3 Ways to Inform Your Students About the Benefits & Dangers of Social Media

1. Give Them a Reading List

Perhaps you teach a first year seminar course or maybe you just send out a welcome email to your incoming students. Anytime that you have an opportunity to share information about the appropriate use of social networks, I believe that you should do it. Students are not receiving this information from high schools or parents yet so academic advisors (and other student affairs professionals) need to fill this role.

Some suggested articles to get you started:

50 Social Networking Rules for College Students

6 Ways to Connect with Millennials About Social Networking


2. Friend Them

I have no problem accepting a friend request of a student who sends one. It seems to facilitate communication between us; especially with those students who do not respond to regular email. Sensitive or confidential information is never discussed via this medium and really is more of a way for my students to reach out to me and ask questions about appointment scheduling. In addition, being able to see them on my "student" friend list helps me to keep track of them and contact each of them more frequently than if I only could see their name and email address in an excel file. For some reason, the pictures really help.

By accepting these friend requests, we are again being given an opportunity to "teach" our students about the proper use of social networks. We don't even need to troll through their profiles to do this. I simply send out links to all of my student "friends" on facebook about using LinkedIn for professional networking or relevant news articles on the uses and abuses of social networking. This way I am providing them with information while at the same time allowing them to engage with me in a way that they are comfortable and familiar with.

3. Search Them

Some of the students in my first year experience told me about a peer mentor (student assistant) in another section who was allowed to go onto Facebook and unearth inappropriate material on the first year student profile pages. While I wouldn't advocate going this far in most classrooms, I do think that it might be helpful to surf through some profile pages to get a sense of what the general student populous at your institution is putting online.

Are the benefits of social networking being emphasized on your campus? Do students seem to understand the privacy settings that are available to them? Perhaps you'll stumble across a really great profile which can help you speak to other students about what to do to create a successful and appropriate profile.

If you know a student particularly well or perhaps are working with the student in a mentor/mentee relationship it might be entirely appropriate to go over the profile pages together to ensure that everything is on the up and up. This alleviates the issue of breaching a students trust while also providing the opportunity for a "teachable moment".

Oh No! I Have to Tell my Boss about Social Media

Social media is really starting to go viral. How many of us now have long lost friends requesting us to join  services like Facebook or  Twitter to keep in touch with each other? How many times have you heard of "twitter polls" or "facebook discussions" referenced on mainstream media channels? Everyone is jumping on the social media band wagon. And you think your advising center should too!

But...how do you pitch the idea to your boss/supervisor? These technologies are not exactly simple to understand at the surface level. Here are some tips to pitch and sell social media to your superiors.

1. Use Lee LeFever's "Plain English" Series

This series can prime your supervisor for what you are about to discuss. Be sure to share these links (or point to this blog) before your meeting. Most people have heard of social media and some of the applications included in it, but most people are just now starting to latch onto the idea. These videos are easy to understand and really drive home the key concepts of almost all of the social media applications. 

• Twitter in Plain English
• Social Bookmarking in Plain English
• Wiki's in Plain English
• Social Media in Plain English
• RSS in Plain English
• Social Networking in Plain English
• Blogs in Plain English
• Podcasting in Plain English
• Online Photosharing in Plain English

2. Come in with some examples of others work

Find others who have already implemented social media into their advising practice successfully. 

Twitter

• Columbia University Center for Student Advising
• University at Buffalo- Student Advising Services
• University of Wisconsin Green Bay Academic Advising
• Bismark State College Academic Advisement 

Facebook (Social Networking)

• University at Buffalo-Student Advising Services
• Revelle College Academic Advising
• Dyson College Academic Advising

Social Bookmarking

• University at Buffalo-Student Advising Services
• University at Buffalo-Student Advising Services Tag Cloud

Wikis

• University of Memphis- Academic Advising Handbook
• Utah Valley College- Advising Handbook

Blogs

• University at Buffalo- Be Advised Newsletter
• John Carroll University Academic Advising Blog
• ASA Tutor Blog

3. Have "mock ups" of your own work

Facebook allows you to create a "fan page" without actually publishing it. This makes it very easy to show your supervisor and make any changes that he or she suggests before actually making it public. It's always easier to sell an idea when the ideas are tangible. 

4. Show that you've done the research

What information do you have to back up the assertation that social media is something you should invest time and money into? What are students looking? What are the most cost effective ways to start? How much of your time will be involved? Have answers to these and other questions before going into the meeting. A good way to do this is start a social bookmarking account and keep track of all the articles you read. This is also a great way to find others who are researching social media in advising and share information. You can take a look at the resarch that I've done and then navigate through my network (other advisors who are interested in technology) to find the most current research. Add your own and help us grow!

