Category Archives: Student Affairs

Oct 29 2012
2 Comments
Admissions, EM, Recruitment, Student Affairs

EM, Meet Advancement. Advancement, EM.

I’m sitting here without electric. I’m bored, getting kind of cold, watching the candles dwindle as the flames start to burn out (mostly because I’ve been burning candles all day…it’s what we do here), and enjoying the sound of the wind and rain. To be honest, I should probably be scared. I don’t know.  I have a glass of sauvignon blanc on my left and a glass of cabernet sauvignon on the right. I’m taking on this frankenstorm in the classiest manner I know how. I’m also typing this post with my thumbs and I’m not going to lie, I’m amazed at my dexterity. I’m pretty fast. Let’s hope that autocorrect doesn’t place any ridiculous words in this post.

I just read this article from our friends over at Noel-Levitz, and I realize more than ever the importance of having a connected university. I was lucky to have the opportunity to work in enrollment management, student affairs, academic affairs, and university advancement as an undergrad and graduate student at Salisbury University. I know that I drove my now wife crazy with all of my jobs, but I wouldn’t have the knowledge of how institutions work without those experiences.  She’s awesome.

It’s interesting that I would write this post tonight. As a Marylander, I’ve [obviously] been affected by Sandy. And yet, as I’m worrying about my family, my coworkers and my life here in DC (ish), I’m also worrying about my school. Salisbury sits 30 miles away from Ocean City, Maryland, practically underwater.

Freshman Year: After a night of mud sliding on the quad

I’m thinking about the residence halls, the buildings, the city and the students. I’m thinking about the local barsI used to head to with throngs of friends for Thirsty Thursdays or weekend nights as I see pictures on Facebook of those establishments underwater. I remember mud sliding in the quad…running and jumping head first across the giant puddle, formed by a would-be-snow-storm that JUST wasn’t cold enough, ultimately ending on the other side, being amazed at how this was possible. I’m thinking about my freshman experience, especially as a good friend and cluster mate left me a voicemail yesterday that I’ve yet to return (but WILL very soon). I remember sitting on the beach and watching waves with friends as crazy storms rolled in. I’m smiling, thinking about taking Meggie on our first date as freshmen, just four months into our college years…driving to the beach to see the Christmas lights.

As I look down, I notice that I’m wearing Salisbury sweatpants and an SU t-shirt. I look at the collages of pictures on the wall and see my friends smiling back. I look at the blanket on my floor. Salisbury. The photo album on the shelf. Salisbury. My engagement pictures. Salisbury. And let’s not get ahead of ourselves, no, my apartment is not a shrine to SU. My wife is a phenomenal decorator. Really phenomenal.

When I go to college fairs as an alumni volunteer, I see firsthand the shocked faces of students and parents when I say that I don’t work for SU. I’m there, volunteering on a Saturday morning or Tuesday after work because I love my institution. I’m able to provide an insight to my school that these students may not otherwise see. I can tell these stories. I can smile and laugh and be genuine. And, that’s what sells an institution. I can pull from my cross-campus experiences (look for this term in a later post) to answer student questions, paired of course with the EXCELLENT alumni admissions training offered by my alma mater. I can mention my friends who are successful teachers in the state and those who went on, like me, to pursue their master’s. I can talk about my friends working for non-profits, the government, or starting their own businesses after winning competitions put on by Salisbury. I can offer that level of credibility. I can talk directly about job placement. I can speak both to and from experience.

I don’t want to step on Kristen Rothfeld’s excellent past posts on utilizing alumni in EM, I just want to offer my vantage point.

And now I’m thinking about giving. At 25, I’m pretty much just beginning my professional career; and, while I’m in a great place, it’s not one that offers me the opportunity to give to my school on the level that I desire. So I give my time at college fairs, I give my knowledge when it comes to social media and I give my stories to anyone who will listen.

How do you give back?

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Jul 27 2012
2 Comments
Job Search, Student Affairs

Oh The Places You’ll Go

Wrapping up my thoughts on my job-searching journey.

Here we go….

