Off Campus Student Services
University of Connecticut
Shanté Brown
Lisa Coté
Dallas Carter Corrine Hawes
Strategic Plan
• Academic Plan of The University of Connecticut
– Diversify the student body
– Internationalize Student Population
• Strategic Plan
– Quicker and easier communication
– Accessible to students in their comfort zone
– Help students become competent in living successfully
off campus with little to no walk in physical experience/
training
Astin’s I-E-I Model
• Input, Environment, Output
• Each student is different and bring different life
experiences to college with them
• Therefore we need a variety of programs to meet
each individual students’ needs
Astin’s Theory of Involvement
• Students will learn more, the more they are
involved in academics and social aspects in
college
• Student plays an important role in
determining his or her own level of
involvement within both aspects
• The more quality resources available, the
more likely students who get involved will
grow and develop
: The Basics
What is Facebook?
• Facebook is a social networking tool where people can
create user profiles, search for friends, engage in
discussion through the message or chat feature,
create/join common interest groups, post pictures,
post free classified advertisements
• Carlson (2011) stated that there are over 600 million
monthly active users according to Goldman Sachs
– Heiberger and Harper (2008) stated that Facebook holds
an 85 percent market share of four year colleges and
universities
:How to Use it
• General Commuter Facebook Page
– Post events for the Commuter Student Association
• Housing
– Use discussion feature to find roommates
– Provide information about the surrounding areas
• Restaurants, Gas Stations, Supermarkets, Entertainment, Retail Stores
– Reviews about specific Landlords/Apartment Complexes
• Link Facebook to other social media networks to create a
central hub (Twitter, Youtube, Podcasts, etc.)
• Links to campus resources and other departments
: The Basics
• Tweet: a thought, website, question, witty
remark, etc. of 140 characters or less posted by
an accountholder
• Timeline: the main page viewed by
accountholder; consists of tweets of the people
they follow
• Follow: following someone results in their tweets
appearing on your timeline
• @Mention: the @ symbol is used to note that a
tweet is directed at or mentions someone you
follow
• Retweet: to tweet someone else’s tweet for your
followers to see
Tweeting up a storm
• Things to tweet about:
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Upcoming Commuter Student Association events
New off-campus housing options as they become available
Local events in towns in which off-campus students typically live
Where the office mascot is on campus
Events such as Commuter Appreciation Week and the OffCampus Housing Fair
• Ask commuter students to tweet
@UCOffCampusStudentServices* when commuter lots are
full and then Off Campus Student Services will retweet that
information
• Reply to questions tweeted by students about off-campus
living, office services, and roommates
*Not an actual Twitter Account
Blogs: The Basics & Uses
• What is a blog?
– A blog is a type of website that is typically arranged in
chronological order from the most recent post to the
oldest post. Blogs are usually updated regularly and
often address a particular topic. With a blog you can
share ideas, make friends, post pictures and videos
and share your interests and life with people from all
over the world.
• How would a blog be used in off-campus student
services?
– Students could blog about their commuter experience
– Blogs could be created to update commuters on
upcoming events and past initiatives by the office
Uses of Podcasts
• Develop a “Good Morning Commuters” podcast
that includes the following content:
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Traffic updates
Empty/full parking lots
Emergency notification
Schedule of campus events
Recap of university sports scores
University special guest
Tips on how to be a good :
• Roommate
• Neighbor
• Renter
Podcasts: The Basics
A podcast is a relatively new way for individuals to communicate a
message or deliver content to a large number of people. Subscribers
can listen to pre-recorded podcasts or live podcasts using their iPod,
MP3 player, radio or computer. Unlike traditional radio, which is often
filled with more commercials then music, the content of a podcast can
be created by anyone with a computer and a mic and could address an
array of content topics.
Examples of podcast topics:
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Education
Government
Health
Science
Economics
Sports
Technology
: The Basics & Uses
• YouTube is a public video-sharing website where people
can post self-made videos that encompass and address a
wide variety of topics.
• In the case of Off-Campus Student Services, YouTube videos
could be created to address an assortment of issues as they
pertain to commuter students, some which include:
– “How to” videos
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How to Cook
How to change the oil in your car/fix a flat tire
How to decorate your apartment without damaging walls or floors
How to address concerns with your roommate and/or landlord
– Showcase the different types of housing options offered around
campus. In this video it would be essential to introduce the
different complexes and give them a tour of apartment types
and amenities.
– Create video that introduces students to the town in which they
are becoming a member of. This video could include a welcome
from the town mayor and a brief overview of town events.
– Addressing student safety
:the basics
• Skype allows for free video calling using a
personal webcam
– Can be used on a computer or a capable Smartphone
• Being able to Skype office hours
– Having a representative available to speak with
students face-to-face
• Conversations with incoming students looking to live off
campus and advice on where to look for housing
• Students are more likely to feel a connection and sense of
belonging with visual interactions
Instant Messenger: The Basics
• Instant Messaging is a written form of real-time
communication
– Can be between personal computers or Smartphones
• Instant Messaging usage in Off Campus Student Services
– Office representative available to chat with students with concerns
– Student employees can respond to frequently asked questions
– Increased productivity rather than fielding questions from high walkin rates
– Quicker and easier to respond to than phones
– Can be linked directly from department website for easy student
access
References
Astin, A.W. (1984). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of
College Student Personnel, 25, 297-308.
Carlson, N. (2011). Goldman to clients: facebook has 600 millions users. MSNBC. Retrieved from Astin,
A.W. (1984). Student Involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of College
Student Personnel, 25, 297-308.
Halic, O., Lee, D., Paulus, T., & Spence, M. (2010). To Blog or Not to Blog: Student Perceptions of Blog
Effectiveness for Learning in a College-Level Course. Internet and Higher Education, 13(4), 206-213.
Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Heiberger, G., & Harper, R. (2008). Have you facebooked Astin lately? Using technology to increase
student involvement. New Directions for Student Services, 124, 19‐35.
Pascarella, E. T. & Terenzini, P. T. (1991). How college affects students. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Publishers.
Read, B. (2007). How to Podcast Campus Lectures. Chronicle of Higher Education, 53(21), A32-A35.
Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Schwartz, M. (2010). Social Media 101. Gifts & Decorative Accessories, 111(6), 30. Retrieved from
EBSCOhost.