It will soon be a year since The Oprah Winfrey Show went off of the air. Like clockwork my TiVo was set to record Oprah on a daily basis, and sometimes it would accidentally record an episode twice as though it wanted to make sure that I watched it. Oprah was my go to person for information on a topic, for advice on how to deal with a certain situation, or even the place I went to for an ugly cry. I can honestly say I’ve probably seen every episode of Oprah in my adult years and in vulnerable times have been known to sometimes ask, WWOD – “What would Oprah do?” I must also confess…
Student Affairs
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Most Topular Stories
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What would Oprah do?!
The SA Blog16 May 2012 | 4:30 am -
Summer Project – Is it Time to Review your Current Plan?
Be Advised11 May 2012 | 12:20 pmFinals Grades are being posted. As you review your Spring and cumulative grades it might be time to evaluate whether you are on the correct academic path, in particular if your prerequisite grades do not meet departmental requirements. The Office of Careers Services offers a free program called MyPlan. Listed below is a description of the program. MyPlan Computerized Guidance Program (Free) Helps you learn more about how your interests, values, and abilities fit into the world of work and relate to specific occupations. Provides detailed information on occupations, educational… -
The Sun Does Not Shine Out of Apple’s A@@
Major Discoveries2 May 2012 | 9:30 amhttp://www.pcworld.com/article/254468/apples_tim_cook_disses_tabletpc_convergence_breaks_my_heart.html So, in the above linked article, the new face for Apple again proclaimed that if it isn’t something Apple is doing, it isn’t worth doing. In this case, it’s specifically frustrating that computer companies have decided they know what we need better than we do ourselves. At issue is the convergence of tablet capabilities on laptops. And in this case, Apple has decreed this to be useless, narrowly defining the benefits of tablets to … I don’t know…… -
Facebook’s COO Works Less Than You
Study Hacks7 May 2012 | 6:32 pmThe Fixed Schedule Phenom Sheryl Sandberg is the COO at Facebook. Last year she was paid over $30 million dollars in stocks and salary. This year she was named to Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World list. But here’s what interests me most: in April she revealed that she leaves work every day by 5:30. She has practiced this habit since she first had kids, but only recently did she build enough confidence to talk publicly about it. This is a fantastic example of the fixed-schedule productivity philosophy that I’ve long preached. As many have… -
Hairdressers Do it. Why Can’t We?
ACPA President's Blog15 May 2012 | 5:56 pmNowadays I only get to see my friend Peter on Mondays, his day off. He changed careers in his mid thirties and became a hairdresser. Last Monday I called him to come over and spend time with me and my family (and do my hair!) but he couldn’t. He told me he was at his monthly professional development session.Not knowing he had to do this, I inquired further. He told me that all hairdressers in our state are required to have a certain number of professional development hours each year to keep their license active. “We work with people,” he said. “So…
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The SA Blog
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What would Oprah do?!
16 May 2012 | 4:30 amIt will soon be a year since The Oprah Winfrey Show went off of the air. Like clockwork my TiVo was set to record Oprah on a daily basis, and sometimes it would accidentally record an episode twice as though it wanted to make sure that I watched it. Oprah was my go to person for information on a topic, for advice on how to deal with a certain situation, or even the place I went to for an ugly cry. I can honestly say I’ve probably seen every episode of Oprah in my adult years and in vulnerable times have been known to sometimes ask, WWOD – “What would Oprah do?” I must also confess… -
Tuesday Tally: Fall Planning
15 May 2012 | 4:30 amYour browser doesn’t support iFrames Vote for this poll here. -
Let’s Call it the National Professional Exchange
9 May 2012 | 4:30 am“When all think alike, then no one is thinking.” – Walter Lippman. I really enjoy attending conferences. I hear some interesting talks and chat with some impressive professionals. At the same time I recognize how outdated their structure and format are. Apparently other professionals have been feeling the same way (Check out Erika Thompson‘s delicious Stack with links to most of the conversation). I might be a little late to this party but I I wanted to throw a thought into the ring. The conversation’s I read centered around reconstructing… -
On constitutions and other leadership stuff
7 May 2012 | 4:30 amThe impetus for this post is a gripe I have about student organization constitutions. Many universities require student groups to generate a constitution as a prerequisite for recognition. Yet how many of our offices have constitutions? How many of our campuses have constitutions? Does any group you belong to anywhere–besides the United States of America and maybe the Rotary Club–have a constitution? (Do an Internet search on “organizations with constitutions” and you’ll get a slew of university “how to” pages for their student groups.) My primary concern: relevance. -
#SAchat Transcript — 5/3/12 — Welcoming New Staff Members
4 May 2012 | 11:10 amThanks to everyone who participated in our #SAchat focused on Welcoming New Staff Members. This week’s topic produced 532 tweets from 62 student affairs professionals, graduate students and undergraduates interested or working in the Student Affairs field! Full Transcript View as a Google Document 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 next week, (if you haven’t already done so) please make sure to LIKE our Facebook Page. Thanks for your continued support!
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Be Advised
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Summer Project – Is it Time to Review your Current Plan?
11 May 2012 | 12:20 pmFinals Grades are being posted. As you review your Spring and cumulative grades it might be time to evaluate whether you are on the correct academic path, in particular if your prerequisite grades do not meet departmental requirements. The Office of Careers Services offers a free program called MyPlan. Listed below is a description of the program. MyPlan Computerized Guidance Program (Free) Helps you learn more about how your interests, values, and abilities fit into the world of work and relate to specific occupations. Provides detailed information on occupations, educational… -
Interested in Computer Science? Meet With Local Web Designers and Developers on May 3
2 May 2012 | 11:51 amLocal industry and teachers have teamed up to host a conference that promotes careers in web design, software development and other computer science fields. Dubbed the Buffalo I/O conference, the event is free and open to the public. It will be held from 6-9 p.m. Thursday, May 3, at 101 Davis Hall on the University at Buffalo’s North Campus. To learn more, visit http://www.buffaloio.com. Sponsored by InfoTech Niagara, the Western New York Computer Science Teachers Association and UB’s Computer Science and Engineering Department, the conference is modeled after a similar event held… -
Final Grades – Spring 2012
30 Apr 2012 | 12:11 pmInstructors will soon be posting final grades for Spring 2012 classes. You can see your Spring 2012 grades by clicking the View My Grades link in your HUB Student Center. If you have questions about grading and grading policies refer to UB Undergraduate Grading policies. If you see either an “I grade” (Incomplete) or a “J grade” (Reporting Error) next to any of your courses, contact your instructor immediately. If you do not get a prompt response contact the respective academic department. How did you fare in your pre-requisite courses? If you results did not meet acceptance… -
Notice to current students that have not yet enrolled at UB for Fall 2012
20 Apr 2012 | 3:50 pmDear Student, We noticed that you have not yet registered for classes for the fall 2012 term, and we would like to offer some assistance. Here are some important reminders and suggestions: 1. If you need academic assistance, including course selection advisement, contact your academic advisor<http://advising.buffalo.edu/directory/index.php> right away to review your options and devise a plan. If you cannot return for the upcoming term, your advisor can help you determine if a Leave of Absence is a viable option for you. 2. You can register for classes through your HUB Student… -
Taking an on-line course? Here are some tips for success.
6 Apr 2012 | 3:26 pmAre you taking your first on-line course this summer or fall? If so, you already know that it will be different compared to a class that you physically attend. On-line classes at UB are viewed via UB Learns. Taking an on-line course requires some additional discipline. Listed below are some articles that provide tips for success in the on-line classroom. Tips for taking on-line classes, Texas A& M Online Learning Strategies for Success, Medical College of Wisconsin Tips for taking On-line Courses, SUNY Canton
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Major Discoveries
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The Sun Does Not Shine Out of Apple’s A@@
2 May 2012 | 9:30 amhttp://www.pcworld.com/article/254468/apples_tim_cook_disses_tabletpc_convergence_breaks_my_heart.html So, in the above linked article, the new face for Apple again proclaimed that if it isn’t something Apple is doing, it isn’t worth doing. In this case, it’s specifically frustrating that computer companies have decided they know what we need better than we do ourselves. At issue is the convergence of tablet capabilities on laptops. And in this case, Apple has decreed this to be useless, narrowly defining the benefits of tablets to … I don’t know…… -
Nice One on the CUES Blog
16 Feb 2012 | 3:48 pmA story about a boy, his violin, and what matters in life -
I’ve Been Quiet Lately #SteepLearningCurve
16 Dec 2011 | 8:15 amGreetings all, I’ve been wrestling with getting up to speed at my new job, so I haven’t made much time for blogging. I just posted the following, though, at the NACADA Commission on Undeclared and Exploratory Student Advising (CUES) Blog and thought I should share it here, too. I’m trying to ease my way out of thinking solely about CUES topics, especially since my new role is as director of the entire advising program and not one simply focused on Undeclared and Exploratory populations. I’m having limited success at removing the CUES filter entirely, but I think we can… -
A Post About A Post, On Steve Jobs On Educaiton
10 Nov 2011 | 9:41 amHow’s that for a preposition-rich title? Please follow the link below to a new post on the NACADA Commission on Undeclared &Exploratory Student advising Blog page. http://nacadacues.blogspot.com/2011/11/jobs-on-education.html -
An Announcement
21 Oct 2011 | 10:16 amDear Students and Colleagues, With equal parts excitement and sadness, I write to tell you all that I’ll be leaving VCU on November 4. I’ve accepted a position as the Associate Director of Academic Advising in the Center for Advising and Student Transitions at Montclair State University. This is truly a bittersweet moment for me. I love my staff in the Discovery Advising program, and have loved every minute of serving the student population at VCU. It’s rare to find, in one location, both the discovery of one’s vocation and its seemingly perfect manifestation, but that is what VCU has…
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Study Hacks
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Facebook’s COO Works Less Than You
7 May 2012 | 6:32 pmThe Fixed Schedule Phenom Sheryl Sandberg is the COO at Facebook. Last year she was paid over $30 million dollars in stocks and salary. This year she was named to Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World list. But here’s what interests me most: in April she revealed that she leaves work every day by 5:30. She has practiced this habit since she first had kids, but only recently did she build enough confidence to talk publicly about it. This is a fantastic example of the fixed-schedule productivity philosophy that I’ve long preached. As many have… -
Walking in Merlin Mann’s Footsteps and a Book You Should Know About
29 Apr 2012 | 1:33 pmTwo brief administrative notes… A2 Earns an A When I first started blogging in 2007, I needed web hosting. I noticed that Merlin Mann had a note on 43 Folders about his happiness working with a company named A2 Hosting. That was good enough for me: I signed up for their introductory package. That was five years ago and I’ve been nothing but happy with their service ever since. Now, in a nice bit of circularity, they’ve agreed to sponsor Study Hacks in much the same way they were sponsoring 43 Folders back when I got started with blogging. So if you’re looking for web… -
Do What Works, Not What’s Satisfying: Pseudo-Striving and our Fear of Reality-Based Planning
29 Apr 2012 | 11:37 amThe Dune Revelation In July 2009, I took a trip to San Francisco. At some point, I ended up hiking at a sand-duned nature preserve, not far south from Monterey on Highway 1. What I remember about this hike is a thought that struck not long into the route. In the summer of 2009, I was two months from defending my PhD dissertation. I had arranged for a post doc after graduation but found the academic market beyond to be uncertain for me and my skills. It was in this context that I had my insight: Why hadn’t I systematically studied the most successful senior grad students when I first… -
The Father of Deliberate Practice Disowns Flow
9 Apr 2012 | 4:05 pmFeeling Low on Flow In a trio of recent articles, I emphasized that flow is dangerous (see here and here and here). It feels good, so we’re tempted to seek it out, but it doesn’t actually help us get better: the key process in creating a remarkable life. Most of you liked this concept, while a few of you thought I had missed the boat. Here’s an example of the latter sentiment: I disagree with [your] point. Flow is the experience of being lost in one’s effort. That can easily happen when one is highly challenged and enjoying the intense effort. There was also quite a bit of… -
The Satisfying Strain of Learning Hard Material: A Deliberate Practice Case Study
28 Mar 2012 | 11:52 amA Deliberate Morning This morning I finished my notes for an upcoming lecture in my graduate-level theory of computation course. There are two points I wanted to make about these notes… The process of creating them is very hard. On average, it takes me between 2.5 to 3 hours to prepare a lecture. This preparation requires that I work with absolutely zero distractions as the material is too difficult to be internalized if my attention is divided in any way. Furthermore, the work is not particularly pleasant. Learning things that are this hard does not put you in a flow state. It instead…
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ACPA President's Blog
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Hairdressers Do it. Why Can’t We?
15 May 2012 | 5:56 pmNowadays I only get to see my friend Peter on Mondays, his day off. He changed careers in his mid thirties and became a hairdresser. Last Monday I called him to come over and spend time with me and my family (and do my hair!) but he couldn’t. He told me he was at his monthly professional development session.Not knowing he had to do this, I inquired further. He told me that all hairdressers in our state are required to have a certain number of professional development hours each year to keep their license active. “We work with people,” he said. “So… -
Presidential Address - Dr. Keith Humphrey
30 Mar 2012 | 10:30 pmThank you so much. Thank you for that moving introduction, Jonathan Poullard and Patty Perillo. I am grateful to you both for your leadership, counsel, mentorship, but most importantly your lasting friendship.No one gets to this point in this wonderful association without the support of many…and I am fortunate to have many people in my corner. Heck, even Susan Komives friended ME on facebook after I was elected…that’s how you know you have arrived my friends…. First, thank you to my Vice President at The University of Arizona, Dr. Melissa Vito, one of the… -
Thoughts about Louisville
5 Mar 2012 | 12:41 pmIt’s hard to believe that in just 3 weeks we’ll be in Louisville, and ACPA’s 88th annual convention will be in full swing! The planning team has done an outstanding job putting together a convention that will be energizing, inspiring, thought-provoking and renewing to help us think about how we create possibilities for our students.It’s also impossible to think this morning about visiting Louisville and not be mindful of the devastating tornadoes that just hit communities in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina. I know that we are all holding those… -
Statement on the ACPA Student Affairs Credential Program
17 Jan 2012 | 3:54 pmACPA’s announcement last week that it created an implementation team to outline policies and practice for credentialing individuals in student affairs has launched a lively and thoughtful exchange of responses and suggestions. Consistent with our value and history of member engagement and voice in association activities, we are excited to share next steps with you and invite conversation about the voluntary ACPA Student Affairs Credential Program. Many professions such as law, medicine, and teaching, have processes by which members of that profession demonstrate they have the skills… -
Professional Development
1 Nov 2011 | 11:41 amThe excitement is palpable! This past month has been a time of incredible member engagement and energy. I’ve come to think of October and November as “State Division Conference Season,” and one of the perks of being ACPA President is having the opportunity to visit with our State Division members at those gatherings. I, along with ACPA Executive Director Greg Roberts, Vice President Keith Humphrey, Past President Susan Salvador, and other members of the Governing Board, have attended almost a dozen state conferences over the past 6 weeks. At those conferences we’ve had the chance to…
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The Choice
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McGraw-Hill Announces E-Book Program With University of Minnesota
16 May 2012 | 4:59 amMcGraw-Hill announced a new e-book program with the University of Minnesota bookstore. -
A Dream College Acceptance, With the Money to Make It Come True
15 May 2012 | 5:01 amCassie Dagostino, a high school senior from Brooklyn, N.Y., writes that her college acceptance news was "the best outcome that could have possibly happened." -
College Costs Weighing Down a Generation With Student Debt
14 May 2012 | 12:34 pmA new series from The Times examines the implications of rising college costs and the indebtedness of students and their families. -
The College Admissions Essay: Finding a Topic
14 May 2012 | 4:58 amIn this Tip Sheet, the author Alan Gelb offers some advice about the hardest part of the college admissions essay: finding a topic. -
So Long, High School ... College Awaits!
11 May 2012 | 12:58 pmAutumn Chubbs, a high school senior from Long Beach, Calif., is excited about her final days in high school and her plans to attend San Diego State University.
