OrgSync just returned from the always exciting NODAC in St. Louis, MO.  This conference was very special to our team because of the unique partnership between OrgSync and NODA.  NODA utilizes OrgSync to create an online community that helps improve communication with members and manage the registration process for the entire conference. It was a great opportunity for our team to meet with Orientation professionals from many of our current campus partners.  There was a great buzz around the conference from excited campus partners that are just beginning to take advantage of OrgSync in their orientation programs.  We were also very excited to be able to share how OrgSync can improve the experience of first year students with orientation leaders from campuses around the country that are not yet campus partners. The highlight of the conference for me was Monday when Leanna Laskey and I led a showcase session discussing the importance of using technology in Orientation programs.  We spoke in front of a packed room, and it was great to be able to see all of the excited faces of current campus partners as well as those that were learning about OrgSync for the first time.   It was particularly exciting to see Justin Sipes, from Sonoma State University, share his experiences using OrgSync with everyone in the room. The OrgSync team truly enjoyed seeing all of the smiling faces during our presentation, and it was great to hear all the positive feedback from the campuses throughout the weekend. We look forward to seeing everyone at NODAC again next year!

Here is another great article we all enjoyed from an OrgSync Campus. This article was originally published in The Panther on Monday September 20th, 2010 by Lindsay Anderson. Student involvement is made simple at Chapman – even simpler than Facebook. Chapman joined OrgSync, an online community that allows individuals and on-campus organizations to make profiles, creating a web of communication. OrgSync makes student activities more accessible. The site features a home page and search bar that allows users to look up organizations by name, category or keyword, said junior Sarah Faulkner, student organization assistant for the Department of Student and Campus Life. “It’s nice because someone who is interested in singing might think that SoundCheck is their only option, but when they type in ‘singing’ as a keyword, there are actually a couple of other clubs they can join,” Faulkner said. To make the website popular, Student and Campus Life is creating an incentive for students to make profiles. Every student who creates a profile before this Wednesday, Sept. 22, is entered into a raffle. The grand prize winner receives a Wii with the Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort and Wii MotionPlus Bundle. Other prizes include a long board skateboard, a $100 gift card to Target and a $50 gift card to the Chapman Bookstore. More than 150 colleges use OrgSync, including UCLA and Arizona State University. Chapman’s website, created by Sean Salomon, department assistant for Student and Campus Life, has been recognized for being particularly user-friendly, Salomon said. He created a training video to teach individuals how to use the system. Returning students are the department’s target group because most freshmen were introduced to the system during their orientation. Club and organization leaders can use Facebook less now and turn their attention toward attracting students to OrgSync. “I’m not even going to acknowledge Facebook anymore,” said Haley O’Brien, president of Getting Involved in Volunteer Efforts. “I’m really excited to see if this takes off and where it’s going to go.”