I am beginning to think there is a secret pass code, decoder ring, or combination lock when securing a full time position in student affairs. If those items are in existence, please come forward now. I decided to attend graduate school for College Student Affairs because I love a college campus. I love the feeling that you get when you step onto that concrete slab with buildings and suddenly, you’re transported without warning into a land that has deep roots and traditions, laughter, music, shouting students showing their school spirit, banners advertising for the next SGA Club president, and friendly faces who want YOU to be apart of their team. The best part of this degree is you have thousands upon thousands of choices to choose your very own land to be transported to.

I am so thankful to those who check in daily via Facebook, email, twitter etc…. just to see where I am at in my job searching process. Words cannot express how truly grateful I am that you care. Not only does it keep me going on a daily basis, but it keeps reestablishing that there are fantastic professionals in our field that have a sense of class, professionalism, and a passion for making a college a better place. I look forward to staying in contact with you all in years to come.

Good News ……

Ever since graduating in May 2010 with my Masters in College Student Affairs from the University of South Florida, I have created every part time position I have had. I went and sought out opportunities to keep my resume alive for it was and is still important for me to be apart of student affairs in some way, shape, or form.

I have had the amazing opportunity to be interning with Valencia College Student Development Collegewide here in Orlando, Florida since January 2012. My supervisor, who is the Director of Student Development Collegewide, created a part time position for me starting in August that will allow me to continue to grow and develop as a professional in an organization.

The other day I was driving home from work and I suddenly had an “aha” moment. This internship turned part time position is the right fit for me at this point in time. I have fought so hard for two in half years for a full time position and have lost the battle. Now, I just need to SEE the opportunity right in front of me and be okay with it.

I am in the end very grateful for this battle to find a full time position in College Student Affairs because when the time comes to have my very own office space and I can hang that M.Ed. diploma on my very own wall, it will be that much sweeter. I have always been a late bloomer in the sense of finding my way in life and this is just another challenge I will over come. I mean, after all, I want to be the Dean of Students one day and I have to start somewhere!

I will find the decoder ring one day and when I do you’ll be the first to know.

Until then, I will keep you updated on my experiences as I try to find my way into a student affairs world that I CAN picture in my head and try to make it a reality.

Jun 29 2012
3 Comments
Admissions, Community, EM, Professional Development, Student Affairs

Pinterest Ideas

Last night’s chat on Pinterest in Higher Ed was one of our most successful chats yet and there is a TON of content to read through.  But, if you’re just interested in some ideas for boards to create at your institution, these ideas popped up in the chat.  We branched out of enrollment management, but let’s be honest, in the end, everything affects recruitment.

 “Accepted” – Accepted students pin their acceptance letters with something that speaks to their personality. Think about Erin King’s MIT Acceptance Letter to Space on a pinning scale.

“Our Campus” — Just another avenue for a campus tour.  But it’s not just any avenue, it’s an awesome one.

“Day in the Life Of” — Of a current student? Of a current major? Of a faculty member? Of anyone. What a great suggestion to provide a different level of insight.

“Campus Hangouts” – Who wouldn’t want to know this?

“What being a {mascot} means to you” – Another tap into creativity.  And, there’s never anything wrong with school pride.

“Campus history” – A unique way to tell your campus’ story.

“How College Kids Eat” – Awesome spot for healthy recipes or not-so-healthy-just-really-delicious meals.

“{Mascot}’s around the globe” – Or alumni happenings in general. Babies? Non-human babies? Pre-baby “baby”?

“Why I love being a student here” – And why any prospective student would love it, too.

The list goes on and on, but the point is, it seems like Pinterest is taking a prominent seat at the SM table in higher education.  After last night’s chat, heck, I think I’ll start using my account a bit more…

We’ll have a follow-on chat in a few weeks—and thanks again to our awesome guest, Travis Brock from Educational Marketing Group.  If you want to see some really great examples of Pinterest in higher ed, check out their post.

Cheers to a great weekend, friends!

-Alex

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Jun 12 2012
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Job Search, Professional Development, Student Affairs

Job Searching Strategies-Tips, Insights & Ideas

Job searching can be slightly different for anyone who is looking for that ‘perfect fit.’ I have to admit I was a tad bit naive during the beginning of my job search process. In time, though, I lost my ‘nervousness’ and ‘gooey eyes.’ I began to understand the process and begin to get down to business.

