leveraging technology: strategies to engage your students and make your job easier! chryssa jones,...
TRANSCRIPT
Leveraging Technology:Strategies to Engage your Students and Make your Job Easier!
Chryssa Jones, Veterans Services Coordinator
University of California, Riverside
What Are Your Challenges?Tweet them now using the #NAVPA13 tag
What Are Your Challenges?You are too busy
Busy researching overpayments & debt letters
Busy calculating net payer adjustments
Busy monitoring student registrations, degree plans, add/drop/changes, fee changes, & attendance
Busy processing certifications & paperwork
You are busy answering student questionsStudents don’t read email
Students don’t listen to what you tell them
Students don’t use the resources they have
No time for outreach (because you’re too busy)
New tools are too complicated
Technology Can Help!Job Processes:
Reporting tools & campus data systems
Automation & templates
Cloud-based collaboration
Batch processing
Sharing “Best Practices”
Technology
Outreach:Social media
Student/Campus network
Your “official” website
Articles & blogs
Direct email & list-serves
Old-fashioned word of mouth
Job Process ImprovementsStudent Data System
Take the time to learn your data systems
Workflows & automation
Write improvement proposals
Data ElementsVA file number
Chapter 33 eligibility %
Certification data
Restricted fund sources
Processing Comments
Document ImagingEasy to review at any time
Automate ProcessesInstallment Plans
Degree-plan Checking
Report batching
Reporting ToolsCert reports
Add/drop reports
FinAid adjustment reports
Sample Cert Report
Other Time-Saving Tips:Use email templates & auto-responders
Use Mail Merge Wizards to send customized (more effective) messages
Use cloud-based collaboration tools when appropriate
Batch processing (including social media)
Learn & share ideas with others!
Outreach & CollaborationEmail
Text messaging
Social media
Campus network
Your “official” website
Student peer support
Campus programs
Community events
Articles and blogs
Bulletin boards and handouts
Why Use Web & Social Media?It’s where your students are
Empowers your students to connect with and support each other
Improve your situational awareness
Establish a voice in your community
BUT…. You have to do it right!
Facebook PagesFriends are individuals
Pages are for businesses and organizations
Groups are perfect for your student veteran organization
“Like” other pages
to easily share content
Use scheduling tools like
Hootsuite to manage
future updates
Post Often
TwitterYour students are on Facebook, but your colleagues are on Twitter
Follow others for updates and easy retweets
Link accounts for easy updates to both
OR optimize each separately for maximum reach
Campus Social NetworkFind out what platform is used and what tools are available
Use a combination of social networks, not just one
Post often!
Keep Your Website CurrentYour website is your information portal
Easy to find info = fewer student phone calls
Link to VA pages and other sites (but check the links periodically)
Great tool: a Twitter box automatically updates your website with your current tweets
http://www.jccc.edu/veterans/veterans-week.html
Blogs & ArticlesWrite articles about topics that interest your students
Create a blog or use another online document repository to begin a reference library
When questions come up, point students to the article
Troops2college.blogspot.com
Other Collaboration TipsUse workstudy students or volunteer Peer Mentors to maintain communication channels
Make contacts with veteran service organizations in your community
Ask partners to provide post-ready content
Participate in community-building events
Do joint events with other schools in your community
Comments?Please tweet your feedback!