Michael Coomes, Ed.D. I have had the privilege of knowing, learning from, and working with Dr. Mike Coomes for 2 and a half years now. Mike was my graduate school adviser for the College Student Personnel master’s degree program. The scope of what I learned from Mike is not easily stated because of his years of experience, dedication, and passion for college student development and higher education.  He brings to every conversation a fountain of knowledge that informs all those who encounter Mike. It cannot be denied or disputed that Mike is seen as a preeminent scholar and leading figure within the Student Affairs community and that is why I asked him to take part in a Q & A session regarding a varying range of topics. These include: the evolution of higher education, the importance of student involvement, and the use of technology to help in the management and facilitation of all of this. This is the first part in a two part series, with the second set of questions and answers to be posted within the next few weeks. · Please tell us a little about yourself. I am currently an Associate Professor and the Chair of the Higher Education and Student Affairs Department at Bowling Green State University (BGSU). I have been a faculty member at BGSU since 1986. I hold a BA in Education from Western Washington University (Belllingham, WA) and an Ed.D. from Indiana University (Bloomington, IN). Prior to doing my graduate work I was the Director of Financial Aid at St. Martin’s University (Lacey, WA) and Seattle University. I have also taught 7th & 8th grade language arts. My scholarly interests include the history and philosophy of the student affairs profession and the generational characteristics of college students. I am married and the father of two adult children, one a BGSU graduate and the other a current student at BGSU. · How has higher education changed during the time you’ve been involved in the field? As someone who tends to take the long-view (befitting a faculty member with an interest in history), I believe in the adage that “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” The fundamental aspects of higher education in the United States are relatively timeless and include the quest for knowledge; facilitating the growth, development, and learning of students; and maintaining a place that is an important cultural institution. Having said that, there are changes, including: (1) The growth of new student populations, most specifically adult learners (students age 23 and above) and students of color. The college campus is much more diverse than it was in 1973 and will become increasingly diverse in the future. (2) In keeping with its role to respond to changing societal conditions, the curriculum of the university has become more extensive. New areas of inquiry and new majors (e.g., environmental studies, women’s studies, photochemistry, hazardous waste management) abound. (3) The means of learning have changed. While much teaching is still done through “sage on the stage” pedagogies, new technologies, new philosophies of learning, and new approaches to teaching have made the learning experience deeper and more interesting. From totally on-line universities like the University of Phoenix to blended courses offered at most colleges, students are availing themselves of a wide-range of learning modalities. Perhaps more importantly, a new vision of education has emerged. This vision puts student success at the center of the educational enterprise and is predicated on the belief that constructing knowledge with students in more effective than simply asking students to memorize and regurgitate facts. (4) Colleges have become less distinctive and more similar. Statewide mandates, federal legal requirements, and accrediting board standards, have forced colleges to adhere to similar sets of expectations. Those expectations have resulted in a homogenization of institutional processes and purposes. (5) Policy makers at the institutional, state, and federal level have abrogated their responsibility for making college affordable and assessable. In the 1970s, in an attempt to broaden participation in student aid programs to the middle-class, the burden of financing was shifted from public to individual resources. In the past 30 years, this has resulted in a shift from funding education through grants and scholarships to student loans. Coupled with increasing costs (According to the College Entrance Examination Board, since 1979, average, public, 4-year tuition has increased by 222% in constant 2009 dollars. For the same period, private, 4-year tuition has increased by 178%), the redirection of financial aid is making it very difficult (if not impossible) for low- and lower, middle-class students to afford a college education. · What are some of the challenges facing higher education today? The obvious one is linked to #5 above—it is the combination of increased cost coupled with decreasing federal, state, and external financial support for higher education. The recent recession has played havoc with all state budgets and that has impacted public college and many private college budgets. Until other revenue streams can be developed, the public college will find it increasingly difficult to meet its social responsibilities.
 
I also believe that, even though a college education is still a large part of the American dream, we are at a low-point in public support for education in general, and college education in particular. This may be part of a large skepticism about public institutions, but regardless of the reason, that lack of public support is resulting in budgetary tentativeness at the state level—tentativeness that is having deleterious effects on higher education. · Can technology play a role in alleviating some of those problems? Many problems can only be solved with the application of technology. However, all new technologies come with unanticipated costs. The advent of the automobile gave people much greater mobility; it opened up new ways of interacting, new ways of doing business, and new forms of recreating. That said, it has also led to environmental degradation, the decline of urban centers, a sense of personal disconnection, and an increase in accidental death rates. In informally doing the cost-benefit analysis of automobile usage, most people would say the benefits outweigh the costs—that doesn’t make the costs disappear, however. When technology is applied to education, most people think of how computer-mediated environments can make the provision of education more effective and efficient. Frequently, this assumption is grounded in an understanding of student learning that sees learning as the transmission of knowledge from sender to receiver. While computer-mediated learning environments can be much richer than this (I can see a future where SecondLife has morphed into something akin to the Starship Enterprise’s holodeck), as I noted above, we have rethought how students learn best, and computer mediated environments may not be particularly adept at fostering the construction of knowledge. I do not believe the computer (the next generation of technology) will replace bricks and mortar colleges. I believe this for no other reason than colleges play an important maintenance function. The national culture is not prepared to have young adults (i.e., traditional-aged students) on their own nor are most parents inclined to have their children stay at home longer than necessary. Residential colleges provide useful holding areas for young adults to develop a wide-range of personal and inter-personal skills. · Should technology play a role in alleviating some of those problems? If it does not, then it is part of the problem.

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OrgSync will be publishing several eBooks this fall. We want to give the higher ed community an opportunity to contribute to our eBooks in an effort to help other Student Affairs Administrators across the country.  It is becoming increasingly important for Atudent Affairs Professionals to have a voice and find publishing opportunities so we have made it easy for you! We are currently taking submissions for the following eBooks: Best Practices for Programming on a Tight Budget By sharing your department’s process for programming on a tight budget, you are helping campuses sustain their co-curricular programs! As budgets are still getting cut, we realize the importance of implementing successful programs that connect students and help build a community on campus. How has your department adjusted to recent budget cuts to offer free or cheap programming on your campus? You can submit entries here Deadline: Sept 30st Best Practices in Student Organization Registration By sharing your department’s process for student organization registration, you are helping campuses across the nation grow student involvement! You can submit your entries here Deadline: September 30st