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Athletic Management
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New Program
15 May 2012 | 10:50 amIn Montana, a program called Pure Performance aims to teach coaches and players about nutrition, creating a positive influence, and staying off drugs and alcohol. -
Radical Change?
14 May 2012 | 11:23 amA former college and high school basketball coach says the time has come to eliminate high school sports. The Executive Director of the NFHS offers a rebuttal. -
Rebooting
14 May 2012 | 10:56 amThe College of Idaho is going to restart its football program and has stated a goal of recruiting more players from the state. -
Preparing For Pitt
10 May 2012 | 12:23 pmIn an effort to drum up community interest in its football program, the University of Pittsburgh asked North Hills High School in Pittsburgh if it would like to host the team's annual spring game. North Hills Athletic Director Dan Cardone said "Yes!" Here's how the event transpired. -
Appeal Update
10 May 2012 | 12:23 pmLast week, the Minnesota state supreme court heard the University of Minnesota's appeal of the $1 million jury award to Jimmy Williams, now an assistant coach at the University of Memphis, over his aborted hiring by men's basketball coach Tubby Smith.
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Campus To Career
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Congratulations! Now What??
15 May 2012 | 7:30 amIt’s graduation season. Droves of eager 20-something college seniors are lining up in their caps and gowns, ready for pomp and circumstance. In the good old days, graduating with a degree meant that you most likely had a job waiting on you. Employers were hungry for new talent, providing most graduates with multiple offers to [...] -
Thanks Mom!
13 May 2012 | 10:01 amI know that without a doubt, there are going to be MANY posts like this today. Today is Mother’s Day and I’m not able to see my mom in person, so this is the next best thing. You see, unlike flowers or chocolates, this will last a lifetime. Seems fitting since that’s what she has [...] -
Internship Advice from Vanilla Ice
8 May 2012 | 7:30 amOh yes. I went there. Remember Vanilla Ice? If you grew up in the 80’s and 90’s (or if you’ve seen the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies), you know who I’m talking about. His song, “Ice, Ice, Baby” was a one-hit wonder, yet still plays on the radio from time to time. As I embarked [...] -
What Have You Done Today?
1 May 2012 | 7:30 amWhat Have You Done Today (to Make Me Feel Proud?) Video credit: SIFE Official YouTube – SIFE Connections Please watch the video and listen closely to the lyrics of the song. Well?? What have you done today to make me proud? Just a quick disclaimer: the reference to “me” could mean anyone. I’m not judging [...] -
Quality vs. Quantity: 3 Points to Consider
24 Apr 2012 | 7:30 amMy grandparents taught me many lessons throughout my life. Isn’t it funny how you’re reminded of things like this? Nana and Granddad lived in a small town in the Texas Panhandle. The town was Shamrock, TX, which is along the old Route 66 and home to the tallest water tower in the state. Ever since [...]
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Career Spotlight
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Alternatives to Your Dream Job
14 May 2012 | 7:00 amCongratulations UW-Whitewater Spring graduates! As you celebrate your achievements during various events, you are probably hearing several age-old quotes and clichés. Graduation is a big thing, but you still may get doubts that the “the tassel is worth the hassle.” You earned a degree, but you may not be excited about your new employment or may have no job at all. Graduation can be sobering when you do not receive the outcome you expected four years ago. Do not fear. Now is a good time to replace your worries with planning and preparation. Here are three roadblocks and four… -
It’s All About the Benefits
7 May 2012 | 11:18 amCongratulations! All of the hard work you have put into your job search has paid off and you have received a job offer – or better yet, multiple job offers. Before you accept an offer and begin your career, there are a few important items to consider. While the starting salary in the job offer tends to get the most attention, don’t overlook the benefits package being offered by the employer. The exact benefits package included with your job offer will tend to vary from employer to employer, but there are a few “typical” categories of benefits that should be carefully reviewed:… -
Is Teaching Abroad Calling Your Wanderlust?
30 Apr 2012 | 7:00 amOn April 23, I worked at the Wisconsin Educational Recruitment Fair (WERF), which was attended by about 500 teacher candidates, as well as 38 school districts and organizations from Wisconsin, other states, and other countries. I met a representative from EduConUS, who was recruiting for teaching opportunities in South Korea and the Middle East, a rep from Teach and Learn with Georgia (the country, not the state), and a rep from Contact Singapore. Attending WERF reminded me of the adventurous job searches of several recent grads, or current students, with whom I’ve worked in the recent… -
Is the Music Industry Singing Your Name?
24 Apr 2012 | 9:51 amSo you love music, but what on earth are you going to do with a degree in music? Well, there are a lot more opportunities and options than you think, and many of them are right under your nose. Even if you are not specifically a major in “music” but you enjoy it as a hobby, there are still ways for you to combine your passions. Perhaps you have decided to pursue a degree in music, you have spent countless hours in the Greenhill Center of the Arts, and now its graduation time or close to it. There are many fields you could pursue with your degree that people often overlook. Maybe you have… -
Electronic Portfolios
16 Apr 2012 | 11:04 amKnow thyself. The accurate determination of what we like, what we value, and what we’re good at is one of the most important aspects of a successful career. An honest, straightforward self-assessment helps us know in which career field(s) we’ll be most happy and successful. The process of self-assessment requires us to reflect upon our lives, our actions, achievements, and yes, our failures. Reflective thinking is a learned behavior that each of us cultivates over time, and in our daily focus on our to-do lists, it’s as important as ever to take time to reflect…
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Mallory Bower
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The Value of One
14 May 2012 | 12:03 pmOne week. A powerful seven days at Ft. Caswell for UNCP’s LeaderShape. One blog post to reflect. This will be the first of many. One bus ride to break the ice with strangers. One wrong turn on the beach to get the heart racing and to form a lasting bond. One story and a realization that it was the first time I told mine outloud. One day, seven students. How quickly they became my “family.” One. The name of the amendment that was passed in North Carolina on May 8, 2012. One dream. Dr. King still inspires us to imagine a world where hate does not exist. One courageous voice… -
Yes and…
5 May 2012 | 8:32 amMy first NCACE conference experience was wonderful and I am still reflecting on the goals that I set for myself. I have so much to write about, but as I prep for another new experience next week as a LeaderShape cluster facilitator, I have two pieces of wisdom that have been resonating with me. At NCACE, our opening experience was facilitated by the Nutt House Improv Troupe, focusing on “Improv for Career Counselors and Recruiters.” Typically I am a person who likes to think about ideas and reflect on them before I share my thoughts, but improv doesn’t really allow for deep… -
NCACE 2012 Goals
2 May 2012 | 3:34 pmTo maximize my first North Carolina Association of Colleges & Employers conference experience, I thought it would be wise to type up some quick goals. This post will be brief– mostly because I have several people I want to meet, and partially because the view from my hotel room looks like this: Goals: Introduce myself and connect with at least 10 new people. Admittedly I am very shy and just the swarm of people at the check-in table was overwhelming. I am attending the conference alone and I don’t know many people here. But ya know what? I am going to introduce myself any… -
A Few Inches Off the Top
19 Apr 2012 | 4:20 pmMy new hairdresser fastened the black cape around my shoulders and asked, “So what do you do?” The million dollar question. I am sometimes hesitant to tell strangers what I do at work, because it usually ends in a career coaching session. But this time was different… I was dying to ask her about her job and how she got her start. This past weekend on my vacation, I was so excited to hear our tourguides’ career stories. Let’s call this a career counseling binge. Lately, my work calendar has been busting at the seams with committee meetings and new… -
An Acquired Taste
29 Mar 2012 | 6:42 pmLast night our catering staff served bowls of chilled cantaloupe soup to 100 students. Puzzling looks were exchanged, noses crinkled, and a few pinkies dipped into the bowl to test the temperature. I watched carefully as some plunged their soup spoons right into their bowls. Others took a few moments to examine the contents before taking a small, single bite. Some declined to take a second bite, but each of them tried something they had not tried before. Often times we talk ourselves out of trying new things. We create 1,000 excuses for staying within our comfort zones. But what happens if…
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Service Design, Marketing and Innovation for Student Affairs
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Inspiration: IKEA Australia catalog pays rent
25 Apr 2012 | 3:58 pmI stumbled across this IKEA Australia promotion and thought it was brilliant. The basic idea: people throw catalogs away. So, IKEA “pays rent” to people for keeping the catalog in their homes. They’ve made a nice video explaining the project. I just really appreciate the clever thinking. -
Service lessons from Duke Hospital
20 Apr 2012 | 8:30 pmAs a UNC basketball fan, it always pains me a bit to talk positively about Duke. But, in the realm of service design, Duke Hospital is doing some nice things. Between my son’s asthma and my sleep apnea, I’ve found myself visiting one particular facility a half dozen times in the past year. Prior to these experiences and my son’s birth a few years back, I simply hadn’t spent much time in hospitals. So, I may be giving them credit for things that are quite standard in hospital settings. But, that said, they have some nice service design features. And I’ve… -
Inspiration: Customer experience maps
30 Mar 2012 | 10:23 amI would love to do a full customer experience map for our services (like this and this). Summer project, perhaps? -
Delighting our students
30 Mar 2012 | 7:57 amWhat are you doing to delight your students? Sometimes I think we’re so focused on the nitty gritty and just “doing the work” that we fail to excite and delight. Tom Krieglstein posted a piece over on the Student Affairs Collaborative Blog that fits perfectly with what I’m trying to do here on this blog. In his post he linked a few videos, and I wanted to share one here, as well. I’d love to see examples from student affairs pros, but I fear not many exist! -
Lateral example: digital waitlist
10 Mar 2012 | 6:13 pmAre many in student affairs/higher education using things like this idea from the Genius Bar at Apple stores? I could see this being a good fit for academic advising, career counseling, financial aid and other areas that have walk-in services that form a line. Are any of your offices doing this already?
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Inside Higher Ed
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Perry Declines to Take Stand on UT Austin President
16 May 2012 | 3:29 amWith regents appointed by Texas Governor Rick Perry reportedly interested in ousting Bill Powers as president of the University of Texas at Austin, reporters asked Perry about Powers on Tuesday. The Associated Press reported that Perry declined to talk about the subject, saying only "I got a state to run," and adding that he doesn't focus on any one campus. Perry did say that the move by the University of Texas Board of Regents to freeze tuition (over the objections of Powers) sent a "good message" about controlling college costs. And Perry praised the $10,000 degrees… -
College Board's New Leader
16 May 2012 | 3:28 amDavid Coleman, one of the chief architects of and advocates for the common core curricular standards under consideration by states nationwide, will become the next president of the College Board, The New York Times reported. The College Board is best known for the SAT and the Advanced Placement program, but Coleman said that he sees a broader mission for the organization, telling the Times that "the College Board is not just about measuring and testing, but designing high-quality curriculum.” Ad keywords: Admissions -
Kean U. Faculty Votes No Confidence in Board
16 May 2012 | 2:00 amFaculty members and librarians at Kean University voted no confidence in the university's Board of Trustees this week, with 94 percent of responding faculty members saying they had lost faith in the board. Professors have clashed with the university's president, Dawood Farahi, for several years. Tensions came to a head early this year when the faculty accused Farahi of including false information on his résumé. After an investigation in which lawyers hired by the board found that Farahi had falsified some of the statements on earlier résumés, the board… -
Review of Nancy K. Bristow, "American Pandemic: The Lost Worlds of the 1918 Influenza Epidemic"
16 May 2012 | 2:00 amIntellectual AffairsIt was a classic instance of blaming the messenger: Spanish newspapers carried the earliest reports of a new illness that spread across the globe in the final months of World War I, and so it be came known as “Spanish influenza,” although its real point of origin will never be known. It was virulent and highly communicable. A paper appearing in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention journal Emerging Infectious Diseases a few years ago estimated that 500 million people, almost a third of the world’s population, were stricken with it. By the end of… -
Colleges announce commencement speakers
16 May 2012 | 2:00 amThe following colleges and universities have announced their commencement speakers for spring 2012:
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Grubester
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Half Ironman Training Update #11
15 May 2012 | 9:06 amCurrent Weight: 215 Weekly Change: -1.5 Total Lost: 44.5 To Goal: 25 So that bike test I was talking about last week? BRUTAL. I’ve never really done an all out effort for that length of time (30 minutes). I knew it would be rough, but I didn’t think about the fact that my coach would be standing over me for the entire 30 minutes screaming at me. “Twenty-five minutes left. There’s barely a pool of sweat on the floor.” As he leans close to my face and looks me in the eye, “Did I perhaps forget to mention this is supposed… -
Half Ironman Training Update #10
10 May 2012 | 8:26 amCurrent Weight: 216.5 Weekly Change: -2.0 Total Lost: 43 To Goal: 26.5 I’ve finally come to the conclusion that the Kansas City triathlon is no longer an option. I’ve been training for this race religiously for over five months. Without trying to be overly dramatic about it, I can’t tell you how depressed I am over my inability to compete in the race. That being said, my body doesn’t really give a damn whether I’m depressed. My shoulder continues to get worse, and I’m at the point now where I don’t think I’ll be able to bike… -
Half Ironman Training Update #9
4 May 2012 | 4:07 pmCurrent Weight: 218.5 Weekly Change: -1.5 Total Lost: 41 To Goal: 28.5 Just over two weeks until the Kansas City triathlon. I’ve had no improvement to my shoulder and am still waffling on whether I will compete or not. I want to do this race so bad. I can’t even tell you why, except that not being able to do the swim well makes the race even more of a challenge. And boy do I love knocking a challenge flat on its rear end. I wasn’t able to get the MRI scheduled this week due to complications with insurance. My Physical Therapist wrote… -
Half Ironman Training Update #8
29 Apr 2012 | 4:35 pmCurrent Weight: 220 Weekly Change: -3.0 Total Lost: 39.5 To Goal: 30 So the Kansas City Triathlon is now less than 25 days away. I’ve unfortunately (with the assistance of my coach and my wife) reached the conclusion that I probably won’t be racing. My shoulder has yet to improve significantly, and there is still considerable pain in a new area from my bike fall. It looks like I’ll have an MRI next week to see if there is a tear of some sort. Given that I’ve now been out of the pool for four weeks and am still experiencing pain, it’s… -
Half Ironman Training Update #7
19 Apr 2012 | 12:14 pmCurrent Weight: 223 Weekly Change: 0 Total Lost: 36.5 To Goal: 33 This week was just a really bad week. When I wrote the post about falling off my bike at 36 MPH, it was just a few hours after the spill. The next day was when it really hit me that I FELL OFF MY BIKE GOING 36 MPH. I was sore everywhere. Painfully sore. Just getting out of bed required complex yoga-like movements to avoid severe pain. My already injured shoulder now hurt in a new place, and my torso hurt every time I used any abdominal muscle, like when I took a breath.
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Liz Gross
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Facebook Ads Update
8 May 2012 | 6:02 pmI logged in to update my Facebook ads today and noticed that the interface had changed again. The “Create an Ad” interface is now dynamic—populated based on what you’re trying to advertise (URL, page, group, app or event). After you indicate your ad’s destination, it asks you what you want to promote (on a Facebook page, for example, you can promote the entire page or just a post). Then, it will ask you how to promote it. Where the change gets really interesting is the pricing structure. You’re no longer given a choice between paying on a CPC (cost per click)… -
How Much Time Does Your Full-Time Job Take?
