graduate assistantship for two years, completed two additional 150-hour internships, and served as an elected member of the Ohio College Personnel Association.  If  there is an opportunity for me to contribute to your student’s development and support your staff, you need to hire me.

Zack Ford

You need to hire me because… I’m incredibly passionate about social justice, I’m an organized multitasker who gets the job done and then thoroughly assesses it, and I’m a social media and technology junkie! (See http://zackfordblogs.com)

Jon Tingley

URL: http://campustalkblog.com/about-jon/
Resumé: http://web.me.com/jontingley
You should hire me because… I have a wide range of Student Affairs experience and after completing my degree this May, I will have worked in Student Affairs for 5 years. I started out in student government and administration as Senator, LGBTQ Issues Director and Vice President of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Student Association. I then moved to working for Client Services and Security for our Student Union. This position gave me a feel for what it’s like to manage and secure a facility’s day to day operations. During this time, I also assisted in opening UWM’s First Year Center. I was brought on to help craft UWM’s first year experience and manage transitioning student mentors. Shortly after moving on from Client Services, I started working at our Union Recreation Center as a Program Coordinator. This is where I have the bulk of my experience in staff management, program development and staff development/training. I’ve decided that I want to pursue a Graduate Assistantship in Residence Life, so this semester I took a Residential Programs internship with our University Housing Department. I also write a column for our student newspaper that deals with student health and for Campustalkblog.com, a Student Activities blog. Overall, I believe my experience and dedication to the field make me an excellent candidate.

Best wishes to these and all the those searching for positions this year!  If the #SACHAT and #STUDENTAFFAIRS community and I can help in anyway, please don’t hesitate to ask!

Source: nope

It’s Winter Olympics time and we in the U.S. cheered as Evan Lysacek won the gold medal in men’s figure skating. The reigning gold medalist challenged him in this event, a Russian skater that burst onto the ice with a dynamic performance that included several complicated jumps. In the end, it was Lysacek, with a clean, consistent skate, who earned the most points. Juliet Macur explains that Lysacek used a new scoring system to his advantage, while his major competitor did not. The new figure skating scoring rewards bonus points for any jumps landed in the second half of the program. Lysacek landed five of his eight jumps in the second half of his program, while the Russian skater landed the bulk of his jumps in the first half of his program. This gave Lysacek an edge in points and ultimately the gold medal.

Institutions of higher education are facing critical financial situations and are changing the scoring as well. The University of Nevada Reno absorbed $33 million in budget cuts in the past year and is facing more. The Louisiana Community College System has lost $24 million in funding in the last two years. A $100 million budget gap is being faced at Dartmouth University. Very few colleges or universities have been unscathed in our recent recession. Institutions are revising budgets, raising tuition, eliminating staff, faculty, and programs. A new scoring system is at hand.

What is the new scoring reality in student affairs?

Think about your school’s strategic plan. When was the last time you read it? Does your program or unit align with the goals and desired outcomes of the plan? Find it, read it, know it. Your program mission statement should reflect the goals of your college or university. Use citations in your annual reporting to demonstrate how the work that you do meets these goals.

Think about how you measure success. How do you determine productivity? Do you collect student evaluations? Do your students achieve higher grades, improved retention, or higher graduation rates? Is your institution getting a return on investment from your salary, benefits, and program dollars? Programs that survive the next round of budget cuts are the ones able to show clear data supporting their value to the institution.

Think about why you are where you are. What service or leadership do you provide? Is it being provided elsewhere on your campus? Is someone else doing similar work better, stronger, faster? With whom do you collaborate? Be certain that you know your allies for support and funding. Build your community. Be certain that you are not the only one who can provide positive public relations for your programs.

There is a new scoring system throughout student affairs and higher education. Make certain that just like a new generation of Olympic athletes, you are using the scoring to your advantage.

Source: nope

Thanks to everyone who participated in today’s #SAchat focusing on Creative Student Leadership Development.  Each week, we continue to grow our numbers and today’s chats produced over 1,200 comments from over 100 student affairs professionals,  graduate students and undergraduates interested or working in the Student Affairs field!

In case you missed it, below is a quick recap. If you haven’t yet participated in an #sachat, learn more here.

Full Transcripts
DAYTIME:
View as webpage
Download as PDF

EVENING:
View as webpage
Download as PDF

Today’s Top Contributors

@The_SA_Blog
@m1hamilton
@princeje
@edcabellon
@debrasanborn
@cindykane
@ARL275
@jollyjinster
@cleders
@thestacyface

Here’s to another successful set of #sachats!  What are some other topics you would like to see us cover?  Please let us know your ideas and feedback to keep #sachat growing strong.