So, here is a Top Five List of Job Searching Strategies. These top five tips are the ‘ideas and insights’ that are helping me get through my current job searching. If you want to know the background story of who I am, please check out my first blog posting.

1. The Phone Interview

The art of a phone interview is one learned over time. It’s like a dance with many steps and with enough practice; the dance becomes fluid, natural, and ends with a great overture of applause at the end.

Conduct your phone interview in a quiet place with no distractions and preferably, a landline because let’s face it; drop calls are the norm these days.

Have the job description in front of you with notes about the department, university, and any other facts that will help you understand the university as a whole.

Your resume should be nearby as it will guide you through the interview and provide you with key words to highlight your experiences and help you answer their questions.

Above all, try to be yourself and see this as an opportunity to let your personality shine. I have had search committees conduct professional interviews and not so professional interviews. You really have to just have a go with the flow and truly expect all sorts of questions, but more importantly, always stay true to yourself.

Finally, it’s important to reflect with a family member, peer, or colleague after a phone interview so you know what strategies to keep for next time. Sometimes when I thought I did horrible during a phone interview, I was called for an on- campus interview. You just never know what the search committee interprets and what you interpret.

2. On-Campus Interview

Naturally, the on-campus interview is a great way for you to see the campus, the culture, the staff, faculty and community in living color.

Remember you’re on an interview from the time you step off that plane, car, bus, train until you leave to go back home.

Student Affairs is a very small world and you never know who will be listening or seeing you in person.

Also keep in mind, the entire time that you’re interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you.Over the course of my three year job search, I have had eight on campus interviews. And I have had both unprofessional and professional on campus interviews given by universities. It just happens and we can’t pretend it doesn’t.

Still, in those unprofessional situations, you have to just remain yourself throughout the entire process and not blow off the interview just because you don’t like the environment. Organizations change all the time and you could end up working with a whole new group of people someday who used to work at that particular institution.

3. Networking

This piece of advice, believe it or not, has been the hardest part for me. I am a shy person by nature so at the beginning of my job search, I was very reluctant to network and ask for help. Soon I realized, though, that networking was the only way to get my name on peoples’ radar and to let them know that I am job searching.

I started with Twitter where I was introduced by a friend who, in-turn, introduced me to #sachat, weekly chat. This chat, #sachat weekly chat, invites student affair professionals from across the country to participate in a thought-provoking discussion guided by a series of questions. I have met a wonderful group of student affair professionals through twitter and I am very thankful to for their support.

I have also been a member or NASPA since 2010 and I have recently joined as a board member of a Knowledge Community to keep my membership active.

4. Mentoring

Mentoring is something that really keeps my sanity. When I have someone I can vent to and seek advice from, I can settle a lot of my fears about this job search. I have about four mentors who are at different stages of their student affairs career which gives me a very well-rounded viewpoint.

I am thankful for their encouraging, tweets, phone calls, emails and cheerleading attitude because it gets me by on a daily basis. It’s important to seek out at least one mentor who is a professional in our field that can be your guide and professional confidant.

5. Family

My entire family, have been really supportive through my job search. I currently reside with my parents and it’s not easy going back into the household after four years of living on your own during college. However, I am really glad to be able to have a place where I feel safe and secure.

It has been adventure for everyone who has continued to be my cheerleader and knows that one day the cycle will break. You just have to believe in your skill set and know that this journey will have ups and downs, a complete emotional roller coaster that you just have to accept.

Conclusion

In conclusion, these strategies may seem like a no- brainer, but I don’t think you can truly put these strategies to use and realize their potential benefit until you’re actively looking for a job.

Above all, I think it’s important to really ‘go with the flow during’ job interviews. We all get so caught up in ‘landing the job’ and trying to say everything during our interview that is ‘smart and witty’, that we tend to forget the reality of everyday living.

The reality is that your job search might be a long process, involving many bumps along the road.

I think it’s important to continue to be an advocate for YOU along the way. Find part time positions at a university and/or enroll in an internship at your local college.