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Glen Baumgart Today’s Guest blogger is Glen Baumgart, a longtime friend of mine in higher education. Glen has been working with higher education community engagement programs for over 12 years, and  currently serves as the Director of the Volunteer and Service Learning Center at The University of Texas at Austin. If you work in higher education, then you have heard this line before, “I learned more outside the classroom than in the classroom” as students reflect on what they have learned and how they have grown. There is a lot of truth to that statement. In the classroom, students wrap their minds around theories, concepts, lessons, and content. But it is outside the classroom in student organizations, internships, community service activities, leadership programs, and other experiences where students are challenged with putting this new knowledge into action. And its not just putting knowledge to action, but integrating this new knowledge into the fabric of their lives, their morals, values, goals, and social interactions. Universities and colleges seem to be well aware of this. Look at any institution of higher learning, and you will see a number of professional positions aimed at outside the classroom learning and programming. And the learning is very intentional. Ask any leadership, housing, community service, career, or programming staff what students learn through their programs, and they are sure to rattle off a laundry list of learning outcomes. But ask how that learning is measured, and you would likely hear staff mention a lack of assessment, or mention reliance on evaluation surveys or on quick reflection discussions. The assessment or measure of learning seems much less rigorous than that of an academic course with its grades, assignments, measures, and evaluations. But it is possible to beef up the rigor of co-curricular programs in a way that matches the rigor often seen in academic coursework. To do this, we start by looking at the abundant research on college classroom learning. We know what works, and can identify the most important elements in classroom instruction that lead to learning. So, lets apply what works to achieve learning outcomes in the classroom, and apply them to our co-curricular programs. The following components are used most often by teaching effectiveness professionals in higher education and used in research on classroom learning to help faculty improve their course structures. Lets use these elements, but adjust them to fit or co-curricular programs. Think of it as creating a co-curricular syllabus: 1. Identify the learning outcomes Sounds easy, but this is likely the hardest part. Most college courses only have three to five learning outcomes – understand this theory, know this lab skill, etc. Three to five, and that’s when the instructor has three hours of student attention per week. In co-curricular terms, its wise to start with just one specific learning outcome. What is the most important learning outcome your program teaches? 2. Evaluation or measurement system How will the student know they have met the desired outcomes? Try to describe in measurable terms what the learning outcome would look like. Is there a certain behavior? Do students respond to a survey in a certain way? How would they demonstrate the desired outcome? It is important to start with these two components. It is from here that one build the rest of the co-curricular syllabus. 3. Students MUST understand the learning goals This is the most missed component in college courses, but one of the most important. If your goal is for students to learn a specific outcome, then tell them that at the start. Students who understand the goals from the start are more likely to cue into the instructional techniques. A good practice for this is to make sure the outcome is part of the recruitment / application process. 4. Estimate prior knowledge What do the students know in regards to your learning outcome prior to joining the program? A simple survey or questions on an application can help you understand where your students are coming from. In course lingo, we call these “prerequisites”, and most co-curricular programs have them too, but are seldom stated. What experiences or knowledge should the students in the program bring with them? If a certain prior knowledge is important, then that should be part of your recruitment or advertising. 5. Estimate motivation and interest in the learning outcome Any course should be designed to peak the student’s interest by not being too difficult, but not being too easy either. This is why the prior knowledge is so important. Students must have some motivation or interest in the topic, otherwise it unlikely they will learn. This will help in designing the logistics of the program to help determine what might be boring, or what might be overwhelming. How does your program maximize students’ interest? How will it keep them motivated to finish? 6. Now develop the actual instruction logistics Huge mistake by instructors and program coordinators alike, we tend to jump into the program’s logistics before we think about learning outcomes, measures, prior knowledge, or motivation. We tend to start creating a program, then looking back to what is being learned. Try, and its hard to do, but try to answer the first five components first before any thoughts on how you’ll do it. 7. Identify the learning moments Another often missed component in course construction as well as co-curricular. As you plan the instruction, think hard about when instruction is actually taking place. If it’s a course, then you know you have time in a classroom when the instructor teaches, and that assignments must be done for grades. So, it is during these times you know students are interacting with material. In co-curricular it is much harder to identify the time. Some groups meet only once a week. So, during that hour meeting, when is it and under what circumstances do you know students are paying attention to instruction? Is there a time for reflection? What about online chats? Tweets? If you can identify the most likely time the student learns, the more impactful the program will be. 8. Evaluate and adjust Look at your measurement instruments, your surveys, and make adjustments for next time. Try to be creative in your evaluation. Lets say your learning outcome was the understanding of a certain leadership concept. Then send the students an online survey during the following semester. See if they still have that understanding. If so, success! Now you can really say that they learned that concept. These steps are often used to help increase the effectiveness in college courses. Shifting them a little, one can use them to help ensure a rigorous learning experience in the co-curricular program. Also See our interview with Glen when we were on the UT campus this past summer.