Until we next week, (if you haven’t already done so) please make sure to join our growing Facebook Page, currently at 2,600 and adding new #studentaffairs friends every day!  Thanks for your continued support!

Source: nope

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.

[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.

Tags: acpa, audio, Higher Education, Higher Education Administrator, NASPA, sachat, social media, student affairs, student affairs technology, twitter

Source: nope

I’ve been holding back for a long time on writing this.  This is the first time, publicly, I’m sharing my perspective on the scandal that went down at Tufts University two+ years ago.  It’s very personal for me, but something that I wanted to do because I’m ready for closure and need your help in making an important decision.  So here goes.

November 14th, 2007 is a day that will forever be etched in my professional and personal life.  The ACUI Regional Conference was starting and my dear friend and colleague, Erin Morrell and I were waiting in the hotel lobby for our 30+ International Delegates from Ireland and the UK to arrive.  We had worked hard for months to pull together a fantastic program for them and it was just about to start.

Then, a phone call came from my friend Laura:

“Hello?”

“(crying, sobbing) Ed? Is that you?”

“Yes, Laura?  What’s wrong!?! Why are you crying?  Is everything OK?”

“No, it’s about Jodie.  You need to sit down.  I wanted you to hear this from me before it hit the papers tomorrow.  Jodie has admitted to stealing over $300,000 from TSR (Tufts Student Resources business) and our department account.  Apparently, she’s been doing it since 2000 or so.”

<silence>

“Ed?  Did you hear what I just said?”

“WHAT?!? I can’t believe this, are you sure?”

“Yes, she just admitted it to the investigators.”

In that moment, my entire professional career seemed a fallacy.

Jodie Nealley was the Director of Student Activities at Tufts University and my first supervisor out of graduate school.  She was my mentor.  As the Assistant, and subsequently, Associate Director in the Office of Student Activities at Tufts, I worked closely with Jodie and our staff to build student life on campus.  From 2000-2005, I served as adviser to the Programming Board and multiple Greek Organizations, and was also responsible for the building the Leadership Program.  From 2005 – 2006, I was responsible for the operations of the Mayer Campus Center and worked closely with student employees.   According to testimony, she started taking money slowly (due to a gambling addiction) and over the course of six years, the numbers added up.  After hearing this news, I felt so stupid for not knowing this was happening right under our noses.  How did we all miss this?

I was hurt and betrayed beyond anything I had ever felt before. This was worse than anything I ever thought I have experienced in Student Affairs.

At that time, many of my former students called and/or visited me to process what had happened.  They wanted to go through the grieving process with me because the vision of Jodie as the mentor, friend, and supervisor they knew was no longer there.

As the story developed, we all learned that a second co-worker, Ray Rodriguez, was also charged with embezzling of over $600,000 of the Student Senate’s money.  According to reports, both of them were stealing INDEPENDENTLY of each other.  It was another punch to the gut and I was shell shocked for a long time.  Honestly, I’ve never really gotten over this feeling of betrayal that I buried deep inside.  However, last summer finally brought closure to the case, as both Jodie and Ray were found guilty and got two year prison sentences plus restitution obligations.

I thought I would find closure through the numerous conversations I had with students and staff, but I haven’t.  Think about your professional MENTOR.  How would you feel if you found out that during your time together, she or he lied to you everyday they worked with you?  All of those staff meetings, retreats, one on one meetings, and “teachable moments” would be faded, stale memories.

However, I won’t allow this to tarnish the honest, hard work that the rest of the staff and students put in.  I know the work we did was excellent and I believe that through our experiences together, I’m a better professional today.

Last week, I was contacted by a former Tufts staff member over Facebook chat.  He told me that he visited Jodie in jail and shared with me that she looked better, had done a lot of reflecting, and wanted to relay a message to all of us that she was truly sorry and knows that she let us all down.  He sent me Jodie’s mailing address as well as information on visiting if I chose to.  He thought it would be good for me, but I’m not so sure.  So far, he’s been the only person from Tufts to visit her, other than her partner and son.  The last time I spoke with Jodie was when I served as a reference for Laura.

Part of me is curious and wants to go and confront her to give me “closure”.  Another part of me wants to let things be, and just move on.   I’m so torn.