I tend to give this advice to people who are new to the job search and the student affairs field in general. I usually, though, just get blank stares back in-return. They say things like “this will never happen to me. I will never get a part time position and/or an internship at a local college.” I say, don’t judge a situation until you can picture yourself in the shoes of someone, an employer and/or college administrator who needs help and/or has a new job in mind. You never know until you try….

I am currently a board member of the Student Leader Programs NASPA Knowledge Community and I am working at an internship. That is one of the reasons I am so happy to be a part of #emchat and the student affair twitter community. Even though I don’t have a full time job, my advocacy keeps me grounded and believing that something will break my way as I continue to search for a position in a field I enjoy so much – College Student Affairs.

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May 31 2012
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Admissions, Community, EM, Student Affairs, Tweetup

Expand(ing)

Six months ago I wrote a post on my #oneword2012.  Expand.  While I meant this on a universal level for myself, this post related strictly to #EMchat.  I’m a firm believer in accountability and so I’m following up with my half-year review highlighting the expansion of this awesome community.

Expand on Twitter

As this is our primary medium for the chat, it was key to continue to develop topics and bring on experts in respective fields.  We’ve done just this.  We’re approaching our 30th chat and have an awesome line up of discussion topics and guests for the summer.  As planned, we pushed our calendar out to provide topics in advance to better cater the schedules of the community.  We know that every chat isn’t for every person (although we do have a pretty awesome regular crowd), and we’ll continue to build out discussion topics at least six weeks in the future.

We’ve also really appreciated the feedback we’re getting each week that helps us to develop these chats.  The voice of the community truly guides us.  So thanks for letting us know what YOU want to talk about – you make our role easy!

Expand the Blog

The EMchat blog has been an amazing addition to this community.  It was our hope that we would eventually have contributors posting on a regular basis.  You all have exceeded our expectations.  In just five months we have a total of 11 contributors on the blog.  This is incredible for a number of reasons: 1) it expands the reach of the community; 2) it provides vantage points to the EM industry from a variety of perspectives; 3) it lets us all share our passions.  Our team gets stronger by the week.  Thank you.

Expand your Network

Tweetups and mini-tweetups have taken place a bunch of times this year.  From Jennielle’s NAGAP, to some pretty awesome happy hours in DC and Arlington (for me!), to other conferences, we’re connecting on another level.  I’m amazed at how this community has grown. Amazed.  I know this is going to continue, but I’m already in awe.

—

We’ll check in again in another six months, but I’m happy to say we’re right where we want to be.  Thanks for participating, thanks for sharing, and thanks for making this the incredible community it is (have I said that enough?)!

May 24 2012
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Retention, Student Affairs, Tweet of the Night

#EMchat 29: #Reslife & #Retention-Tweet of the Night goes to @FirstGenCollege

#EMchat 29 was as, Yolanda (@FirstGenCollege) put it, “standing room only”! We had several participants, and all gave great input on the impact #reslife has on retention.

Tweet of the Night: 

Tonight’s TOTN goes to #EMchat’s own, Yolanda Norman (@FirstGenCollege), for her answer to Q3: What other ways can institutions creatively build community (#reslife or outside) to improve retention?

Tweet of the Night Honorable Mentions:

Josh Kohnert (@JoshKohnert), #EMchat’s own, answered Q2: How are resident assistants trained to provide academic guidance to residents on your campus? What about emotional?

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Eric Felix (@EriqFelix) answered Q3: What other ways can institutions creatively build community (#reslife or outside) to improve retention?

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One of our #EMchat newbies, PJ Boggio (@pjboggio), answered Q4: How can other areas of campus be incorporated into residence hall programming?

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Funniest Tweet of the Night: 
Josh Kohnert (@JoshKohnert) for his funny answer to Q5: What would be your dream residence hall, and what programs would you implement for #retention purposes? 

We would also like to give a shout-out to the new tumblr, Admissions Problems, in our Funniest Tweet of the Night section! It just launched a few days ago, and the #EMchat community can’t stop reading it! It is extremely funny…check it out :)

 Thank you to everyone who participated tonight.  Don’t forget, we’re off next week.  Have a great weekend! 
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May 23 2012
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EM, Retention, Student Affairs

interACT

With the national college dropout rate hovering around 45%, we are constantly left wondering what else can be done to retain students.  It’s obvious that in these economic times, the number one reason students leave school is due to financial difficulties.  And while the discussions will continue on how to cut (or freeze) tuition prices, offer more financial aid, or provide other alternatives to combating this issue, there are other avenues that institutions can walk down to aid in retention.

