Team Leaders: Karen Serrano
Annie Carlson
Samantha Perry
Objectives
 Identify and describe five major issues relating to
technological advancements in student services.
 Discuss how these issues have affected:
 Staffing Structures
 Duties
 Methods of Communication
 Discuss new directions for future services.
Major Issues
Internet Access
Campus
Environment
Electronic
Files/Student
Database
Assessment/Global
Connections
Security and
Safety
Overview
 With a majority of students possessing a cell phone
and/or a personal computer technology is dominating
campus culture.
 Gemmill and Peterson (2006) report:
 Freshman spend an average 10.20 hours a day using
technology
 Sophomores 8.99 hours a day
 Juniors 7.97 hours a day
 Seniors 7.51 hours a day
Services for Students via Internet Access
 Wi-Fi in common spaces on
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campus and residence halls for
learning purposes.
Accessing class materials, such
as syllabi, via Blackboard or
WebCT .
Bill pay
Direct Deposit of Financial Aid
funds
Register for classes
Grade tracking
Transcript requests
Campus email
Schedule Health Center
Appointments
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Apply for jobs
View class schedule
Online Discussion Boards
Connect with student
organizations
Sign up for intramural sports,
sorority recruitment and
fraternity rush
Participate in Institutional
Research
Register for housing
Work order requests
Apply for admissions
Register and participate in
orientation
Staffing Structures and Duties:
Internet Access
 Routine activities are absorbed into machines by
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processing menial tasks. (Davis , L.E. & Taylor, J.C., 2000)
Consolidate or reduce the number of
program/administrative assistants.
Increase Information Technology support.
Administrators are able to spend more time with students
because computers are able to handle menial tasks.
Program/Administrative assistants must be technologically
savvy.
Student Affairs professionals are able to create new and
effective programming and services.
Assessment/Global Connections
 Assessment of services is
more successful and
accurate when using
technology.
 Allows institutions of
higher education to
compare and share data
with relative ease.
 Allows benchmarking with
peer institutions within the
United States and
internationally
Staffing Structures and Duties:
Assessment/Global Connections
 Creation of central research department within Student
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Affairs.
Increase the number of staff specialized in assessment
techniques through professional development and hiring
technically literate staff.
Conduct regular campus wide assessment of student affairs
programs and services.
Analyze and report findings
Make recommendations regarding cuts, future funding, or
development of programs and services.
Compare data with peer institutions on a national and
global scale.
Security and Safety
 98% of students at a university have a cell phone and
do not use land lines (Fischman, 2007).
 Has become a major focus for colleges and university
campuses since the Virginia Tech massacre and the
recent Louisiana Tech and Northern Illinois University
incidents.
 While it is not possible for campuses to be complete
safety zones, efforts have been made to increase
student safety and awareness.
Security and Safety technologies
used by campuses
 Campus and off-campus disaster alert systems are used to disseminate
information to all faculty, staff, and students (Foster, 2007).
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Campus Blue lights
Text messaging
E-mail
Voicemail
Emergency Broadcasting Systems
 Partnerships with campus, local, and/or state law enforcement and
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authority, which allows prompt access to a central database.
Surveillance cameras
Use of GPS systems
Automatic safety lockdowns
Control of fire and safety panels
Card swipe systems instead of keys, which ensure safety for the facility
and residence.
Staffing Structures and Duties:
Security and Safety
 All levels of a security and safety organization need to
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be technologically savvy.
Collaborate with an accredited police department
(Lipka, 2008).
Collaborate with campus and off campus partners (i.e.
residence life, campus police, Greek housing, student
organizations, local police, fire department,
counseling center, emergency management team, etc.)
in a holistic manner.
Continuous technological maintenance and support
Test alert system
Electronic Files/Student Database
 Contains student information gathered by admissions
application, which includes:
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Social Security Number (SSN)
Phone number
Address
Class Schedule
Transcript
Any conduct/judicial file etc.
 Allows administrators to track “troubled” students who may be
at risk to themselves and campus at large.
 Allows quick campus-wide access in case of an emergency
 Tracks campus demographics
 Electronic profile connected to university identification swipe
card.
Staffing Structures and Duties:
Electronic Files/Student Database
 Keep student information strictly confidential as to
not violate federal, state and local Privacy Laws or
FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act).
 Address “at risk” students (academically and socially)
 Allows administrative assistance to operate in
capacities other than data input.
 Disseminate pertinent student information to
collaborative department as needed an as is
appropriate while abiding by FERPA.
 Advise students using their personal student history
Campus Environment
 Innovations in technology
have led to
environmentally sound
campuses that have
changed student services.
 Mandated programs, such
as the Leadership in
Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED), guide the
design of new building and
campus structure.
Staff Structure and Duties: Campus
Environment
 Sustainability office created to collaborate with
facilities and housing departments.
 All employees must understand innovative facility and
landscaping practices.
 Reduce energy consumption campus –wide.
 Produce environment-focused research based on
campus projects.
Methods of Communication
 New technologies provide
the capability to
communicate with all
faculty, staff, and students
via:
Text messaging
E-mail
Website updates
Emergency Broadcasting
Systems
 Instant Messaging
 Social Networking i.e.
Facebook, MySpace, etc.
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Future Directions with Technology5 years
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Wi-Fi access across entire campus.
Online documentation system.
30%-50% of campus buildings retrofitted to be LEED certified.
Integrating student and academic services through technology.
Integrate Web 2.0
Conduct extensive campus research on methods of integrating
environmentally healthy practices .
Assess student satisfaction with student services
Identify areas where students are most at risk and increase security.
Implement programming to educate students on safety services.
Increased security using:
 Surveillance cameras
 Hand held devices
 Swipe card access for all buildings and doors
Future Directions with Technology10 years
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70%-75% of campus buildings to be LEED certified.
Integrate latest Web version.
Have campuses be self sustaining.
Use results of continuous student satisfaction surveys
to implement positive change.
 Reduce crime on campus.
 Have a fully accredited police department.
 Increased security using:
 Biometric technologies (Szczerba, 2000).
 Remote card access
Questions or Comments
References
 Davis, L.E. &Taylor, J.C. (2000). Technology, organization, and job structure. Technology,
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organizations, and innovation: Critical perspectives on business and management. New York,
NY, Rutledge Press. Vol. 1, p. 128.
Fischman, J. (2007). The campus in the palm of your hand: Cell phones now transmit colleges’
course updates quizzes, bus schedules, and safety alerts. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
53(36), A41.
Fischman, J. & Foster, A.L. (2007). Dark day in Blacksburg: campus safety gains sharper vision
with new breed of surveillance cameras. The Chronicle of Higher Education. 53(34), A15.
Foster, A. (2007). After VA Tech, campuses rush to add alert systems: Notification methods
abound, but they don’t always work as planned. The Chronicle of Higher Education. 54(6), A1
Gemmill, E. & Peterson, M. (2006). Technology use among college students: Implications for
student affairs professionals. NASPA Journal. 43(2), 280-300.
Lipka, S. (2008). Professionalized campus police departments sign up for a new accreditation
process. The Chronicle of Higher Education 54(18), A20.
Szczerba, P. (2000). Advances in protection. American School and University.
www.asumag.com/security/ID_systems/university_advances_protection/index.html . Accessed
on February 15, 2008.
Wolff, B. (2006) Laptop use in university common spaces. Educause Quarterly. 2006(1), 74-76