2 May 2012 | 9:01 pmI have a confession to make…I am not a workaholic. Far from it. I don’t show up more than 15 minutes early, and most days I’m out of the office when the clock hits 5:00. Yes, I’ll put in extra hours when a deadline demands it, but I’m likely to try to balance that with a few hours off the next week. I work 40-45 hours per week, and I’m proud of it. This came up in a discussion with my boss this week. When discussing my career goals, I said, “You may have noticed I’m not a workaholic. If a position requires 50 or 60+ hours each week, I’m… -
Why I Will Never Be A Social Media Director
26 Apr 2012 | 8:30 pmSocial media is trendy (even if it’s useful). Large companies have positions and even entire departments dedicated to engaging customers on social media. The University of Michigan recently hired a social media director for a cool $100,000 salary. People like me, who enjoy, understand and effectively utilize social media, dream about a gig that lets us engage with stakeholders via social media full-time. For many of us, the thought of analyzing those interactions, matching them to key business metrics (in the case of higher education—applications and enrollment) and making flashy… -
Look Who’s Not Online
13 Apr 2012 | 9:31 pmIf you poke around this blog, you’ll find that I live a lot of my life online. You ‘re clearly online if you’re reading this (unless someone gave you a printout). I’ve been online since I was 15. I don’t remember much of life without the internet. I read a new report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project that gave me a reality check. Look at these stats. For a change, I’m just going to post the data and allow you to draw the conclusions. What do they mean for our country? What do they mean for colleges and universities? What to they mean for… -
How To Conduct A Social Media Training That Works
12 Apr 2012 | 8:34 pmEven though Facebook, Twitter and other platforms aren’t exactly new, there is still a need for social media training in many organizations. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 65% of online U.S. adults use social media. Although that’s a majority, there are plenty more prospective users that have not yet jumped on board. So, why do some social media trainings fail? Because they’re presented as a how-to session. This is the wrong approach. If someone wanted to use social media, they’d probably figure it out themselves. Let’s face…
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FIRE - News
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Spread the Word: FIRE’s High School Essay Contest is Growing!
10 May 2012 | 9:55 amFIRE will be busy this summer with our annual conference and other projects as we map out our goals for the coming year. That makes the coming season an ideal time for FIRE to spread the word about exciting new changes coming to our annual high school essay contest! The contest offers high school juniors and seniors the chance to compete for college scholarships by writing an essay explaining why free speech and First Amendment rights are crucial to higher education. This year, we are pleased to announce that the scholarship prizes will be bigger, the essays will address brand-new FIRE… -
Dept. of Education Challenged by FIRE, Coalition about Silence on Threats to Student Rights
7 May 2012 | 3:08 pmWASHINGTON, May 7, 2012—In an open letter sent today, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) and 19 other signatories urge the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to address the threats to student rights posed by OCR's "Dear Colleague" letter regarding sexual harassment and sexual assault on campus. Today's open letter asks OCR to remedy the threat to student due process rights presented by new mandates announced in the agency's April 4, 2011, "Dear Colleague" letter. OCR now requires that colleges and universities… -
Victory at Tufts after Crew Team Members Suspended for ‘Cox’ T-shirts
4 May 2012 | 10:08 amFacing a rising tide of criticism and intervention from FIRE, Tufts University President Tony Monaco reinstated the suspended members of the men's crew team late on Thursday, just in time for this weekend's New England Rowing Championships. After the members wore T-shirts reading "check out our cox" (referring to a team's coxswain), the university had suspended them, pressed as many as four team captains to resign, and asked the members to deliver apologies for the "offense" caused by the T-shirts. Kudos to President Monaco for honoring Tufts' commitment to free speech. As… -
Speech Code of the Month: Framingham State University
2 May 2012 | 2:42 pmFIRE announces its Speech Code of the Month for May 2012: Framingham State University. This public university has a student policy on "Freedom of Expression" which provides that Recognized student clubs or organizations desiring to sponsor a religious display must consider the following: such displays may not promote or hinder one religion over another, must be secular in purpose, and may not intertwine University affairs with religious promotion. This policy confuses the university's institutional obligation not to promote religion with the expressive rights of individual students… -
Victory: Rutgers Will Not Punish Satirical Newspaper
1 May 2012 | 12:55 pmOn Friday, I blogged about Rutgers University's bias investigation of the student satire publication The Medium for jokingly attributing a fake article praising Adolf Hitler to another student. As we made clear in the letter we sent Rutgers, punishing the protected expression of The Medium—or even allowing the impression to take hold that such expression was punishable—would be an impermissible violation of the paper's First Amendment rights. Hardly had my entry gone live on our website, however, when FIRE received a response from Rutgers Assistant General Counsel Sarah…
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NAFSA: Association of International Educators Blog
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A Poignant Introduction to the Field
14 May 2012 | 11:49 amBy Leslie Pitman When you find yourself wandering around a massive Expo Hall that highlights everything from Africa to England to travel insurance to service learning, and then find yourself, at 2 a.m., surrounded by dancing Brazilians—only to be in a session five hours later about education abroad and meetings with foreign universities—you must only be in one place: the NAFSA Annual Conference & Expo. Although my own experience wasn’t exactly like the one described above, it was unforgettable, overwhelming, and life-changing. Last May, not even a month after graduating from… -
Dance the Night Away in Houston!
11 May 2012 | 9:30 amBy Toni Rico In the words of Jack Nicholson in The Shining, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” So: Who wants to cut a rug? I like every type of music, and can get my groove on with just about any beat, so I hope to meet your dancing feet needs with the following suggestions while you are here in Houston! These are only places I have personally been, so I welcome other Houstonians to share places and types of music I might have forgotten. Feel free to comment and share your favorite hot spots. Country As this is Texas, I must start off with country music. If you’ve… -
Interested in Sharing Your Concerns and Suggestions with DHS?
10 May 2012 | 12:02 pmDo you have feedback for SEVP about your recertification process, I-17 updates, or the evidence they’re requesting concerning your ESL program’s accreditation? Do you want to hear the latest information about SEVIS II and how it may impact your business practices? Are you interested in discussing your “Campus Sentinel visit” with the Counterterrorism and Criminal Exploitation Unit or asking what to expect if you haven’t yet been visited? You can speak with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials directly at the DHS Pavilion in the expo hall throughout NAFSA… -
First Conference? No Problem!
4 May 2012 | 10:03 amBy Janel Lockwood Attending a conference like the NAFSA annual conference can be quite overwhelming for first-time attendees. With so many sessions, networking events, and learning opportunities, it can be hard to know what to attend! Since my first conference in 2007 in Minneapolis, I have learned a lot about how to make the most out of conference time. Plan ahead. Familiarize yourself with the conference schedule ahead of time and figure out which learning opportunities you don’t want to miss. Remember, some sessions at the conference will be recorded—look for the headphones icon… -
It’s a Mobile World in Houston
2 May 2012 | 10:29 amBy Mark Powell The 2012 NAFSA Annual Conference & Expo may seem a bit overwhelming at times with so many educational and networking offerings, and exhibitors in the Expo Hall. These concerns may be allayed through the use of several different kinds of technology available to conference goers. Most of the types of technology mentioned in this blog will involve either smartphones or tablets. Get out your mobile devices and let’s get started! Mobile Web sites Mobile Web sites are specially created Web sites designed to work on smartphones and tablets. They generally contain only the…
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Edu in Review Blog
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Jeremy Lin Invited to William and Mary Senior Formal via YouTube
24 Apr 2012 | 8:21 amAhh young love. It’s fantastic, isn’t it? You get butterflies in your stomach whenever you see them, your heart pitter-patters, and you might feel weak in your knees. OK, so those symptoms also sound like a really bad illness, but when it’s love, it’s great. Trust me on this one. But what do you do when the object of your affection is one of the popular kids? Someone who you normally don’t stand a chance of getting? Or even worse, what if your special someone is celebrity basketball player Jeremy Lin? Lina Yeh, a senior at the College of William and Mary in… -
Harvard’s Sex Week Promotes Sexual Health and Pleasure for Students
24 Apr 2012 | 8:13 amIf your college doesn’t have Sex Week, your campus is behind the times. The trend started at Yale in 2002 and just last month, Harvard hosted its very first. In the last week of March, Harvard offered a student-run program of all things sex, including panel discussions, lectures and information tables. Sex Week provides a balance of education on sexual health and pleasure. Students can listen to panels on bondage, gay and lesbian sex, and the ethics of pornography. Traditionally, sex education’s main focus has been on the transmission of STDs, safe sex, and rape prevention. “I… -
Notre Dame Distances Self from Bishop Jenky’s Slanderous Remarks About the President
24 Apr 2012 | 8:07 amCatholic Bishop Daniel Jenky might be regretting a comment he made recently about President Obama. During a sermon, Bishop Jenky said that Obama’s political policies were on a “similar path” to those of Hilter and Stalin. “Hilter and Stalin, at their better moments, would just barely tolerate some churches remaining open, but would not tolerate any competition with the state in education, social services, and health care,” Jenky said in his sermon. “In clear violation of our First Amendment rights, Barack Obama – with his radical, pro-abortion and… -
At Brooklyn’s Intermediate School 318, Chess is King
23 Apr 2012 | 10:58 amIf you had walked into Intermediate School 318 in Brooklyn early last week, you would have heard a loud roar coming from the classrooms. You might have thought it was pep-rally for the school’s football team, or something like that. However, if you had walked into the classroom where the most noise was coming from, you would have seen that instead of cheerleaders and a marching band, it was six high-speed chess matches that were making all of the ruckus. At Intermediate School 318, chess is serious business. Why, you might ask? Because this middle school is the winner of the United… -
Penn State Pays Joe Paterno’s Estate Millions to Avoid Lawsuit
23 Apr 2012 | 10:53 amIn a move that could be seen as being overtly sympathetic, Penn State announced that it plans on giving the late Joe Paterno‘s estate and family millions of dollars worth of payments and benefits as part of his employment contract. So far, the school has given the family four checks, which totaled more than $3 million. These payments were for bonuses that Paterno would have gotten for his work during the season, bowl game, and his entire career. The school has also promised the family the use of a suite in Beaver Stadium for the next 25 years. Sadly, the family’s lawyer says that…
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NewAmerica.net Blog Posts
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Capped Variable Interest Rate Proposal Comes with a Hefty Price Tag
11 May 2012 | 8:20 amWhile Congress has debated extending the 3.4 percent interest rate on Subsidized Stafford loans issued this year to undergraduates, advocacy groups are gearing up for a debate on longer-term reforms. They know the odds don’t favor Congress adopting a one-year extension of the lower rate again next year. Besides, spending $6 billion to save college graduates $9 a month isn’t a great deal for borrowers or taxpayers. So it’s good that student aid advocates want a better plan. But they aren’t off to a great start. They are gathering support for an outrageously expensive proposal that… -
No-Cost Solution to Student Loan Interest Rates Hidden in Plain Sight
8 May 2012 | 2:32 pmWhile Congress has debated extending the 3.4 percent interest rate on Subsidized Stafford loans issued this year to undergraduates, advocacy groups are gearing up for a debate on longer-term reforms. They know the odds don’t favor Congress adopting a one-year extension of the lower rate again next year. Besides, spending $6 billion to save college graduates $9 a month isn’t a great deal for borrowers or taxpayers. So it’s good that student aid advocates want a better plan. But they aren’t off to a great start. They are gathering support for an outrageously expensive proposal that… -
Subsidized Stafford Student Loans are Already Interest-Free for the Unemployed
3 May 2012 | 2:15 pmThis post was first published as a response to a prompt on the National Journal’s Education Experts Blog on May 1, 2012. The prompt and responses from other experts can be viewed on the National Journal’s website here. It’s important to think about “what protections [for borrowers] would be needed,” if Congress made changes to the interest rates on federal student loans. Even so, it seems hardly anyone understands the protections borrowers already get under the current federal loan system. What else could explain President Obama and Mitt Romney’s mutual misunderstanding that… -
More Transparency Needed for Veterans Education Benefit Programs
3 May 2012 | 12:22 pmThis was originally posted on Higher Ed Watch's sister blog, Ed Money Watch.Every year the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) directs a huge chunk of federal spending to higher education for veterans education benefits — more than $1.7 billion in the 2009-10 school year alone. But VA education benefits are often overlooked in education policy discussions. This is largely because of a lack of transparency in the VA budget. The agency doesn’t make good accounting information readily available. On top of these opaque budgeting practices, little information is available on the effectiveness… -
The 'Small' Numbers on the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike
25 Apr 2012 | 12:39 pmYes, the interest rate on some federal student loans is set to double this July from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent unless Congress acts. And every news story and sound bite on the issue tells us the big numbers at stake. Seven million borrowers will be affected… The rate hike will cost borrowers an additional $1,000… Outstanding student loans total $1 trillion… Maintaining the lower rate will cost taxpayers $6 billion a year. But now consider the small numbers at stake, the numbers that no one is talking about.One year. That’s the number of years for which students have been able to take…
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AFLV
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What Our Communities Can Learn From The Avengers
14 May 2012 | 10:57 amFraternities and sororities have a lot to learn from the blockbuster that grossed $200 million in its opening weekend. For those of you out there who think you are allergic to all things nerdy, put your Benadryl away and buckle up. We’re not here to discuss green meatheads or gods of thunder, but the way the masterminds at Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Pictures persuaded a national audience -
Values-Based? Or Just Hypocrites?
1 May 2012 | 2:33 pm“We are hard pressed to find a setting where the risk of an alcohol related injury is more likely than from underage drinking at a university fraternity party the first week of the new college year.” Ouch. Many have been sharing the link to this article that was recently published in The Chronicle of Higher Education. The Chronicle is kind of a big deal. To put it mildly, a lot of people read -
Who hazes? Jerks, that's who.
23 Apr 2012 | 1:03 pmOnce again, we’re beside ourselves. The Alpha Epsilon Pi chapter at Boston University, albeit unrecognized by the university, was busted when police found five nearly naked men shivering in the fraternity house basement beaten and covered in condiments, flour, and coffee grounds. We’re really mad. We were really mad a few weeks ago when we posted about the Dartmouth incident. But, this -
We Heart Our Volunteers
18 Apr 2012 | 11:43 amAFLV has a small staff, but we’re able to produce and run numerous events, programs, and services. This is because of our volunteers. Fraternities and sororities have many common values; one is service to the community. Initially, most of us understand this value as serving the underrepresented and/or underprivileged. We build houses on immersion trips and with Habitat for Humanity, we volunteer -
Where is the line?
5 Apr 2012 | 10:35 amHave you read this? This article, Confessions of an Ivy League Frat Boy: Inside Dartmouth's Hazing Abuses, was recently published in Rolling Stone magazine. We just got done reading it. To be frank, we're livid. Where is the line? When is that point where you get up, head for the door, and say "Sorry, this is not worth it." We think that swimming in a kiddie pool filled with vomit, urine,
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International Higher Education Consulting Blog a project by David Comp
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Recent Developments in the Sciences here in the U.S. Impacting International Study, Research and Collaboration
15 May 2012 | 12:09 pmOn May 11th, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the expansion to the list of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) designated degree programs for eligible international students for an Optional Practical Training (OPT) extension. NAFSA: Association of International Educators has long advocated for this and released a press statement yesterday welcoming this new DHS action. NAFSA Executive Director and CEO Marlene Johnson currently serves on the Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council (HSAAC).Today, leaders from the inaugural Global Summit on… -
A Theory on Student Compatibility with a Host Family While Studying Abroad
9 May 2012 | 3:19 pmI came up with the following "theory on student comparability with a host family while studying abroad" and posted it to my Scribd page a few years ago. It should be noted that this theory is really in it's infancy stage [a sketch really] and I've not done further testing/research on it. Perhaps after my dissertation I'll dig it up and mess with it but for now it is just out there for critique. What are your thoughts?A Theory on Students Compatibility With a Host Family While Studying Abroad by Comp, 2008 -
ACTION ALERT: Write Congress now in support of funding for exchanges in FY13!
4 May 2012 | 4:37 pmThe following IHEC Blog post is simply a copy and paste job of an Action Alert from the Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchange. Nearly 480 letters have been signed and submitted as of 4:00pm CST on Friday, May 4. @AllianceExchnge is reporting via Twitter that the House Appropriations will mark up next Wednesday, May 10th so please consider taking action! I wrote my representatives!The House Appropriations State-Foreign Operations Subcommittee (which funds State Department exchange programs) will consider funding for FY 2013 as early as next week,… -
International Research and Review: Journal of Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars
2 May 2012 | 10:38 amIn this IHEC Blog post I thought I would inform readers that the Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars has started publishing their journal again in the form of International Research and Review: Journal of Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars. If you have not heard of Phi Beta Delta before you can learn more via their website and, if you are on a university or college campus, consider forming your own institutional chapter (currently in eight countries)! I think IHEC Blog readers will find Phi Beta Delta to be a great organization and… -
How Long Between Posts Should a Blog be Listed on International Education Blogs & News?
