Transcript Slide 1

Student Life Web Site
2003 Review
DIVISION REVIEW BOARD
Candice Brooks, Assistant Vice President for Student Life
Nathan Elton, Director of Career Services
David Tandberg, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics
Nicholas Smith, Director of Multicultural Career Center
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Before we continue….
 It is important to diagnose the current status of
Western Idaho College’s Student Life Website.
 Please use…
SITE
UNDER
CAUTION
CONSTRUCTION
http://www.studentaffairs.com/vcs/2003vcs
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Overview
Students and the Web
Statement of Philosophy
Why have a Division website?
Who do we Target?
What should Student Affairs
websites Value?
Critiques & Recommendations
External Sources
References
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Students and the Web
 Student Monitor statistics
indicate that 90% of college
students use the web for an
average of 6 hours per week
primarily for educational
purposes
(www.studentmonitor.com)
 40% of Internet users are
between 18 and 26 years old
(Strange & Banning, 2001)
 In 1997, 1/3 of WWW users
were from college campuses
(Strange & Banning, 2001)
 73% of students access the
Internet once a week
(Scherer, 1997)
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Students and the Web
 13% of weekly users report
excessive use and that their
use significantly interferes
with their personal life
(Scherer, 1997)
 In 1996, only 4% of
prospective students used
the web to access
information on potential
schools; in 1998, 78%
percent did so (Guernsey,
1998)
 79% of college students
agree that Internet has had a
positive impact on their
college academic
experience (Jones, 2002)
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Statement of Philosophy
The Department of Student Life ensures and
enhances the quality of information
technology services to meet the needs of
today’s students. Technology has become
commonplace in society and is an important
part of the educational experience. This site
serves as a means of information,
clarification, and reflection of the programs
and services we provide.
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Why have a Division
Website?
Clarifies programs and services
Offers educational resources
Provides universal access to the
institution
Provides a virtual environment of
student support and challenge
Sets and communicates high
expectations for student learning
Uses resources effectively to achieve
institutional missions and goals
Forges educational partnerships that
advance student learning
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Who do we Target?
The Campus
The Community
THE WORLD!!
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What Should Student
Affairs Websites Value?
Inclusion
Representation
Active
Informative
Interactive
Currency
Convenience
Community
Building
Development
Learning
Focused
Clarity
Accountability
Accessibility
(Barratt, 2001)
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Western Idaho College
Student Life Website
Critiques & Recommendations
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Inclusion
All constituents are included in material presented.
 Critique
– Scrolling message on athletics page excludes “East-coast
types”
– Marginalization of underrepresented groups
– No representation of student organizations
 Recommendation
– Conduct a campus ecology assessment
• i.e. representative of overall campus community
Schlossberg’s mattering theory (1989) states that when people
believe that they matter to someone else elements of
marginality diminish.
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Representation
All units and allied units in student affairs must be
represented.
 Critique
– Minimal representation of student affairs’ units
– Unavailable information for external student support
services
• i.e. academic advising
 Recommendation
– Include comprehensive and consistent listing and links to
all units
Hage & Aiken (1970) model of complex organizations recognizes
the importance of identifying subunits, stratification,
credentials, contact information, rules and regulations,
programs
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Active
Content must contain current and accurate
information such as events, schedules, names, dates,
and times.
 Critique
– Active information only placed on home and athletic pages
 Recommendations
– List of contact information for all administrators and staff
– All relevant events, schedules, dates, and times
Active Theory (Anderson & Lorch, 1983) is defined as cognitive
interaction with information being presented as well as with the
viewing environment. Providing active content representative of
the environment enables students to become proactive
learners.
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Informative
Content must contain institutional information.
 Critique
– A sole focus on Residence Life
– Lack of availability for student affairs’ documents and
publications
 Recommendations
– Include code of conduct and student government
constitution
– Explanation of judicial procedures
– Other pertinent documents available in PDF
• i.e. strategic plan updates, diversity initiatives,
professional presentations
– Detail current campus events and issues
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Interactive
Website must provide mechanisms for student
interaction.
 Critique
– Interaction limited to one e-mail address and phone number
 Recommendations
– Use innovative approaches such as computer conferencing,
synchronous learning, electronic mail, chat rooms, instant
messaging
– Incorporate modern technology for the advancement of
learning and development
Astin’s involvement theory (1984) states that the quality and
quantity of the student's involvement will influence the amount
of student learning and development
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Currency
All information must be current.