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It happens to everyone eventually. If it has not happened to you, it will; and when it does it will floor you. There is that time and moment when you realize you are no-longer young. It may happen when you make a cultural reference and no one around you knows what you are talking about. I still remember a couple of years ago referencing the “Turkey Drop” Episode from WKRP and everyone around me said “what is WKRP” (some of you are probably saying that now). Well Beloit College helps me feel a little older everyday when they publish their College Mindset List. The list provides a look at the cultural touchstones that shape the lives of students entering college. I think this list is vital and valuable information to start the year off with. Is there anything that surprises you about the list? What would you add to the list? The Beloit College Mindset List for the Class of 2013 Most students entering college for the first time this fall were born in 1991.

For these students, Martha Graham, Pan American Airways, Michael Landon, Dr. Seuss, Miles Davis, The Dallas Times Herald, Gene Roddenberry, and Freddie Mercury have always been dead. Dan Rostenkowski, Jack Kevorkian, and Mike Tyson have always been felons. The Green Giant has always been Shrek, not the big guy picking vegetables. They have never used a card catalog to find a book. Margaret Thatcher has always been a former prime minister. Salsa has always outsold ketchup. Earvin “Magic” Johnson has always been HIV-positive. Tattoos have always been very chic and highly visible. They have been preparing for the arrival of HDTV all their lives. Rap music has always been main stream. Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream has always been a flavor choice. Someone has always been building something taller than the Willis (née Sears) Tower in Chicago. The KGB has never officially existed. Text has always been hyper. They never saw the “Scud Stud” (but there have always been electromagnetic stud finders.) Babies have always had a Social Security Number. They have never had to “shake down” an oral thermometer. Bungee jumping has always been socially acceptable. They have never understood the meaning of R.S.V.P. American students have always lived anxiously with high-stakes educational testing. Except for the present incumbent, the President has never inhaled. State abbreviations in addresses have never had periods. The European Union has always existed. McDonald’s has always been serving Happy Meals in China. Condoms have always been advertised on television. Cable television systems have always offered telephone service and vice versa. Christopher Columbus has always been getting a bad rap. The American health care system has always been in critical condition. Bobby Cox has always managed the Atlanta Braves. Desperate smokers have always been able to turn to Nicoderm skin patches. There has always been a Cartoon Network. The nation’s key economic indicator has always been the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Their folks could always reach for a Zoloft. They have always been able to read books on an electronic screen. Women have always outnumbered men in college. We have always watched wars, coups, and police arrests unfold on television in real time. Amateur radio operators have never needed to know Morse code. Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Latvia, Georgia, Lithuania, and Estonia have always been independent nations. It’s always been official: President Zachary Taylor did not die of arsenic poisoning. Madonna’s perspective on Sex has always been well documented. Phil Jackson has always been coaching championship basketball. Ozzy Osbourne has always been coming back. Kevin Costner has always been Dancing with Wolves, especially on cable. There have always been flat screen televisions. They have always eaten Berry Berry Kix. Disney’s Fantasia has always been available on video, and It’s a Wonderful Life has always been on Moscow television. Smokers have never been promoted as an economic force that deserves respect. Elite American colleges have never been able to fix the price of tuition. Nobody has been able to make a deposit in the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI). Everyone has always known what the evening news was before the Evening News came on. Britney Spears has always been heard on classic rock stations. They have never been Saved by the Bell Someone has always been asking: “Was Iraq worth a war?” Most communities have always had a mega-church. Natalie Cole has always been singing with her father. The status of gays in the military has always been a topic of political debate. Elizabeth Taylor has always reeked of White Diamonds. There has always been a Planet Hollywood. For one reason or another, California’s future has always been in doubt. Agent Starling has always feared the Silence of the Lambs. “Womyn” and “waitperson” have always been in the dictionary. Members of Congress have always had to keep their checkbooks balanced since the closing of the House Bank. There has always been a computer in the Oval Office. CDs have never been sold in cardboard packaging. Avon has always been “calling” in a catalog. NATO has always been looking for a role. Two Koreas have always been members of the UN. Official racial classifications in South Africa have always been outlawed. The NBC Today Show has always been seen on weekends. Vice presidents of the United States have always had real power. Conflict in Northern Ireland has always been slowly winding down. Migration of once independent media like radio, TV, videos and compact discs to the computer has never amazed them. Nobody has ever responded to “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” Congress could never give itself a mid-term raise. There has always been blue Jell-O.