1 May 2012 | 11:03 amI've been wanting to edit and enhance my International Education Blogs & News site for some time. I came up with the idea for this site on my flight home from the Forum on Education Abroad conference in Portland in 2009 and while a few modifications have been made over the years these have been limited. One of my first tasks is to clean up the blog feed and to remove those blogs listed that are no longer contributing to the discussion in the field. So, I created a brief poll below to elicit feedback from IHEC Blog readers (and hopefully International Education Blogs & News…
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transnational meanderer -- like a stream in the world
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Outcomes-based models and methods in Higher Education
21 Apr 2012 | 9:51 pm“Some sort of outcomes-based methodologies are inevitable for likely all of public higher ed,” said Michael L. Reeser, the system’s chancellor. “We thought we’d be the first.” That quote (in this article) reminded me of something upon which I’ve long inisisted: U. S. colleges and universities are not built to compete, and some are downright [...] -
Healing
2 Apr 2012 | 11:27 pmThings are improving! Recently I had my first post-surgery x-rays. It is really weird seeing all the holes and spaces that must mend. I am gaining strength daily; I’ll be wearing my “Forrest Gump” boot for years, perhaps forever, but the infection is under control, and I still have my leg! Thanks to everyone for [...] -
Finding a job in hard times
2 Apr 2012 | 11:18 pmIn a response to many people complaining about not being able to find a job in higher education: The original thread on LinkedIn Lots of interesting comments on this thread, from its inception. Particularly enjoyed Mr. F. Cosgrove’s perspective and insight in recent days. The reality is that this is a time which the [...] -
Hubris breeds false comfort in the United States
16 Feb 2012 | 5:12 pmGary Shilling granted an interview, in which he listed five parts of what “needs to happen in order for China to take over the world.” His assumptions are that China must “catch and pass” the United States of America. His comments are antiquated, ignorant, out-of-touch, and arrogant. I will respond to each of his points [...] -
A New Beginning
11 Feb 2012 | 2:23 pmAfter 25 plus years, I finally had this hardware removed on Feb 1, 2012. I currently have a six-week “no-weight-bearing” restriction, but the pain from the surgery is improving. Now, what do I do with the pictured metal? One friend suggested that I frame it; another suggested that I melt it all into a [...]
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Hank Nuwer: Hazing Prevention
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Sun-Sentinel: Aaron Golson and the Bria Hunter band beating at Florida A & M
15 May 2012 | 5:56 amLink Golson’s lawyer wants him to take very minor responsibility. Excerpt: Defense lawyer Craig J. Brown said Golson, 19, will enter a plea to a misdemeanor hazing offense Thursday in Circuit Court… although he will still deny that he struck Bria Hunter, 18, as campus police claim. -
No drumroll for one year at FAMU
15 May 2012 | 5:52 amLinkt: http://www.freep.com/article/20120515/NEWS07/205150366/FAMU-band-s-suspension-after-hazing-death-to-be-extended excerpt follows TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida A&M University’s famed marching band is being suspended for at least one more school year as officials try to cleanse the hazing culture that led to the death of a drum major, the school’s president said Monday. FAMU President James Ammons said the Marching 100 should stay [...] -
Cheerleader allegations rock North Ogden high school
15 May 2012 | 4:48 amHere is the story link “OGDEN — Nine Ogden High School senior cheerleaders have been suspended for hazing incoming cheerleaders. Several other students are also being i…“ -
San Diego State’s Barzeen Barzanji dies — from Sigma Alpha Epsilon, but at another house
12 May 2012 | 4:19 amUnder investigation: another Sigma Alpha Epsilon death (San Diego State’s Barzeen Barzanji), which has occurred after the undergraduate members rejected a measure that would require chapters to be dry following a previous death at Cornell. http://www.phikaps.org/news/89893/Updated-Statement-Regarding-the-Death-of-a-Student.htm Details -
Dr. Julian White’s career as band legend ends on a sour note due to hazing scandal at FAMU
11 May 2012 | 4:31 amFAMU in news: excerpt from the Sentinel article by Denise Balona: “By Denise-Marie Balona, Orlando Sentinel Florida A&M University band director Julian White, who has been under intense criticism since the hazing death of drum major Robert Champion in Orlando last fall, retired unexpectedly Thursday amid more troubling revelations about the embattled Marching 100 band. [...]
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lindsayinprogress.wordpress.com
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#sagrad blog
7 May 2012 | 7:49 pmYou probably have no idea what #sagrad means. Well, just so we’re all on the same page, #sagrad is the official Twitter hashtag for those of us grad students who are studying student affairs, or college student personnel, higher education administration, or whatever else they’re calling these programs these days (sa standing for “student affairs”). We have our own little online community! In any case, my cohort of 12 #sagrad classmates and I are keeping a blog this summer that will follow us at our various internships across the country world. We’ve got people… -
Jane Austen goes 21st Century
3 May 2012 | 4:16 pmSo if you follow me on Twitter or are friends with me on Facebook, you might have seen me post some links to my new favorite thing. But in case you aren’t or don’t, I will now tell you about it here! My new favorite thing is… The Lizzie Bennet Diaries I’ve been a fan of web series since Dorm Life (another one of my faves and a must see for ResLifers and #sagrads and #sapros alike), but this one combines so many things I love! Jane Austen, social media, and Hank Green! I wrote a blog post mentioning how much I love the Green brothers a while back, but I swear… -
Pretty flowers, pretty girls
2 May 2012 | 10:00 amSo remember a few weeks back when I posted about how great Texas springs are? About how beautiful the wild flowers are? And how I didn’t have any actual real-life photos to show you? Well, now I do! I had two photo shoots in the wildflowers this spring: one with my homegroup (aka my CStat family) and one with my roommates (aka my CStat sisters)! Take a look! All of the photos were snapped by our dear friend, Blanche. You should definitely check out her stuff. The homegroup photos were taken on my friend Barclay‘s camera, and he edited those. Blanche edited the roommate photos. -
Travel Tuesday: National Parks
1 May 2012 | 10:00 amI’m linking up again with Megan‘s Travel Tuesday party! I decided to join this week again because I have a special heart for this week’s prompt: Which is your favorite national park? What are your favorite activities to do in a national park? Now, the thing is… I’m pretty sure I’ve only ever been to one national park. But that national park had a huge impact on my life! And that national park is… Rocky Mountain National Park Estes Park, Colorado During the summer of 2010, I moved to Estes Park, Colorado to work at the YMCA of the Rockies through a… -
Milan Monday: 2 weeks to go!
30 Apr 2012 | 10:00 amYou can read all of my Milan Monday posts here. Well, we’re in the home stretch! Less than 2 weeks to go until I’m in Milan. Crazy. I recently found out I will be leading worship half of the time we’re in Italy for our daily “homegroup” times with the team. The other half of the time my teammate Karla will be leading. It’s crazy to think about how far God has taken me through worship in the past year. I remember one of the last few canvas groups I planned last spring, I lead worship because Amanda couldn’t. I was so incredibly nervous. My fingers…
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Higher Ed Career Coach
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Podcast: Why Educators Need to Get LinkedIn
11 May 2012 | 7:45 amThink LinkedIn is a waste of time? When you work in Higher Education, it’s tempting to dismiss some of the conventional wisdom about social networking. If you’ve heard (or said) any of the following, then listen to today’s show. In higher ed, it’s always about what you know, not who you know. I’ve already got tenure (or a great job). I don’t need to worry about networking. LinkedIn doesn’t really do anything. I don’t need another place to post my CV. IT’s on my website and I can e-mail it to anyone who wants it. “I don’t know anyone who uses… -
Take 5: Getting Off to a Good Start in Your New Job
9 May 2012 | 7:45 amCongratulations! All the time and energy you spent, and all the venting sessions your friends and family have endured are behind you. You have finally landed that new job! Your first order of business: Take a week to decompress from the job search and to check items off your personal to-do list so that you can begin your new job with a clear mind! Then, Get to Work! When you’re a new employee, there’s a lot to take in: Campus culture, Learning names and faces, Figuring out where various offices are on campus, Exploring your role in your department and your specific duties… -
LinkedIn Calendar in IOS App Brings Social Network Intelligence Into Your Schedule
7 May 2012 | 1:43 pmLinkedIn rolled out a new feature the other day, and somehow I missed it until yesterday, when I was using it on my iPhone. It asked me if I wanted to activate the new calendar feature so I could find out more about the people I’m meeting with this week. This is a great enhancement to the app, and something I hope they integrate into the web version soon. The move is also the latest proof that we have moved beyond the era of simple social networking and solidly into the era of social network intelligence, where the average user can take advantage of the vast data mines we so happily… -
Podcast: 7 Points to a Winning Resume
4 May 2012 | 7:20 amYour resume gets you in the door. Or it doesn’t. It won’t get you a job. Its role is to get you noticed. In this week’s episode off the Higher Ed Career Coach Show on BlogTalkRadio, I’ll be talking about the art and science of resume writing, and give an overview of the 7 points included in my recent e-book. We’ll also discuss ATS (Automatic Text Screener) programs, and some tools and tips for getting a handle on the challenge of writing a keyword-rich resume. I will also take calls from those with questions about resumes, and will give a brief overview of some… -
Take 5: Budgeting Tips For the First Few Months in Your New Job
3 May 2012 | 10:45 amNow that you’ve landed that new job, how do you go about figuring out how to pay your bills without falling prey to the trap of “lifestyle inflation?” How do you figure out how to save the extra money you’re making now that you weren’t used to having in your budget before? And how do you update your work wardrobe without breaking the bank? We’ve gathered some links to answer all of these budgeting questions and then some! Creating a Professional Wardrobe for a New Job on a Budget – Emily Harmon, Yahoo Voices Make the Most of Your Paycheck from Your First Job – Jeremy…
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The Dean's List
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Fourth Annual: The Year in Review - 2011-2012
23 Apr 2012 | 5:05 pmPersonally, I will always remember this as the year of the dog (see The Dog Jurgens, above). As always, one can never anticipate in August what will transpire in the year ahead. So here it is, a review of the hits, misses, and unexpected that happened over the past academic year. This is the 200th post of The Dean's List blog. Seems appropriate to be the last post of the academic year before (more or less) shutting it (the blog) down heading into the summer. Top Stories1. CSINot a crime show, but the opening of the new Center for Science and Innovation opened amid rave reviews in January. -
Grieving Yolanda
30 Mar 2012 | 9:43 amToday, Yolanda Rengel, serving our students with love and care.When a student emailed me last weekend about the death of ARAMARK worker Yolanda I was shocked. Shock gave way, quickly, to confusion: WHICH Yolanda? I emailed back but never received a response. Nor did I hear from my ARAMARK contact who was out-of-town. You can't grieve someone who has a 50% chance of being alive. You can grieve two people halfway though, which is what I did. I was in the dubious position of pulling for each of the two Yolanda's to be alive. It was a lose-lose situation.The lovely Yolanda Hernandez passed away… -
Over time
15 Mar 2012 | 4:34 pmTrinity was recognized in 1998 for 10 Spurs NightsI was probably more forlorn about receiving this hard copy anonymous letter than I should have been. So I did what any mature person would do. (No, I didn't let it go.) I posted it on my Dean of Students Facebook page. I think the writer assumed I wasn't sitting with students at the Res Life sponsored Trinity Night at the Spurs game. Or should have made more tickets available. I actually didn't attend as the tickets sold out before I could buy mine.I have a deep connection to the Trinity Night at the Spurs program, as I started it in 1989 -… -
Parked in Neutral: Does Anyone Care?
21 Feb 2012 | 4:51 pmI am not in charge of parking. And frankly, I have never wanted to write about it. But when students are unhappy about things I do want them to come to me. This year I have heard from more students with parking concerns than in the past. This may be because of the limited parking to construction. It may also be because we stopped notifying students in the fall when we hosted community events - and the associated parking - on campus. That was done to reduce email clutter, but we have since resumed notifying students. But there doesn't seem to be any particularly good place to complain about… -
WWPD?
12 Feb 2012 | 9:12 amPaige. What would she do? I was already starting to get a little uncomfortable with the ease of the off-color language at the recent Senior Roast. Then I saw Paige, a sophomore I know well, two people over. From what I know of her, I would assume she is more conservative with her language. But if she were at the microphone, would she talk this way? Would it be so natural and acceptable as it seemed to the roasters and the crowd? After all, the two ladies at the microphone seemed like Paige to me too. I had mostly seen them singing with the Acabellas, including many sweet songs, including…
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Student Affairs: Farm League
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“What’s next?”
26 Apr 2012 | 8:08 amLately I can’t help but ask myself what my “next big thing” will be in my personal and professional life. I feel really good about where I’m headed, but as my graduate program and assistantship in Aggieland both draw to a close, there is an ever-increasing impatience to “get started” on the next step. I certainly have learned a lot in my graduate program, equipped with the knowledge and skills that coursework and practical experiences provide, along with the challenges, rewards, and self-exploration that come with moving across the country to a… -
KONY 2012 – Online Activism in Action
19 Mar 2012 | 8:53 pmIt is not uncommon to visit this site and read about my focus on, or interest in, utilizing social media tools for social change, and this post bears no exception. Unfortunately, while the example that I bring forward this time is perhaps one of the most widespread example that we have seen, the ethics and motivation behind it remain questionable. With more than 76 million views on Youtube and 16 million views on Vimeo, there is no doubt that it gained traction, and quickly. Nearly 60% of those between the ages of 18-29 hearing about the story, and over a third hearing about it online (find… -
#GKNASPA12 Proposal
20 Feb 2012 | 7:48 pm -
Online Advocacy: A Call to Action from “Waitin’ on the World to Change”
9 Feb 2012 | 11:56 amAs a student affairs professional, I recognize that my contact with students provides me with both an opportunity and a responsibility to aspire to influence them in meaningful ways. Increasingly, my growing interests in advocacy, citizenship, and social media have collided and evolved into a focus on research and encouraging conversations about using social media to advocate for positive change. I believe that this subject is not only the next step for this generation regarding their evolved form of citizenship, but it also opens important dialogues regarding the opportunities and… -
Leading by Example (Through Experience)
25 Jan 2012 | 11:10 pmAfter an exciting announcement last week about my plans for the future, I’m excited to say that today I’m heading to the University of Southern California for my first on-site experience with the domestic exchange program I described in my previous post (read more about the program and some of the press it has received here and here). I will be joining a group of Kennesaw State students and staff members in visiting their partner at USC, learning about the social issue that they’ve been studying (homelessness), and visiting some of the “key players” related…
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Student Affairs Explorer
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Photo Friday: Churchill Downs #ACPA12
4 May 2012 | 10:32 amI already shared with you pictures of downtown Louisville from my recent trip to #ACPA12. On Sunday afternoon before the conference was in full swing, Steph and I ventured over to Churchill Downs. Churchill Downs is the racetrack for the Kentucky Derby horse race. There’s a museum about the Kentucky Derby and will admission to the museum, there is a short walking tour of the Churchill Downs grounds. This outing was fun. Without further ado, here are my pictures from Churchill Downs. The entry gates for Churchill Downs Statue of Barbaro outside the entry gates Me. Inside the museum We… -
Happy Birthday Mom!
