Rutgers University, College Student Affairs
Presented by: Nicholas Gramiccioni, Megan Hyndman,
Ashley Nickelsen, and Jessica Prodoehl
Our Planning Goals:
- To define social media and its potential uses in Residence Life at
Rutgers University
- To analyze departmental mission statement and define key
departmental goals.
- To identify specific departmental goals that can be achieved
through the use of social media
- To explain the importance of technology to enhance the four
functional components of Residence Life: programming, community
development, staff development, and health & safety.
- To explain the benefits and challenges of utilizing social media
within Residence Life
Our Definition of Social Media
Social media is a category of web-based tools which includes at
least one of the following features: user profiles, online
community engagement methodology, the ability to create or
display user-generated content, and dynamic response measures.
Flickr.com
Why Social Media? Let’s Strategize!
- Social media is an excellent tool to
use in Student Affairs; however it I
essential to be intentional about
social media strategies.
- “Focus not on the tools, but on the
strategy – why they want to use social
media. Forgetting the strategy and
just embracing social media ‘is a
destined failure’” (Grensing-Pophal,
2009, p. 42).
- It is critical to be intentional and
create measureable goals for the
department in Student Affairs in order
to assess the use of social media and
its impact on the students.
Germanyinworldwar2.com
The Widespread Impact of Social Media
- Social media is a very widespread tool. Therefore, it is crucial for
higher education institutions to assess the communication needs
of its students.
- Students used the Internet as an information-gathering source,
publicizing venue, and tool to connect with others. Millions of
additional pages added since 2000 created a vast navigable data
repository, critical for informing specific causes either underserved
or not updated in campus libraries (Biddix, 2010, p. 686).
The Widespread Impact of Social Media
Social Media and Student Affairs
- Student Affairs has been slow to utilize technology and social media in
certain departments, because a great deal of student affairs revolves
around face-to-face interaction (Barrett, 2003, p. 379).
-
Nonetheless, social media has been breaking through into the world of
student affairs and affecting leadership and student development.
- By engaging students and utilizing the forms of social media that is
popular, student affairs professionals can assess the needs of students
and help these students become move involved on campus.
- “Between 2000 and 2008, the use of information and communication
technologies in campus activism evolved considerably, bearing
considerations for civic learning and leadership practices in the digital
age” (Biddix, 2010, p. 680).
Social Media and Astin’sTheory of
Involvement
-
Astin’s theory was based on student involvement and how involved
students are not only engaged inside the classroom, but in
extracurricular activities, leadership opportunities, and discussion
outside of the classroom.
-
Astin proposed that the quality and quantity of the student's
involvement will influence the amount of student learning and
development (1984, p.297).
- Student Affairs, as a division, offers opportunities for students to get
more involved in extracurricular activities and leadership opportunities
which will impact their experience on campus.
- According to Astin, it is a role of higher education university programs
and policies to help create holistic student development and growth .
The utilization of social media can help universities establish these
programs and policies that will have a profound impact on student
development.
Rutgers University Residence Life Mission
Statement:
Rutgers Residence Life in support of the mission of Rutgers University
and Student Affairs is committed to fostering accepting residential
communities and campus residences. By recruiting, hiring, retaining, and
training a diverse staff, we strive to provide opportunities for our
students to engage in the appreciation of diversity and to join in the
pursuit of social justice. Our belief that diversity is an integral
component of the human experiences guides us to celebrate individual
difference including, but not limited to, mental and physical ability, color,
creed, cultural background, ethnicity, gender identity, religious
affiliation, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status.
In an effort a culture of continued learning, we strive to incorporate
diversity into our programs, policies, and procedures.
Rutgers University Residence Life
Profile
• The 2nd largest Residence Life
Department in the nation
• Rutgers University has
approximately 14,000 residents
that live on campus.
• We have 53 residence halls on
campus, and 37 Graduate Hall
Directors that oversee each hall.
• Residence Life has
approximately 250
undergraduate staff members.
transferexploration.blogspot.com
Diversity
• The concept of diversity pervades the Rutgers Residence
Life Mission Statement. Diversity is the overarching theme
of the mission statement.
• Each of the main components of residence life
(programming, community development, staff
development, and health and safety) impact diversity and
awareness within the residence halls, therefore supporting
the Rutgers Residence Life Mission Statement
• Technology has a profound effect on programming,
community development, staff development, and health and
safety.
Key Components of Residence Life
Programming
Staff
Development
Community
Development
Health and Safety
Programming
- Programming Model within the Residence Halls
• Resident Assistants are required to facilitate 5 specific types of
programs per semester: Community Interaction, Scholarship,
Citizenship, Critical Community Issue, and Diversity, Equity, and
Inclusion
• Programs are primarily marketed via traditional advertising
techniques (fliers, doortags, posters, quarter-sheets)
• Most programs are held in-house and revolve around face-to-face
interaction.