5. Have a plan

You absolutely MUST read How to Sell Social Media... before your meeting. 

Additionally, most supervisors want to know all of the specifics about how you are going to execute your project before you actually do it. Think about the time involved, what could go wrong, the long-term and short-term goals etc. 

6. Stay current

The business of social media is changing ever day. Be sure to continously read blogs on education and technology, develop a way to communicate with other professionals who are interested in the same things that you are, and always try to be a bit ahead of the curve. 

My Lament Over Fan Pages

I wanted to give myself a few days to check out the facebook fan pages before I posted about it. Honestly... I have to say I dislike the new design. Perhaps with time it will grow on me but I truly liked the way it "used to be" when all the pertinent information was on the front page for all to see. Now vistors have to click on "boxes" to get to all of the "important" information.

I use the term important loosely because anything REALLY important probably shouldn't be posted on Facebook to begin with. The new "stream" is a positive update but again I just feel like that's all students will look at and never see the really "meat" of the page. 

However, fan pages do now look more like profiles so if users are  used to clicking on all those boxes in order to obtain information on profiles, perhaps they will do the same with fan pages. We shall see. 

I am interested in others reactions to the new roll out. The status updates are great though! Can't thank the FB team for those enough. 

Maybe its time to rethink the love affair with Facebook... I keep thinking that twitter is about to break out into the mainstream. Hearing more and more about it in the mainstream media which always means more "followers". 

NACADA Tech Seminar: Day 2 & 3

First of all, apologies for not getting this up sooner. I was blogging from the conference, but life got in the way and took precedence. Thank you for all the prayers and support as Buffalo deals with this tragedy. 

Second, the NACADA Technology Seminar was a success! For those of you who haven't had a chance to check it out the NACADATech Website has a plethora of information that was generated during the conference. The twitter feed (#nacadatech09) is still building and probably will be for some time.  The most important links are located within the wiki's that were created: Karen's, Laura's and George's.  Even though I am not a huge Wetpaint fan  (prefer PbWiki), there is much information to be gained by collaborating and sharing information here. I would encourage everyoone to post as much information as they can here. 

Third, I met some great people while down in Clearwater, FL including @callmekurt from Carnegie Mellon and @gingerotc from Ozark Technical College. They, among others, provided such great conversation and ideas that I didn't want to leave. Hopefully there will be more collaboration among us and you will see us teaming up at a conference near you soon! 

My biggest learning experience at the conference came from working hands on with others who hadn't used many Web2.0 applications prior to their attendance at the conference. It is easy for me to encourage others to use these applications, but I can't say that I've ever experienced trying to build them from the ground up.. As a native (circa 2004) Facebook user, I have always had a profile and adapted with changes that took place at the site whereas new users are innundated with ways to populate their profile from the very beginning. There are also complex privacy settings and "Pages" to round out the gammett of ways to use Facebook with students. My motto was "Let's take the scary out of Facebook" because so many people think that there are no privacy controls and that its a space that students do not want us in! In reality, I think the exact opposite is true and we will see this becoming more aparent as usage increases amongst advising centers and institutions themselves. 

Educators and institutions need to look at these tools are an opportunity for branding. If you do not establish your online presence someone else will and that can be dangerous. 

A few projects have emerged due to the conference and the questions people posted. One of these includes the creation of some type of "Facebook Glossary" so that the disctincton between "Friend" and "Fan" or "Page" and "Profile" can be more explicit and easy to understand. This would be useful not only for advisors but for others who are new to Facebook. Additionally, my "Good" and "Bad" profile examples will be rolling out soon. This idea emerged because we know that our students are on Facebook and since we are going to be intereacting with them in this space, perhaps we should educate them about appropriate use of the medium. In no way are we dictating what they should put up there, but we are teaching them a 21st century skill that they will need as they progress through life. 

Finally, I got so many ideas about future conference presentations and even a possible doctoral dissertation topic (Web 2.0 for students with disabilities). I would love to take the "Take the scary out of Facebook" presentation to the National Conference or even just to a regional since the topic is so important. 

Cheers to everyone that I met during the conference and please keep in touch via this blog, twitter, Facebook, or even (gasp!) email! I am looking forward to networking with all of you now and in the future. 