3 May 2012 | 9:10 amI just wanted to take a quick moment to wish a very Happy Birthday to my mom! She’s a fantastic lady and I wouldn’t be where I am today without her. My mom & I at the beginning of my freshman year at UW-Eau Claire. Me with my parents at graduation for my Master’s degree from UW-Whitewater. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! -
Working on My To-Do List
2 May 2012 | 9:04 amLast week for my birthday I declared my goals of the 29 things I want to accomplish while I’m 29. Good news, I’m working on it already!! I made the executive decision that the few days of April after my birthday, would count as the month of May. To celebrate my birthday, I drove down to the Twin Cities for a birthday weekend extravaganza with my friend Carissa who was celebrating a birthday on Sunday. On Saturday, we met up with a few other people and strolled around Ikea and the Mall of America for the entire day. So much fun! While at MOA, we had dinner at a restaurant called… -
29 for 29
26 Apr 2012 | 9:01 amI’m turning 29 today. I’m excited to celebrate and at the same time it’s a little sad to be entering the final year of my 20s. I’ve decided to tackle my 29th year by putting together a list of 29 things I’d like to accomplish during the year. I’ll be adding a tab at the top of the blog so that you can check in with my progress at any point during the year. I will be putting together a little legend so you can see which items are completed, in progress, or yet to be started. I imagine I’ll be blogging about each thing as I complete it. Without a… -
Seeing the U.S.A
25 Apr 2012 | 8:37 amLast week I added the following quote by Anthony Bourdain to the top of my Travels page, Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life – and travel – leaves marks on you. As soon as I read this quote, I fell in love with it. I’ve felt for some time that traveling (even just to check out a new hiking trail) has a profound affect on me. Any amount of time in a new environment will change you, even if just a little bit. Recently, I saw a post on Facebook estimating that the…
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Trains & Sunsets
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Here’s Lookin at You, Kid
15 May 2012 | 12:41 amI have one month left inamy temporary role as a part-time commuter grad student. I’m getting into the swing of a job in which my actions matter and the knowledge I bring to the table is valued. The road here was full of some crazy twists and turns (to paraphrase tonight’s HIMYM). In a way, it all makes sense. (Again, HIMYM.) (Oh, and… don’t worry–I was off the clock when I snapped this self-portrait.) -
Could Have, Should Have, Still Not Gonna.
13 May 2012 | 12:30 pmI should be working on homework. I should be taking a shower. I should be unpacking my room. Instead, I’m basking in the goodness of this weekend so far. There’s been sunshine and warmth (a treat for the Pacific Northwest), an amazing concert, some quality eats, and lots of really great people. On Friday night, I had the chance to watch Death Cab for Cutie for what was probably the sixth time. They played with the Magik*Magik Orchestra, giving another layer of wonderful to the already gorgeous feel the music projects. Everything about the concert was fantastic, from the feel and… -
Like Eating Glass
10 May 2012 | 12:23 amI want to be in bed right now, I really do. However, even after a good day at work, a lovely yoga session, and a home-cooked meal, I feel off. Maybe it’s the cynic in me. Maybe it’s seeing, once again, that even in my own beloved (and imperfect–yes, deal with it) country, bigotry wins again. And dare I say that it wins again with the Christian Bible as its foundation. I get the moral codes. I get that personal beliefs translate into community beliefs, and that these beliefs can form the foundation of a strong and loving society. But right now I am frustrated by the inability… -
Looking Back to Look Forward
5 May 2012 | 1:07 amWhen I go home at night, I go home to an empty apartment. It’s full of stuff, and if I had the motivation, I swear I would throw most of it away. An unfinished scrapbook. Language books, of which I’ve only read the first chapter. Presents to be sent off. Piles of laundry. An empty suitcase. Unread GRE study guides… Ardith Laverne – July 6th, 2009 – I’m Back That was nearly three years ago. My heart aches when I think about how scared and alone I was. I panic, wondering if it’s cyclical, if what appears to be an upswing is just a fluke. But then again, I am… -
The Newbie
3 May 2012 | 9:30 pm#SAchat focused on how to make new staff members feel welcome at their jobs this week. Since I was working at my new job during the chat, I chimed in with my own thoughts just a few times. One question addressed what has been done to make you feel welcome as a new member. With 140 characters and a crunch for time, I mentioned the call I got from my director and the training scavenger hunt I did. A few people said they would feel overwhelmed by the process, but I tried to hastily explain, “No, no, no! It was perfect for my new college setting! And I loved it! Ack!” given the…
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The Road Less Traveled<br /> - Blog
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Reflections for the Future...my WISA KC blog contribution.
2 May 2012 | 10:43 pmI wrote a blog post for the WISA Knowledge Community ( http://wisakc.wordpress.com/) and wanted to share it on my blog as well... “Reflections for the Future” by Kristen RothfeldReflection can be a constructive tool in finding lessons learned from positive and negative professional experiences. No matter the situation, there is always some kind of take away, a snippet of wisdom to be used in future events. I received a journal from a good friend on the day the on-campus interview that led to the job offer for the position I am currently employed. Since receiving… -
Kill 'em with your Smile
11 Apr 2012 | 7:00 amI have been trying a new outlook on life this week...staying positive. This all came around after a particularly nasty week at work and a lesson on how (not) to deal with stress. So after reflecting upon last week, I made a promise to myself for this week-to maintain a positive attitude and keep a smile on my face. They say, no matter the situation, having a smile on your face makes you sound more pleasant and relaxed. I have found this fact to be true. There are always challenging situations while putting on an on-campus program, but when you greet each day with… -
Job Search Reflection #1
7 Jan 2012 | 10:42 am_Between my own crazy thoughts and conversations with friends and colleagues, I've decided I am going to do a small series of blog posts reflecting on my job search. The topics may be covering a wide range. The posts may help #sagrads that are currently searching or it could just turn into a fun project a few people read. It gives me the opportunity to look back on a crazy ride and learn from all of the ups and downs.The following passage was written in a down period of my search. I was working a temporary position at my undergraduate institution as an admissions… -
Old Meets New-Again
3 Dec 2011 | 10:15 am_For one reason or another, I have almost always been more mature than my age. Maybe it is because of my year in school and being in a grade younger than most students my age. It could be some of the experiences I've been through in my life. It might be the fact that I am the only child. Whatever the reason, I have always gotten along better with people who are older than I. Now, don't get me wrong, some of my best friends are younger than I (either by a few months or a few years), but during my graduate program, I was closest with my classmates who were in the… -
Who Would Have Thought...
2 Dec 2011 | 11:43 amThe way this year has gone, I cannot think of the stupidest thing I have done this year. So I'll create a list:I cried too muchI didn't laugh enough.I should have spent more time with family (including expanded Michigan family).I should have taken more time for myself.I didn't do enough exploring (road trip!).And the lyrics from P!nk's Perfect sums up how I survived this year:"Made a wrong turn once or twice...Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood Miss 'No way, it's all good' It didn't slow me down. Mistaken, always second guessing Underestimated, look I'm still around"#ReverbBroad11…
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A Woman Out There
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Introduction to Julep Maven
11 May 2012 | 10:58 amMy new fascination with monthly subscription services brought me to Julep Maven. I couldn’t resist the chance to try out my first month for just $0.01 (using the code PENNY at check out)! I took the survey and was categorized as “Boho Glam.” I was presently surprised at how quickly I received my introductory shipment (in all fairness I live in Oregon and the boxes ship from Seatle, WA). The packaging was cute and included a set of toe separators. The polish was shipped in bubble wrap which I appreciate. The package included a travel sized tube of The Best Pedi Cream Ever! -
Jen Lancaster
10 May 2012 | 2:29 amLast night I attended my first book reading. Fortunately the author was none other than my favorite female (or male for that matter) memoirist, Jennifer Lancaster! She is currently on tour promoting her newest memoire Jeneration X: One Reluctant Adult’s Attempt to Unarrest Her Arrested Development, or Why It’s Never Too Late for Her Dumb Ass to Learn Why Froot Loops Are Not for Dinner. Having never been to one of these events, I was, of course, nervous and socially anxious. My anxiety quieted down after I found a seat, complete with a “cheat sheet” for the evening. I… -
May Birchbox
9 May 2012 | 5:29 pmUPDATE: 5/10, Tried the BB cream! Scroll down for review. My first Birchbox arrived yesterday! I’m very excited to be a subscriber because I’ve heard so many good things. So far, I’m not disappointed. First off, the packaging is lovely. It may be a little excessive, especially in terms of conservation, but the colors made the box really “pop” and the excessive tissue made everything feel very luxurious. I received one of the “Chic Sunday Brunch” boxes. Honestly, I’m not a watcher of Gossip Girl, but I appreciating the attempt to create an…
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Bryce E Hughes Blog
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White Privilege and NASPA 2012
12 May 2012 | 12:22 amAs I mentioned in my previous post about supporting undocumented students, I wanted to write about my experience attending NASPA in Arizona. Back in 2010, Arizona passed SB 1070, also known as the "papers, please" law, which allows local law enforcement to detain anyone for whom they have "reasonable suspicion" the person may be an undocumented immigrant. In a nation whose public debate over immigration is highly racialized, it's not difficult to imagine the impact of using "reasonable suspicion" in determining who may be undocumented and who most likely is not. This article at the Huffington… -
Safe Spaces for DREAMers
13 Apr 2012 | 11:43 amA criticism of Safe Space (or Safe Zone) programs that has always gotten on my nerves is the question, "But why just the LGBTQ community? Don't we want our campus to be safe for all people?" Don't get me wrong, I don't disagree with the sentiment of the person asking me the question, though it does make me question how the speaker feels about programs explicitly focusing on the needs of LGBTQ students (or any other social identity group, for that matter). Yet it has also given me pause as to why I feel so strongly that Safe Space programs remain structured as they are and not be watered… -
#SAchat as Scholarship
7 Apr 2012 | 8:45 pmJoe Ginese recently posted about some of the more troubling aspects of the conference attendance experience. Mainly, much of his concern revolved around questioning just how much professionals attending national conferences (mainly NASPA and ACPA) gain professional development from these experiences. The conference experience is worthwhile, he argued, but how much of it revolves around finding ideas to bring back to our campuses rather than fostering an environment which encourages new ideas to transform our work and our profession?In that sense, he concluded that attending national… -
Slacktivists Can Change the World
7 Apr 2012 | 1:22 amI was thrilled to finally participate in #MSAchat for my first time this past Tuesday. #MSAchat is a specific hour on Twitter where people involved in Multicultural Student Affairs gather on Twitter to discuss a topic currently being faced by this particular functional area within Student Affairs. This past Tuesday we discussed campus reactions to the tragedy of Trayvon Martin which had made the news recently, and following this chat a conversation regarding "slacktivism" has continued, which prompted this post.I remember as a college student being involved in many causes aimed at raising my… -
What story would you tell?
26 Mar 2012 | 9:58 pmWhat were some of the stories you were told when you were in college? I remember at my alma mater, Gonzaga University, everyone knew of our most famous alumnus (who actually never finished his program). Bing Crosby, who later received an honorary degree from the university, and who donated the money to build a library which was later converted into the student center but still bears his name, had grown up in Spokane, WA, and attended both Gonzaga High School and Gonzaga University. In reality, his passion for acting and music was inversely related to his interest in education and led to his…
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Somewhere in the Middle
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It Made a Difference for This One
15 May 2012 | 11:47 amThe past few weeks have been crazy to say the least. I sat in my last undergraduate class. I wrote my last paper as an undergraduate student. I worked my last hours in Student Leadership and Service. I cried my eyes out at Class Day. I proudly hugged Dr. Allen as I accepted my diploma. I became a Meredith Alumna. I boarded a bus the morning after graduation and headed to Fort Caswell for LeaderShape. I saw the state I love write discrimination into its constitution I watched a group of 36 Meredith students grow and develop and enter into a community of 437 Meredith LeaderShape graduates. -
So If You Care to Find Me, Look Towards the Western Sky
18 Apr 2012 | 9:42 pmDefying Gravity is one of my all time favorite songs from one of my all time favorite musicals. So many circumstances (and people) in my life have told me over and over again that I shouldn’t go to college, I shouldn’t stay in college or get a degree in Religious and Ethical Studies, and I surely should go to grad school for something as “trivial” as College Student Development. Well, if you care to find me next fall, (and you’re in NC), you can look towards the western sky. I have been accepted and offered an assistantship to Appalachian State University and I… -
Daily Struggles
13 Mar 2012 | 10:36 pmIt takes courage to grow up and become who you really are – e.e. cummings I wake up every morning and pray to be someone different than I am. There are some days that life is easier than others. But other days it’s a struggle to just exist as a human being and not feel degraded by the voices of those around me and even the voices of people who love me. I also feel powerless to speak up to defend myself because it requires me to reveal the true me; the me I’ve discovered a while back, but until recently I’ve refused to acknowledge. At my weakest moments I had pondered… -
To Accomplish Without Being Conspicuous
19 Feb 2012 | 2:35 amI’ve survived my first graduate school interview days. To be honest, it’s hard to believe that my time to visit Miami University has come and gone. My first trip ever to the state that is the birthplace of flight was quite enjoyable, but not without its, um, special moments. The three days were an emotional roller coaster. From excitement to worry to sadness to happiness to nervous to contentedness to startstruckeness (that is now officially a word in the JLP dictionary), questions and conversations brought out different sides of who I am as an individual and helped in showing the… -
Who Are You???
24 Jan 2012 | 9:47 pm“Who are you?” said the Caterpillar. This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, “I – I hardly know, sir, just at present…” Oh, Alice. As I was reminded at Meredith College’s once-in-a-generation faculty and staff production of Alice in Wonderland, “I am Alice; You are Alice; We each are Alice.” We each have our own adventure that is just as strange as this world we live in. And while Alice did change quite frequently in size during her time in wonderland, she also changed as an individual. The…
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On the Verge, Finding the Words
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On the Verge.
20 Apr 2012 | 10:15 amI'm graduating in a week.*deep breath*In one week, I will have obtained my Master's degree from The Florida State University.I'll be honest, I'm having a lot of trouble writing this entry, because I truly don't know how to feel. I'm excited that I will have a break from 20 consecutive years of schooling (I love the learning, but the homework? Not so much). I'm excited to celebrate two years of hard work with my fellow Higher Education grads. I'm excited to see my family for the first time since Christmas, and to introduce them to everyone (it's not like I don't talk about them enough), and to… -
Reflections on the 2012 Dalton Institute
10 Feb 2012 | 10:53 amIt's rare to find institutions of higher education that host their own nationally-renowned conferences; it's even more rare that these conferences are specific to higher education itself. I feel very lucky to be getting my master's degree at such an institution, Florida State, that hosts such a conference, the Jon C. Dalton Institute on College Student Values. I feel even more lucky that the conference's main focus is as the name implies—finding ways to encourage college students to be ethical and thoughtful leaders who live by their values. Values… -
The Job Search 2: Surprises Abound
24 Jan 2012 | 2:56 pmThe last time you checked in with me about the job search, I was struggling to write my first cover letter. I still maintain that cover letters are challenging, but thankfully, I have the support of supervisors, colleagues, and mentors who are willing to take time out of their day (heck, some even enjoy it, right Amma? :)) to revise and recommend different approaches.Current count of jobs applied for: 2 and a half (I'm in the middle of working on an application).Take a moment and celebrate with me--two jobs applied for is vastly preferable to no jobs applied for, where I was two weeks… -
Inside and Out
17 Jan 2012 | 9:36 amI've talked a lot about the idea of self-care-- the physical, the spiritual, all of it. I think taking time for yourself is one of the most important things you can do in this life, because if you don't take care of you, who will?This semester, on the verge of innumerable potential life changes, I've discovered that I really do care about taking care of myself. I want to be healthy in every way, because feeling better about myself means that I can contribute in a more positive way to those around me. It may sound cliche, but it's true--on the days when I've spent time taking care of myself, I… -
The Job Search 1: Me vs. the Cover Letter
10 Jan 2012 | 10:09 amWhen it comes to the job search, I know what I want.At least, I thinkI know what I want.When I'm on HigherEdJobs.com, I'm easily able to cull through the possibilities, so that's a plus. "Yeah, I think I could do that… hmm, maybe not in Alaska… Oh, here's one in Boston! Wait, doing development? Nope. MY UNDERGRAD IS HIRING—no, that's not for me either... THERE. Right there. Good location, good school. Save…to…organizer. Done!"And at this point, I have ten different jobs in my organizer. I'm on a roll, right?Maybe not. Because, you see, there's this tiny little…
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Feeling and Thinking
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At Home
11 May 2012 | 11:00 pmI am feeling at home here, especially over the last several weeks. So incredibly blessed and lucky to be living this life. :) -
Millennials and Technology
1 May 2012 | 9:02 amCourtesy of: Online Schools -
politicalprof: Who controls what? Because some company pretty...
30 Apr 2012 | 8:55 ampoliticalprof: Who controls what? Because some company pretty much owns some other company, all the way down … From the Huffington Post. ht: ALR -
Photo
26 Apr 2012 | 5:25 pm -
"Growing up happens in a heartbeat. One day you’re in diapers, the next day you’re gone...."