Programming and Technology
- Needs Assessment
• We will utilize forms of technology,
such as Twitter or Facebook, to
better understand our population in
the Residence Halls. We can analyze
Twitter hash tags to determine
popular trends amongst the student
population. By analyzing hash tags
and polling our audience, we are not
limiting people’s interests based on
pre-defined categories.
• “Those who will benefit most from
social media will regard them not
solely as a means of communicating
with students, but also as a potential
avenue for seeing or making
opportunities” (E. Fischer, A.R.
Reuber).
tweethacking.com
Programming and Technology
- Webcasting
• We will utilize live streaming, such as Stickam, which is a form of
social media that will allow students to attend programs and take
advantage of opportunities from a distance. Students with
Stickam accounts can log in, utilize their webcams, and stream live
programs and events. Students will also have the ability to
comment and share thoughts with others.
• This form of technology could be utilized for specific forms of
programming such as events with educational and advocacyoriented focuses.
• Webcasting demonstrates inclusivity by allowing students to have
greater access to programs and events.
Programming and Technology
- Online Advertising and Marketing
• We will utilize specific forms of social media, such as YouTube to create
videos that market and advertise for programs and events in the Residence
Halls.
• We will employ popular forms of social media, such as Facebook in new and
innovative ways. We will utilize Facebook groups and events to advertise
programs, and we plan on buying Facebook ads that target specific groups of
students who may be interested in the program.
Community Development
- The creation of a comfortable, inclusive, educational, and social
community in Residence Life at Rutgers University.
- The Residence Life staff at Rutgers University is responsible for
facilitating community and fostering resident interactions.
coatesville.va.gov
Community Development and
Technology
- Crowdsourcing
• We will utilize the concept of
crowdsourcing in order to delegate
tasks and responsibilities to a large
group of students that
simultaneously will build a team.
• An example of crowdsourcing is the
formation of a marketing
campaign, such as a video
competition, which can serve as a
program to get people involved.
Utilizing crowdsourcing can help
build a community around
alternative forms of marketing.
= Student
= Professional Staff
Community Development and
Technology
-Online Interactions
• We will utilize many forms of social
media that are composed of usergenerated content. Blogs, Facebook,
Twitter, and LinkedIn will help students
build an online community that can
transcend the web.
biztechreport.com
adweek.com
• A blog enables students to interact,
comment, and provide feedback to
other students. These interactions can
take place throughout a variety of
student groups and organizations. This
online communication overcomes the
challenges of distance and other time
commitments, in order to embrace a
wide-array of perspectives and ideas.
Community Development and
Technology
-Sharing
• Certain forms of social media, such as Shutterfly, YouTube, Flickr,
Snapfish, and Vimeo provide an innovative forum for students to
share videos and photos within their community.
• By designing a community-specific site , students can post
pictures and videos of programs and events that affirm the
traditions, values, and sense of community amongst the residents.
• These sites can also help student affairs professionals evaluate the
sense of community that has been formed. Student affairs
professionals can set measurable goals for their community, and
be able to use these sites to assess and evaluate if these goals
have been met.
Staff Development and Technology
- Wikis
• We will utilize Wikis to build community webpages in order to be able to
access department-wide feedback and development. In the department
of Residence Life, the creation of community webpages can help our
department compile information on assessment of goals and committee
work.
jeffstanger.net
Staff Development
- Second Life
• We plan to utilize Second Life, a social media website, to help
enhance staff development and training.
• Part of our Residence Life Training modules for new Hall Directors and
new Resident Assistants consists of an initiative called Behind Closed
Doors. Behind Closed Doors is a training program planned and
implemented in many Residence Life departments throughout the
nation to help new employees get first-hand experience with dealing
with serious issues.
• Using a program like Second Life, we can have Hall Directors and
Resident Assistants create avatars and attend “Virtual Behind Closed
Doors,” to overcome the barriers of distance and unrealistic scenarios.
Health & Safety and Technology
- Online Educational Modules
(Webinars) and/or Polls
• We will use survey monkey, Sakai
(Rutgers’ virtual classroom site), or
other Blackboard-like tools to create
modules/polls that students can fill
out regarding their knowledge of
health and safety at college and within
the residence halls.
• We will also ask about specific health
and safety topics that residents would
like to learn more about, in order to
provide information that can inform
Health and Safety outreach.
applied-corporate-governance.com
Health & Safety and Technology
- Video Awareness
• YouTube can be used to create informational videos that students will
watch to learn policies and procedures that are designed to keep
them safe. For example, we will utilize video webcasting to create
clips about alcohol policies, physical and mental health resources, and
counseling initiatives on campus..