With students ranking homesickness, academic unpreparedness, and lack of mentorship as other key issues affecting their decision to leave college, institutions have an array of [largely cost free] options at their fingertips.

 Homesickness:

Entering college is one of the toughest transitions that a person will encounter in their life.  Resident Assistants are the first line of social defense here for those students opting to live on campus, and they truly do provide an awesome service.   But, what about pulling counseling services out of their office and setting up shop a few days a week in different residence halls?  Sometimes it’s best not to have students come to you, but rather, go to them.  Students can be ashamed that they miss home so much that they’re embarrassed to come in for a session.  Letting them know that someone is there and wants to talk could be just the push they need.

 Academic Unpreparedness:

High school is tough.  College is harder.  Despite rigorous honors and AP courses, some students still aren’t prepared for the level of work required.  Bolster writing centers, centers for academic achievement, tutoring programs, and student-professor interaction across campus.  I was lucky enough to have numerous professors who were willing to give out their personal cells in the beginning of the semester in an effort to promote interaction with students.

The aforementioned resources represent the academic line of defense.  Make sure your writing centers aren’t just places to edit papers.  The director I worked for @SalisburyU taught us to teach writing “as a life skill, because it is.”  With writing being one of the key reasons students struggle in college, this statement couldn’t be truer.  Additionally, all of these resources offer a peer-to-peer relationship as opposed to meeting with a professor.  The opportunity to enhance these programs and effectively train student staff is, in my belief, the greatest asset a university has.

 Mentorship:

Just like students in the past, students today yearn for mentorship.  I can’t even count the number of friends I had leaving high school and in my first year of college who were on pre-med or pre-law tracks (and yes, I was one of them).  But, I was lucky enough to have declared a major (English) that required us to have one-on-one academic advising sessions with a faculty member from our program.  Not all students (even at my school) were so lucky.  My interactions with my advisor eventually led me away from pre-law and influenced me to focus on marketing, now one of my largest passions.

Sure, we thrive on Facebook and Twitter and can get all the information we need out of an email, but face-to-face advising is certainly a key to retention success.  I learned a lot about myself through interactions with my mentor, and I was able to select classes in a way that allowed me to graduate a semester early.  I also took my concerns to them, looked to them for guidance, and took all of their advice seriously.  I know that it is incredibly tough for large universities to provide an advisor for each student—in fact, in many cases, it’s impossible.  But, even providing a sense of commonality among students by mentoring groups with similar interests can enhance the success of a student.

 So, what’s the theme here?

Visiting, peer-to-peer, face-to-face, human interaction.  Social media is superb for continuing relationships, following friends, and disseminating information.  But, it’s interaction that can truly aid in retention.  You always hear that at ______ university, you’re not just a number.  It’s time for institutions to fully embrace that.  We get so lost in the shuffle of life, living on our smart phones, that we sometimes forget to really connect.  And, while students want institutions to provide these social media resources, we can’t forget to simply interact.

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May 17 2012
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Admissions, Professional Development, Student Affairs, Uncategorized

Teaching the Successes to College

The third post in my initial series is a conclusion to the First Year Experience.  I so far have introduced thoughts about New Student Orientation, and Welcome Week.  This third part is about what happens when the school year starts.   Many universities, including my own institution, provides a class for students to take in the first semester.  This class, which I am going to call First Year Seminar, is supposed to teach students the successes to being a college student.

Some of these successes are topics like note taking, studying, and how to do research.  And while these topics are sometimes not the favorites of the students in the classroom, they are necessary.   I have helped to teach a couple of these seminars.  Following up with my students in later years, the biggest thing they have said was how beneficial covering topics like that were.  They said that college is a huge step from high school.  At the same time, it was these students that gave me the most problems in the classroom on days like this.