1 Apr 2012 | 1:32 pm“Growing up happens in a heartbeat. One day you’re in diapers, the next day you’re gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul. I remember a place, a town, a house, like a lot of houses. A yard like a lot of other yards. On a street like a lot of other streets. And the thing is, after all these years, I still look back…with wonder.” - The Wonder Years
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WISA
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“Pace and Perspective: Lessons Learned on the Go” by Robyn Kaplan
9 May 2012 | 8:01 amSpring in Student Affairs… we all have a definition of what that means. Regardless of your role or institution your calendar is more than likely filled with preparations for banquets, transitions, year-end reports, and summer projects. It is an extremely busy time and if you’re anything like me, sometimes the hectic environment does not stay at the office. Let me explain… Living in Queens, New York, or mini-Manhattan as some like to refer to it, I have a reverse commute into Long Island where I work at Hofstra University. Honestly, the commute is a welcome change to my 5+ years of… -
The Importance of Compassion: On How I Came to Do Me(n’s) Work by Feminist Friday Guest Blogger, Eric Mata
4 May 2012 | 9:23 amI recently gave a TEDx talk which was hosted by some students at DePaul University. It had been fascinated by TED talks for quite some time and had often wondered what I would talk about. So when the ask came, I spent a lot of time pondering different ideas. TED talks are supposed to be ideas that are worth spreading. Ideas worth spreading. I spent some time reflecting on this. In fact, I almost spent too much time and finished my notes for the talk just two days beforehand! I knew early on that I wanted my talk to be called Against Me(n). The “staging” of the title is intentional. The… -
“The Day I Wore Jeans to Work” by Amy Jorgensen
2 May 2012 | 8:47 amI believe that “you dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” Personal branding has been an increasingly popular topic over the past couple of years. We are encouraged to be aware of how we are marketing ourselves through our communication efforts, web presence, and physical appearance – and how these factors can help dictate future success. The physical appearance factor has been controversial in student affairs as we debate the importance of professionalism and personal branding verses creating a more inviting and less intimidating environment for our student population. -
“Earning Your Cutie Mark” by Feminist Friday Guest Blogger, Matthew Musgrave
27 Apr 2012 | 8:44 amOkay, so before I introduce myself or go any further with this blog, it’s time I confess something – I’m a brony. Yes, I am a 29 year-old man who is a fan of the television series My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Usually when I talk about this, I get a lot of strange looks from students and other student affairs professionals alike. But I feel like here in the WISA community, I can talk about that without fear of it being “anti-masculine.” Not that I’m typically worried about that… For those who aren’t familiar with the term, “brony” is a portmanteau of the words… -
“Reflections for the Future” by Kristen Rothfeld
25 Apr 2012 | 8:12 amReflection can be a constructive tool in finding lessons learned from positive and negative professional experiences. No matter the situation, there is always some kind of take away, a snippet of wisdom to be used in future events. I received a journal from a good friend on the day the on-campus interview that led to the job offer for the position I am currently employed. Since receiving the journal, I have tried to write at least once a week. The entries originally started as sentences and paragraphs with a purpose and meaning. As time goes on and life gets busy, sometimes the entries are…
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Livin' Loyno
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Need some help for finals? Ask and ye shall receive.
4 May 2012 | 2:01 amI’m writing this blog post from a cozy little nest my friends have built in the library for finals week. I say they built it and not we built it because for the first time in my three years at Loyola, finals week is actually pretty manageable. I’ve had papers or final projects due in every class and exams coming up, but thankfully they’ve been spread out almost perfectly so that I can write, study and most impressively; sleep. This merciful finals schedule is no miracle, I actually helped map it out to keep myself sane. Most professors have no desire to make you pull all-nighters so… -
#finals
1 May 2012 | 3:50 amIts finals week fall 2012, and I’m losing my mind. I’m not going to tell you how to use your time effectively or what foods to eat to maximize brain power. I’m not going to harp about the benefits of sleeping 7 hours a night or exercising to reduce stress. Instead, I’m going to show you what a typical night at the library looks like for me. Maybe you can learn from my mistakes. 9:03pm Walk into library. Make way to the living room area, stop and chat at a table of cute boys. 9:08 Continue walking to the back of the 1st floor, sit down at a table in the “quiet” section of the… -
Summer is here!!
29 Apr 2012 | 10:37 amFinals are coming to a close this week, and I have summer on my mind. Summer for me has always been a time to catch up on all the books I’ve wanted to read for fun, and to see all the movies I missed while I was working hard in school. I love the time to just relax and spend time doing nothing if that is what you want to do. I also use my summers to catch up on my work-outs that I let take the backseat while focusing on finishing up the semester. Summer is a great time to get in shape because you have so much free time, and the pool is a great way to burn calorie and escape the heat. -
Finals Review
29 Apr 2012 | 10:27 amFinals week is probably the most stressful week for everyone. There are a lot of tears and the anxiety in the air is almost tangible. The way I try to look at finals is that I have done the work all semester so I should be familiar with the material. Studying for the final should be nothing more than just a refresher on the things I have already learned. I find that if I have that mind set when I sit down to study I actually start to feel positive about the final. I think “this isn’t so bad, I can do this.” As long as you are putting forth the effort, finals should not be… -
Three Generations at Loyola: A Student Shares
24 Apr 2012 | 12:05 pmAt Loyola University New Orleans, a lot of people can say that Wolfpack Pride isn’t simply a feeling—it’s a way of life. For music therapy sophomore Christine Johnson, Wolfpack Pride is her life. Three generations of her family have attended Loyola, including her mother, her father, her brother, 3 of her aunts, and her grandfather. Because Loyola celebrates its centennial this year, I decided to sit down with this lovely young woman to talk about Loyola’s history and the significant place her family holds in it. Take Christine’s grandfather Edward Levy, for example, a student at…
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Jeff Lail
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Never Stop Trying
10 May 2012 | 8:19 pmI love sports, basketball in particular. Many players are tremendously gifted at a young age and fade away. The trascendent players are the ones who are gifted and then hone their skills to continue to excel even as their physical abilities fade. They develop a fade away and post moves to go with the explosive athletic plays and they dominate younger, more athletic players. They become aware that their youth can only take them so far. The realization that they’re losing a step is the force that drives them to greatness. We have a set of gifts that we’re naturally given. If… -
Politically Motivated
10 May 2012 | 3:32 pmPlaying politics isn’t about playing. Playing politics is recognizing that we all have different constituencies and interests. If we can meet on our common ground, accept the attributes that help us both, and leave the ones that don’t until the winds shift another direction, we can move forward. But we have to come to the table. We have to look each other in the eye. We can work together. All of us. Filed under: Blog Post Tagged: behavioral economics -
Asking the Wrong Question About the Future of Universities
9 May 2012 | 8:24 amWe know technology is about to have a major impact in the education space. We know education startups are aiming at education. We know we have really serious student debt problems. We know our costs are out of control. We know the government’s ability to fund education is severely limited. We know these changes are coming quickly. We know we don’t know exactly what the change looks like yet. So, what’s with all the dismissive talk about credentialing? It’s the wrong question. The right question is “what are you going to do to make yours and our… -
Moving Forward As You
8 May 2012 | 9:35 amWhen you’re struggling with identity (and isn’t every struggle kind of a struggle with identity?), it’s wise to reach out to people you respect. You’ll get plenty of opinions that will be of value. Some may even be of a lot of value. But it’s easy to get lost in it all. Make sure your voice, the still small voice within, (some would argue this is God, but whether it is or isn’t is irrelevant to me) is the loudest one in the din of noise. Make your own path and be strong in who and what you are. Filed under: Blog Post Tagged: behavioral economics -
A New World
7 May 2012 | 8:55 amOur ancestors lived in a world where you often had to move somewhere to get work. We currently live in a world where you often have to move to get work or get educated. But that’s less true than it’s ever been. I envision a future where you can get educated wherever you want to be educated (even in your own home) by the smartest people in the world, where the local community college serves as a hub of tutors and educational assistance to all of us, and where we can do many professions from wherever we choose to live. It’s a return to community, family and connectedness.
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CampusTalkBlog
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Top 10 Brain Foods that Help You Study and Get Better Grades
11 May 2012 | 5:39 pmHave you been feeding your brain lately? If you’re looking to learn how to study more efficiently or improve your mental alertness in order to achieve better grades, you may have tried all kinds of different study techniques. But did you know that simply choosing foods that fuel the brain can have a significant effect on your academic performance? It’s true—eating certain foods can improve your ability to focus, retain information, and remain mentally alert in order to get you through the most grueling of study sessions. Want to learn more? Read on for information about the top ten… -
Job hunt: Acing the phone interview in four easy steps
8 May 2012 | 2:29 pmModern technology has allowed us to communicate with one another no matter how far away we might be, which has changed the way we conduct both personal and professional interactions. But as a college student just entering, or re-entering, the workforce, don’t assume that tech-savvy will be enough to perform well in a phone interview. In the professional realm, interviewing by telephone or video conferencing is almost as common as traditional in-person interviews because it saves time and money for both parties involved. However, the unfamiliar set-up of a phone interview can often be… -
5 Ways to relieve stress and avoid final exam meltdown
2 May 2012 | 1:06 pmI’ve watched more than my share of students have complete meltdowns during final exams, from not showing up for exams, forgetting about an exam, or even crying straight through the test. I know what’s going on, and I sympathize. I’ve been there, and I made many mistakes myself during exam weeks. I’m thinking in particular of my Art History final in 1988, which I took in a haze of exhaustion and alcohol fumes left over from the previous evening’s revels—and my exam results showed that. But I’m older and wiser now, and after learning the hard way, I can offer the following… -
Turn your campus chapter into a learning organization
24 Apr 2012 | 3:22 pmAs a leader in your chapter or your campus community you are constantly looking for ways to improve your organization. You can focus on increasing community service and philanthropy, providing more leadership workshops, or focus on the academics of your organization. All of these are commendable ways to improve your organization, but what if you could do something that caused all of these things to happen as a result? Well, you can. It’s pretty simple; just turn your chapter into a learning organization. But what exactly is a learning organization? It is an organization that not only… -
There’s no hiding from full participation in your online courses
18 Apr 2012 | 1:44 pmOne of my friends once employed a desperate ruse to outsmart her professor. To avoid being called on in class when she had not read the assignment, she pretended to be sick. She covered her face with yellowish liquid make-up and smudged brown eye shadow under her eyes to simulate dark circles. That way, she figured, she would not be marked absent but could just sit in class and not be expected to participate. The ploy worked: not only did the professor not call on her, he demonstrated serious concern and alarm at her condition! After hearing this story, I vowed to always call on the…
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Student Activism
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Riot Police and Pepper Spray at Quebec Colleges Today
14 May 2012 | 9:34 amWith Quebec’s three-month student strike continuing after a massive student rejection of a government proposal on tuition policy, police have been called to at least two of the province’s campuses this morning to enforce court orders that the colleges re-open. At Collège de Rosemont in Montreal, several hundred student demonstrators were pepper-sprayed by police early this morning. Meanwhile, riot police are reported to be on standby at Collège Lionel Groulx in Blainville. At least thirty injunctions calling for campuses to re-open for classes have been issued so far. To date,… -
Same-Sex Marriage, Behind the Numbers
11 May 2012 | 12:14 pmIn all the conversation around Barack Obama’s announcement that he now supports same-sex marriage, one thing is often forgotten: just how quickly public opinion is shifting on this issue. It’s often been reported, for instance, that black Americans oppose same-sex marriage by a 49-39 margin. What’s less often mentioned is that that figure, from April of this year, represents a 27-point tightening from 2008, when 63% of blacks opposed same-sex marriage, and only 26% supported it. At that rate of change, same-sex marriage will reach plurality support late next year and… -
Quebec Student Strike Rolls On
11 May 2012 | 10:42 amStudents in the Canadian province of Quebec have overwhelmingly rejected the government’s proposal to end their three-month strike. Amid concerns that the offer did little to keep tuition rates down and claims by student negotiators that the government altered the plan without their consent, students at campus after campus have rejected the deal, leaving the provincial government and the student unions back at square one and putting the spring semester in peril. Anti-strike students at one college obtained a court injunction on Wednesday calling on their school to re-open, but when they… -
UC Berkeley Seals Off Occupied Campus Farm
11 May 2012 | 10:14 amUniversity of California administrators have been moving on several different fronts this week to end the occupation of the Gill Tract, a 15-acre experimental farm not far from the UC Berkeley campus. Activists have been occupying the farm since April 22. As one occupation organizer puts it, The University of California’s public mission as a Land Grant institution is to promote community involvement and initiatives in agriculture. Nonetheless, institutional attempts to ensure the university fulfills this promise have not been successful. It is only with the recent land occupation that the… -
Mitt Romney’s Bully Problem
11 May 2012 | 9:11 amMitt Romney has a problem. Yesterday the Washington Post reported that in 1965, when he was a high school senior, Romney organized a group of his fellow students in a physical assault on a gay classmate, John Lauber. When Lauber, who was closeted at the time, appeared on campus one spring wearing his hair longer than usual, and dyed blond, Romney reportedly put together a posse who grabbed him and held him down, screaming and crying, while Romney cut his hair with a pair of scissors. Four of Romney’s classmates confirmed the story to the Post, including one who says he participated in…
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E-Learning Queen
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Interview with Sameer Bhatia, ProProfs, E-Learning Innovations
9 May 2012 | 7:00 pmWelcome to an interview with Sameer Bhatia, founder of ProProfs, innovators in interactive elearning elements which are used in mlearning and elearning, with degrees, including online teaching degrees. 1. What is your name and your relation to elearning? I am Sameer Bhatia, the founder of ProProfs. ProProfs provides comprehensive elearning tools for building, testing and applying knowledge -
Content Management Systems and E-Learning: Thoughts, New Dimensions / Directions
8 May 2012 | 4:30 amAs mobile applications begin to be an integral part of elearning solutions, it is increasingly important to have a robust, flexible, and easy to use content management system (CMS). Not only will your CMS support the widest possible range of content types, including documents, audio, video, animation, multimedia, and web pages, it should also integrate well with other servers, databases, and -
Interview with Miguel Salinas, Adobe Youth Voices / Aspire Awards: Innovators in E-Learning Series
3 May 2012 | 11:26 amWelcome to an interview with Miguel Salinas, who has helped develop the Adobe Youth Voices program, dedicated to encouraging creativity and self-expression using high-impact media. Awards for this year will be announced on May 4: http://youthvoices.adobe.com/awards/. The program, sponsored by MTV, Dell, and Samsung, as well as Adobe, allows students, teachers, and communities develop creativity -
Build-Your-Own Flashcards: Online and Mobile Devices
17 Apr 2012 | 6:10 pmIf you want to make the most of your downtime while waiting in line, in the doctor’s office, or getting ready for an event, flashcards in on your phone or tablet can help you build your vocabulary. The nice thing about flashcards is that there are many places that allow you to build your own flashcards, as well as access ones that have been created and are being shared. If you’re interested in -
Interview with Tre Azam, Myndplay: Innovators in Education Technology Series
28 Mar 2012 | 7:57 amUsing technology that measures your brainwaves to learn how to train more effectively for sports and to deal with stress (PTSD, performance anxiety, etc.) is becoming more affordable, easy-to-use, and accessible. Welcome to an interview with Tre Azam, founder and CEO of MyndPlay, a BrainWave training and entertainment platform. 1. What is your name and your relationship to technology, including
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On the Go with Ed Cabellon
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Google+ Hangouts “On-Air”
7 May 2012 | 9:43 amGoogle Plus announced today that their “On-Air” for Hangouts feature will be going live in a few weeks. is now LIVE. I’m VERY EXCITED about this as it will change the way administrators and faculty in Higher Education will be able to deliver content. The “On-Air” feature allows you to broadcast you and up to 9 others for anyone to watch in real time. If you can’t make the broadcast live, no problem! You can also record and repost it on YouTube for those to watch on-demand, on their schedule. Since Google Plus Hangouts come embedded with many… -
Leveraging Cloud Technology to Increase Efficiency
24 Apr 2012 | 7:30 amOne of the reasons I have always been drawn to technology is its ability to increase work efficiency when leveraged properly. While traveling in March to Austin, Boston, and Louisville, a common conversation I had was how I used cloud technology in my daily work to keep up with everything I was expected to do. Here are some quick ideas that you can implement today, with some others you may deem as summer projects 1. Storage It’s time to shift your computer “storage” paradigm into one that includes saving files to the cloud (unless it contains personal information, of… -
March Magic: Reflections on ACPA 2012
11 Apr 2012 | 7:45 amIn my last installment of “March Magic” this week, I wanted share my reflections on the 2012 ACPA Convention in Louisville, where I continued my role as ACPA 2013 Technology Chair, presented on Social Media Tools as part of an Institute, and reconnected with friends that I met on Twitter and in living color just three short years ago. What a great end to a month filled with magic This was the fourth ACPA Convention I had been to (2000 in DC, 2010 in Boston, 2011 in Baltimore) and I’ve enjoyed the opportunities to network and learn from a wide range of Student Affairs and… -
March Magic: Reflections on ACUI 2012
10 Apr 2012 | 7:30 amYesterday, I wrote about the magic at SXSWedu and SXSWi. Today, I wanted to share the magic about what happened in Boston at the 2012 ACUI Annual Conference, as 18 months of hard work from our fantastic team finally came together! I started working on the 2012 ACUI Annual Conference in the Fall of 2010 when I got a call from John Taylor, Michelle Smith, and Zach Wahlquist inviting me to be part of the team as Host Chair. While I had a wonderful experience serving on the 2005 ACUI Conference Program Team in Reno, NV, I can honestly say that this was the most rewarding ACUI volunteer… -
March Magic: Reflections on SXSWedu & SXSWi
9 Apr 2012 | 7:39 amIt has been over a month since my last blog post, so I feel like I’ve been slacking! I have so much to share with you all and simply not enough time to write. With over 6,000 miles of travel last month, I have been quite busy! I presented in Austin, TX for South by Southwest Education and Interactive (#SXSWedu / #SXSWi); served as Host Director in Boston, MA for the Association of College Unions International Annual Conference (#ACUI12); and visited Louisville, KY for ACPA’s Annual Convention (#ACPA12) to begin planning for the ACPA 2013 Annual Convention in Las Vegas,…
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elearnspace
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Remaking education in the image of our desires
19 Apr 2012 | 9:59 pmThe current generation of students will witness the remaking of our education system. Change is happening on many fronts: economic, technological, paradigmatic, social, and the natural cycles of change that occur in complex social/technical systems. People have attempted to define change principles: Christensen’s disruptive innovation, Schumpeter’s creative destruction, Kuhn’s revolution structures, Paul A. David’s model of long systemic change, and (my personal favorite) Carlota Perez’ techno-economic revolutions. Each of these are a different lens for viewing… -
Blackboard’s identity crisis, Desire2Learn’s optimism, and Instructure’s coolness
6 Apr 2012 | 1:34 pmSince Blackboard announced its acquisition of several Moodle partners, numerous voices have chimed in to explore what it means to education. In particular, Michael Fieldstein (as usual) has a wide ranging and thoughtful response: What the heck happened? and Phil Hill captures the tone/responses from major players. A common response to the longterm impact of these acquisitions has been to link Blackboard’s manoeuvre with the IBM’s transformation into a services company. This comparison is particularly silly because IBM was heavily invested in a hardware field that was being… -
Distributed research lab: request for feedback
5 Apr 2012 | 8:58 amOne of the things that I like most about blogging and social media is the ability to share partially-formed ideas and open them to critique. As I stated in a previous post, I recently had a mild disappointment in enacting a research project. And it got me thinking about why important research is often not conducted because granting agencies are actually not horribly innovative. What is established as a clear trend may receive research dollars, but early stage ideas are often only able to access small pockets of funds. It’s a shame. Research usually only happens when research dollars are… -
This kids, is why hallucinogenics and the internet don’t mix
26 Mar 2012 | 4:58 pmI had to do a quick double take on this article (first, to determine if it was April 1, anywhere in the world): Evolution Unbound: Blackboard embraces open source. This is what I imagine the experience would be like if one dropped hallucinogenics and browsed the web – a feeling of incredulity and weird confusion that can only come from time and reality being featured in a will it blend video. I’m not surprised that Blackboard is interested in openness. They’ve made overtures in the past. At the EDUCAUSE conference in October, they were clear that they wanted to partner with… -
What does a disrupted education system look like?