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Aaaaaaaaannd we’re back. Sorry we have been a little MIA, but the summer is one of our busiest times on all fronts so we needed to devote our time elsewhere. We will start getting more post up here soon, and we have some great guest bloggers lines up so look for some great stuff coming soon. Hope everyone had a great summer.

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OrgSync will be publishing several eBooks this fall. We want to give the higher ed community an opportunity to contribute to our eBooks in an effort to help other Student Affairs Administrators across the country.  It is becoming increasingly important for Atudent Affairs Professionals to have a voice and find publishing opportunities so we have made it easy for you! We are currently taking submissions for the following eBooks: Best Practices for Programming on a Tight Budget By sharing your department’s process for programming on a tight budget, you are helping campuses sustain their co-curricular programs! As budgets are still getting cut, we realize the importance of implementing successful programs that connect students and build community on campus. How has your department adjusted to recent budget cuts to offer free of cheap programming on your campus? You can submit entries here Deadline: July 31st Best Practices in Student Organization Registration By sharing your department’s process for student organization registration, you are helping campuses across the nation grow student involvement! You can submit your entries here Deadline: July 31st

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Marketing your organization can be tricky if you have no prior training or experience in the marketing industry.  So where do you start you ask? We have three steps to follow while creating your marketing plan. If you would like more information on the topic feel free to leave a comment!

1. CREATE A POSITIONING STATEMENT FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION

Clearly define your organization by assessing its benefits, target membership and competitors. This information and your promotional materials will go hand in hand and will enable you to have a clear and consistent message.

Positioning Statement – (Fill in the blank with your organization’s info) _______(Your Organization Name)_______ is ______(List 3 of Your Most Unique and Most Important Claims)_____  among all ______(List Your Competitive Frame *example: Student Organizations)______  for ______(Your Target Membership)______   because ______(Include Support for your 3 Unique Claims)_____. •    Define your expectations for organization growth; do you want to expand your organization or merely preserve your current member base? •    Use this information when deciding which channels to use while distributing your message (Channels are stated below) 2. CREATE YOUR PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL

•    Create a concise tag line using content from your positioning statement •    Consider Your Audience When Choosing Benefits to Highlight -Social organizations – Promote how your org will meet emotional needs -Professional organizations -Promote facts and encourage “information gathering” Promotional material should always include the following (but is not limited to): •    Organization name •    Message •    Contact information •    Website URL •    Tag-line Possible Communication Channels to Reach Your Qualified Audience: •    Online: Organization website, School Organization directory and social media •    Print: Flyers, Posters, Banners & Kiosks can create a consistent campus presence •    Programs: Information included can educate prospective and current members •    TV: University TV station, School monitor advertisement

1. CREATE A STRONG PRESENCE ON YOUR CAMPUS

•    Sign up to showcase your organization at the freshman orientation student org fair •    Showcase your org along popular areas of your campus for the first few weeks of school •    Create relationships with organizations that relate to your target members interest CHECK OUT MY FUTURE BLOGS!  TOPICS WILL INCLUDE: •    Marketing for Small Organizations – A Focused Approach •    Creating a Marketing Plan for an Expanding Organization •    Large Organizations and How to Keep a Consistent Message Across Campus

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OrgSync would like to announce our Implementation Webinar Series in June. We will focus on two campuses, one large and one small, who have already established the implementation process on their campus. They will share their best practices, successes, challenges, and suggestions for making the transition to OrgSync.

Our large campus implementation model will be on Thursday, June 11 at 1:00 EST and will feature Deborah Felder of the Student Organization Resource Center at North Carolina State University. NCSU began working with OrgSync last summer and developed a marketing plan to increase awareness of OrgSync to their 500+ student organizations and 31,000 students. Deborah has been an instrumental partner in helping define best practices for implementation and providing helpful feedback and suggestions for our new developments. Sign up for the small campus webinar.

We will feature our small campus implementation webinar on Wednesday, June 24 at 1:00 EST. Our feature presenter will be Rebecca Delo, Assistant Dean of Students for Student Life and Leadership Development at Muskingum College. Muskingum also joined the OrgSync family last summer, and Rebecca was very proactive in establishing the student organization registration process through OrgSync, as well as successfully attaining a high level of student adoption on her campus across their 100 organizations and 1500 students. Sign up for the large campus webinar.

We hope that our new clients and anyone who could benefit from these free webinars will attend! Please contact us with any questions.

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