• These Youtube videos will provide an outlet for residents to determine
where to go to seek assistance that is needed, if students are
uncomfortable talking face-to-face with a Resident Assistant.
• Students who may not understand diversity issues, may cause certain
student groups to feel uncomfortable in their residence hall.
However, by raising awareness of health and safety concerns, we, as
student affairs professionals may be able to prevent ethical dilemmas.
Health & Safety and Technology
- Residence Hall Questions and
Answers – “Ask the Scarlet Knight”
• We can utilize a public forum for residents
to ask questions regarding topics where
they feel they need more information,
similar to Yahoo! Answers and
FormSpring. Students can post questions
anonymously for Residence Life Staff to
answer.
• This forum provides an effective outlet for
students of various cultural backgrounds
to seek answers to questions pertaining to
health and safety via a secure social media
site.
43things.com
Assessing the Benefits
- Social media can help students become more engaged with each
other through online communities.
- Social media embraces diversity, because it allows students from
all backgrounds, living in a variety of geographical locations to be
able to access information and build a community.
- Social media in Residence Life can specifically help professionals
reach and assess our population of students, based on their
interests.
- Social media allows us to advertise and market Residence Life
programs and initiatives in more convenient, accessible ways for
students.
- Social media enhances the quality of staff development, by having
a significant impact on the quality of training.
Assessing the Challenges
- “Technology can create cyber, networked, and microwave communities,
but it can also divide those who share the same physical and learning
space” (Roberts, p. 548).
- Certain forms of social media and technology can be expensive for
Residence Life departments.
- Social Media can be overused and abused, such as in cases of social
media graffiti.
- Social media can cause students to get distracted easily.
- The abandonment of social media can be a challenge, because although
social media can be extremely useful and convenient
Social Media = Distraction
Recap of Plan
We will utilize multiple forms of Social Media, including:
• Facebook groups and ads
• Twitter hashtags
• Webcasting utilizing Stickam
• YouTube videos
• Blogs
• LinkedIn
• Shutterfly, Vimeo, Flickr, and Snapfish
• Wikis
• SecondLife
• SurveyMonkey, Sakai, and Blackboard
• Yahoo! Answers and FormSpring
todayinart.com
Recap Plan
These multiple forms of social media will help us form a
comprehensive strategy to be able to reach and access every
population of our diverse community at Rutgers University.
missional.blog.com
Recap Plan
- In order to be intentional about how
we assess social media in the
Residence Halls, we plan to
implement two new positions in
Rutgers Residence Life that will be
responsible for maintaining the
various forms of social media to
ensure that information is secured
properly and to make sure that
information is readily accessible.
- One professional staff position will
be the Coordinator of Social Media
and Assessment, and the second
position will be open to a graduate
intern.
scf.k12.wi.us
Recap of Plan
• We plan to utilize the multiple different forms of social media, but
we are cognizant of the fact that multiple websites, applications,
and forms of software may create many distinct communities.
Strategy:
• Therefore, in order for us to combine these many forms of
social media, we plan to create a hub, such as KickApps which
is a website that has the capability to support blogs, surveys,
advertising, groups, videos, photos, Facebook, Twitter, and
much more. This hub will serve as the Rutgers Residence Life
main portal, where professional staff and student staff will
have access to maintain. Residents will have the opportunity
to create an account where multiple forms of social media will
intersect and build a community .
References:
Astin, A. (1984). Student involvement: a developmental theory for higher
education. Journal of College Student Personnel, 25(4), 297-308.
Barratt, W. (2003). Information Technology in Student Affairs. In S. R.
Komives & D. B. Woodard (Eds.), Student services: A handbook for the
profession (379-396). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Biddix, P. (2010). Technology uses in campus activism from 2000-2008:
Implications for civic learning. Journal for College Student Development. 51
(6)., 680-696.
Cain, J., Doneka, R. S., & Smith, K. (2010). Use of social media by residency
program directors for resident selection. American Journal of Health-System
Pharmacy, 67(19), 1635-1639.
References:
Fischer, E., & Reuber, A. R. (2011). Social interaction via new social media: (How)
can interactions on Twitter affect effectual thinking and behavior? Journal of
Business Venturing, 26(1), 1-18
Grensing-Pophal, L. (2009, November). Social media: Investing in what works.
Information Today, 26(10), 1-42
Haythonthwaite, C. (2005). Social networks and internet connectivityeffects.
Information, communication & society, 8 (2), 125-147
Moneta, L. (2005). Technology and student affairs. Redux. New Directions for
Student Services, Winter 2005 (112), 3-14.
Roberts, D. C. (2003). Community Building and Programming. In S. R. Komives &
D. B. Woodard (Eds.), Student services: A handbook for the profession (539-554).
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.