Weekly Roundup: 3 AM Edition

• Shaking Up the Community College Concept :: Inside Higher Ed :: Higher Education's Source for News, Views and Jobs
  An interesting example of what might be coming soon from community colleges. How will this implicate academic advisors?
• ChangeThis :: Workplace 2.0: Motivating and Managing Millennials
  As a Millennial, I identifiy with this "manifesto" and truly believe that hiring managers should heed its wisdom.
• University at Buffalo-Student Advising Services | Facebook
  One of my projects this week was to create a baseline Facebook Page for my home office. This is the result thus far. Stay tuned.
• 10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know
  Essential reading for those of us who want to use Facebook in our advising practice. The tips they provide might also encourage the skeptics to rethink their position.

Daily Advising Update :Pithy Comments Edition

Spent some time checking out the NACADA Technology in Advising Commission Page. It looks like many of the links on the resource page need to be updated. There are lots of 404 errors. It also seems as though the commission reports have gone dormant since 2003! Things clearly have changed in 6 years.

Perhaps the folks at the NACADA Tech Seminar next week will have some insight into how we can improve this commission and jump start it! At minimum we could update the resources so that others (who are interested in other areas of advising) can have the most up-to-date information regarding technology in advising when they visit our page (or the general NACADA resource page).

Speaking of the upcoming seminar, I can't wait to get out of this Buffalo cold and into some Florida sunshine. Hopefully it won't rain! There should be some time the first day that I arrive to "beach it" and then I will be attending the seminar's team leader meeting. Apparently there will also be dinner at Crabby Bill's (no... not Crabby Jill's).

My main projects today were working on the upcoming Student Advising Services Facebook Page (not yet published)! We previously had had a group for READY @ UB (Researching, Exploring, And Developing Yourself) but I really think that a page will be more effective for our purposes. We will continue to maintain the group but use the page as a springboard to get students there in the first place. Anyone have any thoughts on the pros/cons of using a page for an advising center versus a group? I know that there are a few websites out there that point you in this direction, but nothing from the advising standpoint. We are pioneers!

Do You Ning?

Technology and Academic Advising on Ning

Ning is home to a group called Technology and Academic Advising where advisors who have interest in technology can gather. This particular group looks like it has gone stagnant since there hasn't been much new activity since April 2008.

There has been much talk about Ning replacing Facebook as the social network of choice for those of us in the higher education realm. It is supposedly more secure than Facebook and allows you to customize more then the Facebook interface.

My personal take on Ning is that it isn't going to catch on. It doesn't serve any new purpose and Facebook is now able to integrate with Schools on Facebook to provide the secure access that institutions are looking for. This group would be useful if there was more collaboration going on. There are not any other academic advising Ning sites out there aimed at professional advisors.

I had also thought about starting a Ning site for my students, but again I don't know how useful it would be. Are any other advisors using Ning with their advisee's? Hopefully this topic will be addressed at the technology seminar.

To Friend or Not To Friend: That is the Question

Do you "friend" your advisee's on Facebook? How do you handle their "friend" requests? 

Inside Higher Education recently published an article  by the authors of a new book regarding social networking on campuses. In it, they outline the most important things that campus professionals should know about Facebook, some of the most worrisome practices that students are engaging in and advice on handling those tricky friend requests. 

Facebook is a "Student Space" First and Foremost

This is often very difficult for me to keep in context because I view Facebook entirely different than current students do. When Facebook was first launched back in 2004, I was a sophomore student and wasn't sure what all the fuss was with this service. As time (and the application) progressed, so did my uses for it. In primative Facebook days, there was a "Classes" feature that would allow you to see other students who were enrolled in the same classes that you were. Since Facebook  is now shifting away from a college audience to a broader one this feature has been eliminated. 

My idea of Facebook has always included a component of academia whereas those students who are experiencing it for the first time now have no sense at all of what it was like at its inception. They only know it as being a social network where you can send gifts, send Zombie invitations, and never ever have to remember a birthday. Students do not always welcome the sight of administrators and professors in "their" corner of cyberspace. 

Worrisome Practices

Facebook addiction is something that many students have expressed to me during advisement appointments. They frequently cite its use as one of the reasons they are not completeing school work as well as a source of personal issues (e.g., a friend tags a photo of them in a precarious situation and won't remove the photo) which can interfere with their academic load. 

I think its important that we as advisors DO NOT forget that addiction to anything is possible. We need to listen to our students, offer suggestions for successful time management and make referreals to counseling services when necessary. 

To Friend or Not To Friend: That is the Question

While the article doesn't take a direct position on this, I am going to. 

DO add students who send friend requests to you.

DO NOT add students who did not request the add. 

If a student requests to be a friend, you may also set up a limited profile for them when they attempt to view your profile. As always I am a big advocate of keeping your profile as professional as possible (e.g., avoiding too many apps, keeping religious views and political views off) but there is the option to limit students access even further. 