12 Mar 2012 | 5:50 amA group of us (Clark Quinn, Jay Cross, Stephen Downes, Grainne Conole, Martin Weller, and numerous others) are in New Dehli this week at the EDGEx conference. The event is being streamed live. Some great resources on Indian education can be accessed here (bottom tab on left-side menu) Slides from my presentation this morning are here: Edgex Disruption View more PowerPoint from gsiemens
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Google Student Blog
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And the 2012 Model Your Town winner is…
15 May 2012 | 11:24 amCross-posted from the Google Lat-Long Blog Getaria, Gipuzkoa, Spain! Over the past several months, hundreds of teams from all over the world have submitted stunning geo-models for our Google Model Your Town Competition. These examples of pure 3D civic pride are breathtaking to behold. Difficult as it was, the SketchUp team managed to pick six finalists, after which we asked the general public to vote for their favorite collection of models. Tens of thousands of you weighed in, and the talented team from the north of Spain were victorious. Zorionak! (That’s “Congratulations!” in Basque.)… -
Announcing the 2012 Google HCF Scholars
9 May 2012 | 10:00 amAs part of our commitment to diversity in computer science, since 2006, Google has partnered with the Hispanic College Fund (HCF) to provide scholarships for Hispanic students who are pursuing degrees in computer science and related fields. Congratulations to this year’s recipients of the 2012 Google Hispanic College Fund (HCF) Scholarship: Google HCF Scholars will receive a $10,000 scholarship for the 2012-2013 school year and will be invited to attend the annual Google Scholars’ Retreat held at the Googleplex in Mountain View, California this June. Juan Alvarez Alanis, The University of… -
Google Online Marketing Challenge: Learning Series recap
8 May 2012 | 6:14 pmWe just wrapped up a three part Learning Series for the Google Online Marketing Challenge, via Google+ Hangouts On Air. Each broadcast highlighted the fundamentals of setting up successful AdWords campaigns, how to use the data to optimize your marketing efforts and gave tips on how to utilize Google+ for your businesses. For those who aren’t participating in this year’s Challenge, the videos are a good introduction as to what the competition is all about-- and maybe you’ll choose to rally a group of classmates together to participate next year! Part 1: Growing your business with… -
Announcing the winners of the first Google SVA Scholarship for Student Veterans
7 May 2012 | 10:00 amAs announced earlier this year, we launched the Google Student Veterans of America (SVA) Scholarship in partnership with SVA to support student veterans in their pursuit of a degree in computer science and related fields. Today, we are excited to announce the recipients of the scholarship: Bryan Grounds, University of California, San Diego Maxwell Perez, University of Colorado-Boulder Matthew Burns, University of California, San Diego Mathew Ryden, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Eric Parsons, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Harry Rybacki, University of North Carolina at… -
Announcing the first class of Generation Google Scholars
3 May 2012 | 4:05 pmEarlier this year, we announced the launch of the Generation Google Scholarship to support students who are underrepresented in computer science throughout their undergraduate education. We are excited to announce the first class of Generation Google Scholars, who are all high school seniors and will be attending a university in the Fall of 2012: Jiexi Cao, Harvey Mudd College George Claghorn, University of Pittsburgh Erin King, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Kaitlyn Lee, University of Southern California Jenny Lin, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Emma Meersman, Harvey Mudd…
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Joe Sabado - Student Affairs Technology Leadership
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Career Success – Not Overnight, But Working A Lot of Nights
16 May 2012 | 2:50 amIf there is one thing that annoys me, it is the assumption that I reached my position in my organizationRead the Rest... -
Future of Work, Policies, Technologies
10 May 2012 | 4:06 amColleagues who telecommute from northern California and Oregon are in town for a two-day visit starting today. I only seeRead the Rest... -
Social Media in Higher Education – Challenges/Opportunities
8 May 2012 | 1:43 amSocial media presents challenges and opportunities for universities in the way they communicate and provide services to students, enhance theirRead the Rest... -
High School Students, Digital Citizenship and Social Media for College Prep
2 May 2012 | 1:39 pmSocial media is now used by some university admissions departments to screen applicants for admittance. In addition, some employers areRead the Rest... -
SM – Higher Ed
1 May 2012 | 1:39 am[Social Media Resources]
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MistakenGoal.com: Where Higher Education and Technology Meet
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Please Step Away From the Infographic!
7 May 2012 | 7:41 pmI’ve tried very hard to be nice but I can’t bite my tongue any longer: Please, stop it with the infographics. Most of them are bad. If I were still a bratty 15-year old, I would dryly say that “I feel dumber for having read that” after seeing most infographics. But I’ll be more professional and offer some specific criticisms. Most infographics: Obliterate nuance and ignore subtleties and differences by carelessly aggregating many different sources of information. By no means am I opposed to integrating knowledge and synthesizing data from multiple… -
Item Non-response and Survey Abandonment SPSS Syntax
24 Apr 2012 | 11:54 pmI don’t often write about what I do in my day-to-day job. But I’ve recently spent quite a bit of time working on survey item non-response and survey abandonment and I want to save you some time if you’re working on those issues, too. One of the projects on which I’ve worked over the last couple of years is the development of an updated version of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) survey instrument. We’ve done a lot – a LOT – of work on this. As part of this work we’ve pilot tested the draft versions of the new survey. Some… -
Thoughts on Backward Design
5 Apr 2012 | 3:12 amThis post will be less organized than most posts; some of these thoughts and ideas are still a little raw. Backward design – the method by which one begins with the desired end result(s) of an educational program, determines acceptable evidence showing that the result(s) has been achieved, and then creates a plan to teach the skills and content that will lead students to provide that evidence – has been on my mind lately. It’s one of the core concepts of a college teaching and learning course I co-teach but that’s not why I’ve been thinking about it. For me,… -
When Did Student Affairs Begin Discussing Technology as a Competency?
3 Apr 2012 | 2:22 amAt a presentation I attended at this year’s ACPA conference, the presenters discussed technology as a competency for student affairs professionals. It’s a discussion that’s been going on for many years but I don’t know if many people – particularly younger professionals – know just how long it’s been going on. The presenters of this particular session asserted that formal discussion of technology as a competency began in 2002. Maybe they’re right but informally and on different levels this conversation has been ongoing for decades. To… -
“Best” Practices?
22 Mar 2012 | 2:45 amIn a recent blog post releasing a (very nice!) infographic about “Best Practices in Using Twitter in the Classroom Infographic,” Rey Junco writes: I’d like to point out that I’m a real stickler about using the term “best practices.” It’s a concept we toss around a lot in higher education. To me, a “best practice” is only something that has been supported by research. Alas, most of the time that we talk about “best practices” in higher ed, we’re focusing on what someone thinks is a “good idea.” I agree and I’m even more…
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Patrick Powers
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Stop Looking for the Social Media Easy Button
8 May 2012 | 8:47 amThere is no shortage of available tools aimed at making the life of a social media manager a little bit easier, but are they hurting more than they’re helping? Building a social community takes resources — namely, people and time — and any effort to minimize the role of these resources seems to cause nothing but problems. When social media managers cut corners in the name of efficiency, language gets lost and the personal connection so many people seek in the medium never develops. There is no Social Media Easy Button. Stop looking for it. Sure, auto posts save time, but they’re… -
Higher Education Is Missing the Boat with Google+
16 Apr 2012 | 7:06 amMention Google+ in a room filled with people managing and monitoring social media in higher education and wait for the snickers to start. They laugh because, while they all have accounts and occasionally login to update them, they are keenly aware of the perception that no one actually uses it. Their target audiences — namely prospective students and alumni donors — just aren’t active there. Colleges and universities were some of the first on board when Google+ in November offered brand pages to organizations. Mashable highlighted the trend in “16+ Universities Dive into Google+ Brand… -
Building a Facebook Timeline for Higher Education
29 Feb 2012 | 4:55 pmSo what does the roll out of Facebook Timeline mean for higher education beyond bigger pictures and a new way of doing things? Plenty. Colleges and universities around the country are always searching for better ways to tell their story. They struggle with the simple ways to talk about all they have going on. Timeline takes great strides to make it easier. Timeline streamlines the brand experience into a scrollable story. It allows administrators to craft that story in ways the old wall never would. The trick is that building that story takes time and effort. So while administrators have… -
The Importance of Setting Goals
28 Feb 2012 | 7:35 amThe social media landscape is littered with casualties, deserted Facebook pages and abandoned Twitter accounts set up to be the savior of a brand. Walls without posts. Albums without photos. Brands without a fan. Most often these accounts fail for one reason: They failed to set a goal in the first place. Goals focus attention, push aside irrelevant actions and force us to work through the inevitable setbacks that are sure to occur. They energize us on the down days and challenge us to achieve something greater. So often a bright-eyed wanna-be marketer will set up an account without asking the… -
6 Steps for New Facebook Page Admins
24 Jan 2012 | 8:04 amIt’s incredibly easy to set up a Facebook page and perhaps that’s part of the problem. Credit Facebook with a high level of usability. Any wanna-be marketer with a profile can create a Facebook page is a matter of minutes. The problem, however, comes when expectations for that page fail to deliver the intended results. The creation of a Facebook page is not a public relations panacea. It won’t immediately draw a crowd and it won’t build a fan base just because it exists. It can build brand awareness and generate business leads, but remember: Managing a successful Facebook community…
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TechKNOW Tools
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What Prompts You To Blog?