So the bigger questions is: does teaching success skills like the one’s mentioned above need to be so painful for students in the class?  Looking back and now looking forward as a hopeful professional in this area of higher education, I know now that the answer is no.

Creativity in lessons can go very far when working with students.  Half of the battle in most cases is trying to have he students buy in to the importance.  One solution among many, is to incorporate their other classes into this seminar class.  Another is the style of class.  Having a theme or a key issues that the class has to solve over the course of the semester can help when addressing different lessons over the course of the semester.

One thing that I think that every instructor would hate to hear is that their class was not beneficial.  When discussing retention at any level, one of the questions that may come up is, “Are our students prepared to succeed?”  This preparedness starts their first year.  Between learning about the university and making friends in the first two programs,  First Year Seminar brings it home with preparedness to get it done in the classroom.

What at your university helps get students prepared?

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Apr 29 2012
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Job Search, Professional Development, Student Affairs

Introduction to My Job Searching Journey!

Hello Everyone! I first want to write a big “Thank You” to Jennielle Strother and Alex Williams for allowing me to be a contributor to the #EMchat blog. I have been participating in their weekly Thursday night Twitter chats for some time now and it feels great to be a part of the best team on twitter!

My name is Lauren Kaplan and I graduated from the University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida with my Masters in College Student Affairs in May, 2010. I came to USF as a transfer student from Valencia College in Orlando, Florida. My time as an undergraduate and graduate student has allowed me to work in a variety of student and academic affairs departments.

Since graduating with my Masters in May, 2010, I have worked part time as an assistant to an Area Coordinator for the Housing and Residence Life Department at the University of Central Florida and as an Admissions Clearance Assistant for the Office of Student Conduct at the University of Central Florida. Currently, I am a Student Development Advisor-Intern at Valencia College in Orlando, Florida.

Upon graduating from my master’s program in May 2010, I have been on a job searching journey.My job searching journey began during my last semester (Spring, 2010) of graduate school when I attended The NASPA Placement Exchange in Chicago, Illinois with my cohort.

For those of you not familiar with The NASPA Placement Exchange (TPE), it is a conference that takes place before the annual conference of NASPA begins. The Placement Exchange takes place over a period of four days where current graduate students from various graduate student affair programs or student affair professionals have the opportunity to interview with employers from different institutions from across the country. You can pre-schedule interviews before you arrive at The Placement Exchange or you can schedule while you’re in attendance. Just because you send your resume and cover letter to an institution before you arrive does not guarantee, though, that you will receive an offer to interview at placement. You can find the position postings by registering with The Placement Exchange website.

While attending NASPA TPE in spring of 2010, I kept an open mind and heart the entire time. Prior to attending the NASPA TPE in Chicago I pre-scheduled interviews with various schools across the country. The positions were mostly for residence life as that tends to be the main positions posted on the TPE job posting website. As a graduate student, I looked at TPE at the time as a great course on how to interview for higher education positions. As a result of those interviews, I did not receive any on campus interviews. However, I was okay with the outcome because I knew that my first TPE was an opportunity to learn how to interview.

Since TPE 2010, I have had eight on campus interviews and dozens of phone interviews. I am always the candidate never the hired. It’s very humbling to be called for an on campus or phone interviews. I truly consider it an honor to be picked out of the 1,000’s of resumes. It just would be nice to be able to call an institution my home of employment.

This past March 2012, I decided to attend TPE in Phoenix, Arizona. This time around I knew what to expect and how to navigate my way through the interview process. I made it a point to network and connect with student affair professionals. I decided to stay for the NASPA conference; this would be my first NASPA conference so I took this opportunity to further put myself out into the world of student affairs and attend sessions on topics I wanted to know more about. Both TPE and NASPA conferences were a wonderful experience. I can’t wait to attend the NASPA conference in 2013 in my hometown of Orlando, Florida.

As a result of this job searching journey or marathon for short, I would like to help other graduate students or current student affair job seekers along in this process. It’s important that we stick together! My former College Student Affairs Professor, with each step in this process has always told me “Maybe it’s your turn” and that phrase has not only kept me motivated, but when the timing is right, it will be. I will write next month on “Job Searching Strategies”

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