What would you do? Thanks for reading and letting me share my story.

More Online Articles About This Story:
http://www.tuftsdaily.com/2.5511/tsr-tcu-senate-have-evidence-suggesting-nealley-took-funds-1.589564 (2007)
http://www.tuftsdaily.com/alleged-embezzlers-arraigned-1.613895 (2008)
http://www.tuftsdaily.com/nealley-and-rodriguez-plead-not-guilty-during-arraignment-1.613284 (2008)

This is a cross-post on the Student Affairs Blog and On The Go!

Source: nope

I meet with a lot of students in my job, and it can be difficult to know whether or not I am making a difference.  It can be frustrating because I work a lot, and the longer I’m in this field (and in my current position) I see students making the same mistakes repeatedly (both as individuals and in the aggregate). It can be draining and contribute to feeling burnt out.

Yesterday was an instance that reaffirmed that I am in the right place and making a difference.  It was a conduct meeting with a student for noise, and there wasn’t anything particularly notable about the incident.  I know the student well from previous conduct incidents, but he is also a leader in a campus group and well-liked in his residence hall.  He’s the type of student who contributes to the community, but sometimes gets carried away.  He’s growing a lot.

During this meeting, the student was frustrated that one of his neighbors called the RA about the noise instead of knocking at the door.  I asked the student why he thought this was the case, and initially he was just upset and expressed that the anonymous individual who called the RA was a coward.   I challenged him a little bit, and hoped to uncover what else might be going on.  He then sheepishly admitted that maybe the resident who called the RA could have felt left out, or maybe the noisy room was a bit intimidating for someone to confront if they didn’t know him well.  I could see the lightbulb flashing over his head, and I thought: “This is why I work in student affairs.”
What’s your most recent “aha!” moment with a student?

Source: nope

So last week, I posted on Twitter that I was interested in helping out this year’s class of Student Affairs Graduate Students look for their first position.  Mentoring Graduate Students and New Professionals is something I’m very passionate about and I want to use Social Media to help them get their names and stories out there.

So, if you want to be included on this upcoming cross post with the The Student Affairs Blog and On The Go, please email me, by this Friday, February 19th:

1.  Your name / current photo / email
2.  Link to an online bio or website (Twitter/Linked In)
3. Answer the question:  “You need to hire me because:”

I’ll have this posted on Monday, the 22nd!

I have a number of you already set, but I’d love to have more!  Please forward this post to anyone who may be interested in this!  Thanks for doing this with me!

Source: nope

If you cannot view this poll click here.

And here are the results from the last poll.

Source: nope

Deciding which interviews to accept? It's a balancing act.

Why can’t it just be that you are assigned 10 schools to interview with, you go do those, and then choose from any offers that result?

Have you ever watched a movie where the main character is like “Oh, my life is so hard, two people are in love with me!” And their funny sidekick friend is like “That must be such a horrible problem for you to have.” Whenever I’ve seen a movie like that I’ve instantly disliked the main character. Really? You’re going to complain about having more than one person that likes you? That must be just a terrible problem for you. I would instantly side with the friend, who usually got stuck petting a dog at the end as everyone else paired off. This was perhaps because I never had two attractive suitors chasing after me at the same time.

This is not meant to sound overly confident, but it is really hard when all the schools you sent interest letters to sent letters back saying “Let’s set up an interview!” Because then, in all the excitement of feeling wanted by these institutions, you set up interviews with ALL of them. Like when the main character decides to date both people at the same time. It’s stressful, it’s tiring, there’s wacky hijinks. And I’ve never felt bad for that main character until now. It actually is a horrible problem to have.

So that’s where I’m at this week. Currently trying to do a balancing act. I’m thankful to many of my amazing mentors who have been help me process it all on twitter, over email, and in their office as I came crashing in with a bag of Dove chocolates and the look of a crazy person. I’m hoping today to contact a couple schools and apologize for the change, but decline the interview. It would be nice to not stretch out the stress to next week.

Maybe I could also stop imagining myself as a character in a movie.

According to my countdown calendar there are 75 days left until graduation. Job hunting has been sucking up the majority of my time lately. I never thought that working on my thesis would be a nice, relaxing change of pace. I spent the majority of my weekend on that, other homework and just getting away from the whole job search process for a while. And the Olympics. No matter how hard a job search is, at least I’m not required to hurl my body down a mountain of snow with me feet strapped to a board.

Next time: Practice interview questions!

Source: nope