4 May 2012 | 11:31 pmBlog prompts are all around me. I started blogging in 2006 to share travel tales and I continued to blog to tell a different story and share my academic journey and musings. I typically blog to share ideas, research, and reflect on what I’m doing, learning, or experiencing – at least on this blog space. Image c/o <http://www.weblogcartoons.com/cartoons/sifting-through-ideas.gif> Sometimes my blog ideas get filtered. I don’t always have time to write these thoughts out, so I often have to save this blog-worthy idea for later in my Delicious account, a WP draft post,… -
Backwards Design with TED-Ed
1 May 2012 | 8:09 pmBeginning with the end in mind. This is the philosophy of instructional design method backward(s) design. A few weeks back Kevin Guidry shared his thoughts on backwards design, and it got me thinking about how I approach my curriculum and lesson plans. Image c/o <http://www.recordholders.org/images/backwards-cycling1.jpg> For the Office for Exploring Majors, I am currently reviewing/updating modules for our first year seminar class – UGST 1000. The goal is to offer an “engaged” format (we cannot use the term blended or hybrid, but there will be mixed components of… -
#SocialMedia & #HigherEd – Policy vs. Guidance
29 Apr 2012 | 3:50 pmLast week, I attended the free @EDUCAUSE #EDUlive Developing Social Media Guidance in higher education with respect to #Privacy and #Security concerns. The presenters, from the University of Pennsylvania, shared ideas for how to promote safe usage of social media and detailed how to draft guidance for addressing issues in teaching, research, administrative, and other functions. Click here for the Twitter Cloud interactive image => http://www.infomous.com/node/15059 If you missed the #EDUlive event, you can check out the webinar recording and archives posted on the EDUCAUSE… -
The Productive & Disruptive Innovation of EDU
28 Apr 2012 | 9:48 pmImage c/o <http://www.intechprinting.com/PHOTOS/innovation.jpg> The Innovator’s DNA: Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators, identifies key behaviors to find innovative solutions to impact organizations, products, and services. Christensen and Gregersen (2011) share five skills that leaders need to innovate their way out of problems and into opportunities: Question – ask challenging questions that take on common wisdom to create new directions Observe – watch the behavior of customers, suppliers and competitors the way an anthropologist would identify… -
My Prolegomenon to Technology
22 Apr 2012 | 12:02 pmA few weeks ago, @JenniferKeegin posted to the #SAWTT Blog with the prompt – What got me interested in Technology? I think that my prolegomenon to technology was definitely the Commodore 64. I was introduced to this machine at a young age, thanks to my father. For those who do not know, my father taught high school economics, business, and computers. Beyond having a great collection of books in his office, I was often drawn to his Commodore 64 and I am fortunate that I was able to dabble with device at home. The black screen and green text provided me with the backdrop to my first…
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Wired Campus
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Purdue Kicks Off Global Online-Education Project
11 May 2012 | 5:02 pmPurdue University today joined the group of universities that have recently announced plans to experiment with online courses aimed at a global audience. The new effort, called PurdueHUB-U, will serve up modular online courses with video lectures, interactive visualizations, and tools for students to interact with their peers and the professor. The project’s leaders hope it will improve face-to-face classes and bring in revenue by attracting students around the world. PurdueHUB-U grew out of a course taught this year on Purdue’s nanoHUB, a collaborative platform for nanotechnology… -
Creator of ‘Anonymous’ Gossip Site Names Names
9 May 2012 | 3:55 amUpdate (5/9/2012, 9:48 a.m.): The list of student names has been removed from PSUacb. In a new note, the site’s creator wrote, “I’m not cruel enough to embarrass someone in front of the whole country for something stupid they did in college, especially when everyone at Penn State (or at least 7,846 people) has already realized you suck.” Campus-gossip Web sites like JuicyCampus and CollegeACB used the lure of anonymity to entice students to post on them. The cloak gave students a virtual bathroom wall on which to write racy rumors and explicit insults about their peers… -
Groups Team Up to Turn Free Online Courses Into Cheap College Credit
8 May 2012 | 11:01 pmThe Saylor Foundation has been building an online catalog of free, self-paced college courses since 2010. But students who completed those courses could not typically earn credit toward a degree, since the nonprofit group is not an accredited institution. Saylor’s new partnership with the online course-provider StraighterLine seeks to change that, giving students an inexpensive way to earn academic credit using freely available materials. The collaboration, announced today, will give students two different ways to save money when pursuing academic credit. Beginning in the fall, students can… -
Harvard and MIT Put $60-Million Into New Platform for Free Online Courses
2 May 2012 | 2:20 pmThe group of elite universities offering free online courses just got bigger. Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology today announced a partnership that will host online courses from both institutions free of charge. The platform, its creators say, has the potential to improve face-to-face classes on the home campuses while giving students around the world access to a blue-ribbon education. The new venture, called edX, grew out of MIT’s announcement last year that it would offer free online courses on a platform called MITx. The combined effort will be overseen by a… -
Britain Announces Plan to Make Publicly Financed Research Freely Available
2 May 2012 | 1:35 pmThrowing its weight behind open access, the British government has declared it wants to make all research paid for with public money freely available online. If it succeeds, the move is likely to have significant consequences for publishers, and will boost the international momentum of the open-access movement. But the government won’t share details about how it will make the plan a reality. David Willetts (left), Britain’s minister for universities and science and a member of the Conservative Party, made the announcement today at the general meeting of the U.K. Publishers…
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AAUW Dialog
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Attend the Women of Distinction Awards Ceremony!
15 May 2012 | 4:50 pmRegistration for the 2012 National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL) sold out in record time! But we still have tickets available for the Women of Distinction Awards ceremony, which is held the first night of the conference. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased by calling 800/326-2289. Don’t miss your chance to meet [...] -
You’ve Graduated, Now What?
15 May 2012 | 12:01 pmIt’s only been a year since I graduated with my bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, but I still remember how easy it was to shake off the tips and advice I received from the adults around me. Believe it or not, some of those tips are worth hearing — even if you still [...] -
We’re Still Fighting for Pay Equity
14 May 2012 | 12:27 pmAlthough women are now entering higher education in larger numbers than men and represent the breadwinners or co-breadwinners in a majority of families, pay equity is still not an issue that we can cross off the agenda. According the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2010 median weekly earnings for women working full time was [...] -
See the Women of Distinction at NCCWSL
14 May 2012 | 12:14 pmLast week, we introduced you to two of the six women who will be honored at the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL). The Women of Distinction Awards ceremony, which is held during the conference, pays tribute to women leaders who have made extraordinary contributions to their professions or communities. NCCWSL attendees will [...] -
Katharine Hepburn’s Mother, the Suffragette Trailblazer
12 May 2012 | 9:40 amWe all remember the actress Katharine Hepburn as a remarkably strong woman — both on-screen and off. Beyond her trademark pantsuits, she refused to play the traditional roles being offered to Hollywood women in the 1930s and ‘40s and even negotiated the rights to some of her own movies. But did you know that the [...]
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BreakDrink
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Weekly Dose of Higher Education – May 14th, 2012 [Audio]
14 May 2012 | 8:30 pmWelcome, listeners; I’m Shawn Brackett. Beginning today, the Daily Dose of Higher Education will transition to a summertime schedule as the Weekly Dose. You can count on us for the week’s news in higher education through the summer; we will return to the Daily Dose in September. In this week’s news, “Politecnico di Milano to offer graduate coursework only in English starting 2014″ http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20120509174302914 Politecnico di Milano (Milan Polytechnic), an Italian institution of 37,000 students, has announced… -
Daily Dose of Higher Education – May 11th, 2012 [Audio]
11 May 2012 | 10:46 pmWelcome to the Friday, May 11th edition of the Daily Dose of Higher Education for Breakdrink.com; I’m Shawn Brackett bringing you today’s news. “Alberta court rules U of Calgary violated students’ right of free expression” http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/calgary/infringed+freedom+speech+disciplining+Facebook+commenters+rules+court/6592844/story.html The Alberta Court of Appeal (the province’s highest court) has sided with University of Calgary students in their lawsuit alleging the institution violated their charter right to free expression. The Charter… -
Daily Dose of Higher Education – May 10th, 2012 [Audio]
10 May 2012 | 5:48 pmWelcome to the Thursday, May 10th edition of the Daily Dose of Higher Education for Breakdrink.com; I’m Shawn Brackett bringing you today’s news. “University of California System to Propose Raising Tuition for Fall 2012 by 6%” http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/05/09/MN421OF6QV.DTL Experiencing what its vice-president for budget calls the “worst funding crisis” in state history, the University of California System is considering asking for a 6% increase in base tuition this fall term. The state of California has a $9.2 billion… -
Daily Dose of Higher Education – May 9, 2012 [Audio]
9 May 2012 | 4:32 pmHello everyone, and welcome to the May 9th edition of the Daily Dose for Breakdrink.com! After Outcry Over Raises, Cal State Trustees Take Another Look at Policy on Presidents’ Pay A potential revised policy from the California State University System Board of Trustees states future presidents of Cal State campuses will earn no more in base salary than their predecessors, unless the individual institution can raise non-public funds for increasing their pay. The policy goes to the full board for approval later today. The policy would allow institutions to be transparent and accountable… -
Daily Dose of Higher Education – May 4th, 2012 [AUDIO]
4 May 2012 | 4:18 pmListen to internet radio with BreakDrink on Blog Talk Radio UT Permian Basin Offers $10,000 Degree Rising to a challenge given by Governor Rick Perry, UT Permian Basin will offer $10,000 degrees. Currently, a four year degree is $25,808. Students will have the option of chemistry, computer science, geology, information systems, or mathematics. UTPB will be the first university to offer the $10,000 based completely on campus, other campuses require several online courses or taking courses on multiple campuses. Education Trust Report on Access and Success Education Trust has released a report…
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This Side of Theory
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Mental Health Day 2012
26 Apr 2012 | 10:13 pmI took yesterday off as a mental health day. It was a last minute decision, but after glancing at my calendar Tuesday evening and noting how comparably light my schedule was, decided to take the plunge. There were no meetings to reshuffle; there were a few scheduled appointments that would be missed. I’ve been working near non-stop since mid-March, maybe earlier, with room selection and now closing. I make my own choices about my hours, but could feel the weight of the hours I was working on my shoulders. My warning sign when I’m nearing burn out is that I start taking things too… -
Why I’m Mad at Oprah
23 Apr 2012 | 9:28 pmI went through a phase in high school where I adored Oprah Winfrey and her talk show. It was a short lived phase, and I quickly moved into a phase of disdain. When asked about Oprah, I articulated my dislike in the context of her charitable work, which likely seemed counterintuitive. Oprah has always done acts of service in grand ways, most memorably perhaps the episode where she gave cars to every member of her audience. But there were also special episodes about the Angel Network she founded and the school for girls she had built in South Africa. While the intent was always good, it… -
Lasts and Firsts
10 Apr 2012 | 9:45 pmAlmost two years ago, on the heels of my mother deciding to stop all treatment for her cancer and transition to hospice care, I had a panic attack in Target triggered by the sympathy cards. As I stood in the aisle, I could picture the fingers that would someday pluck cards from the sleeves, pulling the crisp, pressed paper with floral images to send to me. Though I knew for a long time that my mother’s illness was terminal, the moment she stopped treatment was an abrupt transition from the mundane to facing the suddenness of moments all becoming potential “lasts”. I mailed… -
Alma Mater, Ohio
19 Mar 2012 | 6:45 pmAs Ohio University has proceeded through March Madness, I haven’t been quiet in my support and enthusiasm for this incredibly exciting time. Coming on the heels of a phenomenal football season, this basketball season feels like an additional windfall of good fortune for my alma mater. I’ve celebrated their successes via social media and, much to the chagrin of my partner, by singing the university fight song as often (and loudly) as possible. Tonight I settled in to watch the news and was surprised to see Athens County, where Ohio University is located, featured on the CBS News,… -
Best Practices in #StudentAffairs Conference Hashtags
6 Mar 2012 | 9:16 pmThough it may be hard for my students to believe, I was once a college student and attended classes. I reliably attended and those classes were reliably held where they were supposed to be according to my schedule. Without fail, my political science class met in Bentley Hall. It didn’t matter if we were discussing elections, economic recovery, or political infrastructures. Every day I knew exactly where to go to find that class and the other students with whom I was learning. But what if the class suddenly moved? How would I know which of hundreds of classrooms on campus it moved to for the…
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eighteen and life
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In case you missed it…discussion on student debt
30 Apr 2012 | 1:37 pmI shared a variety of articles on student debt and financing education this month. Here they are, all in one place. You will find essential reading if you work in higher education and believe student success reaches beyond grades and graduation. Senior citizens continue to bear burden of student loans Student loan debt: Can these innovations save America’s workforce? A Bank Account That Helps Pay Off Student Loans Questions about tuition that goes toward scholarships Chained to college debt Rise in defaults renews “student debt bomb” warnings Tensions escalate between Iowa private… -
Senior citizens and student loan debt
2 Apr 2012 | 2:55 pmGreat article from Washington Post financial report Ylan Q. Mui on the burden of student loan debt for Americans 60 and older. …Americans 60 and older still owe about $36 billion in student loans, providing a rare window into the dynamics of student debt. More than 10 percent of those loans are delinquent. As a result, consumer advocates say, it is not uncommon for Social Security checks to be garnished or for debt collectors to harass borrowers in their 80s over student loans that are decades old. ~Ylan Q. Mui -
Record number of U.S. adults with college degrees
23 Feb 2012 | 9:05 pmThe Census Bureau announced that three in ten adults held a bachelor’s degree in 2011. This is quite a jump considering that as recently as 1998 less than 25% of adults had a four-year degree. Regretfully, our global ranking for college degrees is still dropping. Despite continuing arguments about the value of certain degrees, it makes you think this whole college education thing may be catching on. …the data suggest that going to school remains a shrewd investment. Median monthly pay for a professional degree reached $11,927 in 2009. That was more than twice the monthly pay… -
Laissez les bons temps rouler
21 Feb 2012 | 3:59 pmSo nice of these folks down in New Orleans (N’awlins) to celebrate my birthday! When I was little I thought, isn’t it nice that everybody celebrates on my birthday? Because it’s July 4th. ~Gloria Stuart When someone asks if you’d like cake or pie, why not say you want cake and pie? ~Lisa Loeb All the world is birthday cake, so take a piece, but not too much. ~George Harrison -
Is College Worth It?
17 Jan 2012 | 9:17 amI have written before about how challenging I find suggestions that college has no value. When research suggests that learning or critical thinking is not occurring on the college campus, I know that I see otherwise at my university, with my students. Does the academe have work to do? You bet. But creating a society of education privilege where only certain individuals are encouraged to pursue a degree is not an answer. This Chronicle editorial suggests we are already creating that privilege by pricing a large portion of the population out of the higher education pool. …going to…
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Eric Stoller - Writing, Speaking, Consulting - Higher Education » student-affairs
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An homage, some bow tie talk, and a commencement gown
27 Apr 2012 | 1:10 pmMy pal, Kenneth Elmore – Dean of Students for Boston University, knows how to elevate conversations. There aren’t that many deans of students who are as charismatic as Kenn. In this quick clip, he offers up some insight as to why he spells “Kenn” with two Ns. He also manages to tie a bow tie on camera without a mirror. Kenn’s wit is edgy. The close to this interview showcases Elmore’s ability to riff on the fly. Administrators can make art. In Kenn’s case, his media presence is creative, insightful, and always right on the pulse. -
“Radical” and Student Affairs
18 Jan 2012 | 8:19 pmI 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… -
#AltProDev is the future of professional development
24 Aug 2011 | 6:58 pmThere 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… -
Student Affairs Live (#SAlive) May + June
3 Jul 2011 | 4:09 pmAfter 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 SSAO
30 Apr 2011 | 6:56 pmSocial 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…
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Inside Higher Ed | Blog U
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Student Affairs Innovation Ideation
9 May 2012 | 4:59 pmBlog: Student Affairs and TechnologyMy last post was severe in its critical intensity. I poked around…posited and provoked. Innovation is such a buzzword these days. Getting a blogger to write about innovation is as easy as getting me to drink coffee. For this post, I wanted to be more generative than critical. While I've never defined "radical student affairs" on this blog…nor will I ever define it concretely (peaceful acceptance of ambiguity is fairly radical, right?), I realize that pushing and provoking requires ideas. Innovation requires ideation and… -
Are We Cultivating Innovation?
8 May 2012 | 3:15 pmBlog: Student Affairs and TechnologyMy own answer to the question posed in this post's title varies. As with anything related to the overall picture of Student Affairs, nuance abounds. Initially, I would say that if I were to generalize, I would vehemently say that we actively discourage large scale innovation in Student Affairs. However, because we exist in "the gray," I feel compelled to mention that there are pockets of innovation … although, finding them isn't easy. You know who you are. Last week, I read an article in Fast Company's Co.Design blog on… -
Communications, Social Media, and Technology Are Not Synonyms
3 May 2012 | 7:34 pmBlog: Student Affairs and TechnologySocial media are not technology. Please, for the sake of dialog, think about that statement for a minute or two. Now, think about this: Communications is not just social media. And finally, ruminate on this for a while: Technology assists, enables, and provides a platform for communications. When I wrote a micro-call-to-action in March about how NASPA may want to consider rolling out a Communications Knowledge Community, I was intrigued by the various comments that seemed solidly stuck on keeping social media within the Technology Knowledge Community. -
Campus Card Offices Use YouTube to Inform and Promote
2 May 2012 | 4:56 pmBlog: Student Affairs and TechnologyCampus ID cards aren't sexy. It's true. However, campus ID cards provide access to a variety of both on-campus and off-campus services. The number of services that cards provide is astounding when you start to look at all of the ways in which students, staff, and faculty can use them. Cards provide access to campus buildings, payment capabilities, appointment check-ins, and library resources acquisition. Some cards even let you use them for taxi rides! The most popular method of operating a campus card solution is via a single card. One card to… -
Social Media Guidelines: My Top Picks
26 Apr 2012 | 8:21 pmBlog: Student Affairs and TechnologyWhen I search for "social media guidelines," sans quotes on Google, there are 41,200,000 results. Corporate sites, blog posts, higher education institutions, and more provide a rich amount of social media guideline examples. When I'm out on the road working with schools or conference attendees, I am often asked to provide social media guideline resources. In the spirit of sharing, here are my top picks for social media guidelines that are easily applicable for folks in Student Affairs: Brock University Social Media Guidelines - The…