Seeking out a student on Facebook and asking them to be your friend is, in my opinion, somewhat inappropriate. If there is a good rationale for seeking the student out (e.g., want to recommend them for something) you can send them a message rather than adding them to your network. 

Advising With Facebook

I have found that Facebook can be a great tool to get advisee's to interact with one another (via groups) and tremendously helps to keep students engaged with their academic lives. Creating a relationship where a student feels comfortable sending you electronic messages (whether email or Facebook) allows for a more holistic approach to advising. Facebook also allows us to meet students where they live; email isn't that place anymore. 

I will continue to respond to messages that my advisee's send to me via Facebook and continue to send them pertinent information via Facebook groups that they voluntarily join. One application that I would like to learn more about is the Schools on Facebook app (if any of your Universities are using it please let me know what you think!). 

So...Questions for my readers... 

What is your take on Facebook and advisement? Are you using it in your center? Do you agree or disagree with me regarding friending students?

Facebook & the Freshman

Facebook has revolutionized higher education (and probably the world at large as well!). From a primarily post-secondary perspective, Facebook has provided its users with a chance to connect with one another on a sub-human real-time level. A few recent articles point out that freshmen are a primary audience for the type of information that Facebook provides. They can look up prospective roommates, receive recommendations about course scheduling and professors, and find out what the campus culture is before they even arrive on campus. If this is where students, both prospective and current, are getting information about their university shouldn't the university itself have some desire to control content?

I use Facebook groups to run an informal discussion group for students who are undecided about majors and careers, or who have questions about the process it takes to become a professional. The program is called READY (Researching, Exploring, and Developing Yourself). Facebook allows students from all across campus to come together at whatever time is best for them and interact with one another through discussion boards, videos, and posted links. This group is monitored closely for any inaccurate or otherwise inappropriate information. Since I have only been working with the group for a semester, I don't have much data regarding its success or failure. What I do know though, is that it's providing accurate information to students in a forum that they are already occupying.

There are forums out there, however, where students are receiving inaccurate information about their university or college. Groups like "Class of 2012" are filled with incoming students being fed information from upperclassmen that is frequently correct, but occasionally errant. I propose that institutions create "Facebook monitors". These people would be employees of the university and be sure that information disseminated online was of factual quality. Even better, universities could create their own official "Fan Pages" or "Groups" and consistently monitor the information provided there.

Of course there are drawbacks to this method. Students may not enjoy the fact that administrators are invading their space. While on the website, university administrators may find photos or text which doesn't fall in line with the university's mission or code of conduct. Would such infractions have to be reported? I believe they should.

One of the goals of higher education is to increase social awareness and create a responsible, well-rounded citizen. Teaching students how to behave online is a new skill set which universities must start to teach. I would love thoughts and comments...

Facebook & Delicious in Academic Advising

This semester my interest has really been sparked by web 2.0 and finding ways to implement those techniques into my role as an academic adviser. A colleague of mine had an idea last semester of a program where students could come together with academic advisers and their peers to discuss any issues they wanted to that were related to their academic lives, future careers, or just things that were bothering them on campus.

She asked me to assist her with this project and I thought this might be an opportune time to integrate a Facebook academic advising community (something I had been thinking about for awhile). At first, it took a long time for the group to get off the ground but when it did it thrived!

Students responded to discussion board questions and videos. They also took some initiative and posted things of their own that they wanted us to discuss. Overall, we currently have more than 100 members signed up and around 20 who are actively participating. When the Facebook section of the group took off, we were contemplating disbanding the in-person portion of the group. When we posed this question to the students, however, they told us not too! They wanted in person interaction and were really enjoying the group dynamics.

This was not the response I was expecting from these students. I am curious if anyone else is surprised by their reaction?

The other project that I have been working on this semester is the implementation of a delicious account specifically to help the students that we serve in our center: undecided students and students who are interested in changing their major. Since I love delicious with all my heart I wanted to give my students access to that same interface if they wanted it.

My delicious page for academic advising has everything from general advisement information to information on career fields that might be of interest to students. It is my hope that if students can get a taste of what they can do with a particular major or learn how to better network early on in their academic lives, they will be better prepared for their futures. I also hope that by introducing them to this website, they will better be able to organize information that is related to their academics.

As far as I know, no other academic advisement center is using delicious in quite this way. If anyone is out that that is, I would love to see it! Maybe we could share some ideas!

Please feel free to take a look at my delicious account. Any comments or feedback on it are appreciated.