 Critique
– Homepage was last updated on November 15, 2002
– Orientation was last updated on February 3, 2002
 Recommendations
– All pages should list the most recent date the site was
updated
– Update the site every six months
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Convenience
The site must be designed for easy use.
 Critique
– Easy to use, but does not provide much information, which
could be considered a major inconvenience
– Inactive and missing links
 Recommendations
– Pilot site to determine if site is technically complete
• i.e. links should work, the site should be easy to
navigate, there must be structural consistency
– Gather feedback about accessibility of site
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Community Building
The web site must link appropriately to the campus,
the community, and the world.
 Critique
– Does not link to resources outside student affairs
• i.e. college libraries, academic support, community
information
 Recommendation
– Provide useful links to support services and other relevant
information outside student affairs
• i.e. campus visitor’s guide, newspapers, employment,
weather, faculty/staff/student directory
“A commitment to community in higher education helps students
to go beyond their own private interests, learn about the world
around them, develop a sense of civic and social responsibility,
and discover how they, as individuals, can contribute to the
larger society of which they are apart” (Boyer, 1987).
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Developmental
The web site must promote student development goals.
 Critique
– Unclear representation of student development goals
 Recommendations
– List opportunities for critical thinking, independent learning,
and student autonomy
• i.e. guest lectures, career development seminars
– Represent all facets of the institutional community as a
means to develop “the whole person”
Arthur Chickering (1993) describes seven vectors of identity
development. Vector three identifies the importance of students
being self-sufficient and taking responsibility of self-chosen
goals. Student affairs websites should identify learning goals
and present institutional opportunities that foster student
development.
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Learning Focused
The web site must promote appropriate learning
goals.
 Critique
– Learning is mentioned in the mission, but the site does not
focus on learning initiatives
 Recommendations
– Provide links to student-centered workshops and seminars
• i.e. leadership development
– Offer a list of programs and events that promote a
reciprocal relationship between students’ in-class and outof-class experiences
The Student Learning Imperative (American College Personnel
Association, 1996) states that educationally purposeful
activities both inside and outside the classroom motivate and
inspire students to devote more time and energy to their
education.
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Clarity
The web site must have a written set of goals and
measurable outcomes.
 Critique
– Does not present a list of goals and outcomes
 Recommendation
– Initial page should provide an outline and brief description
of what will be found in the web site
• i.e. outline of “Who We Are, What We Do, What We
Know” on the initial page (University of North Carolina,
2003)
Organizational theory (Barzilai, 2003)) describes how organizations
maximize efficiency and productivity, and meet the needs of
stakeholders (i.e. members of a university community).
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Accountability
The site must contain evaluation mechanisms such as
feedback sections and counters.
 Critique
– Does not possess feedback options
 Recommendations
– Provide a link and textbox that welcomes user-feedback
– Establish counters to monitor frequency of “hits”
– Offer an on-line survey assessing the web site
“Basic elements of a [Division of Student Affairs] must not only
know what they are doing, they must also be able to account for
their action [s], as well as knowing how to correct mistakes,
redeem themselves, acquit themselves, make reparations, and
so on” (Shotter, 1984).
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Accessibility
The web site must meet accessibility guidelines.
 Critique
– Unequal balance between text and non-text elements
• i.e. current policies and procedures are too verbose
– Some content does not allow individuals to obtain information
easily or at all
• i.e. the information in the textbox on the athletic page can not
be easily read due to its speed
 Recommendation
– Follow the accessibility guidelines provided by the Web
Accessibility Initiative (WAI) at the World Wide Web Consortium
(W3C)
“The power of the web is in its universality. Access by everyone
regardless of disability is an essential aspect” (Berners-Lee,
2003).
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External Sources
Integration of Technology in Student Affairs
Student Monitor
http://www.studentmonitor.com
StudentAffairs.com
http://www.studentaffairs.com
PEW Internet & American Life
http://www.pewinternet.org/ reports
Web Accessibility Initiative
http://www.w3.org/WAI/
Model Student Affairs Websites
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
http://studentaffairs.unc.edu
Gettysburg College
http://www.gettysburg.edu
University of Maryland, College Park
http://www.studentaffairs.umd.edu
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Where do we go from
Here?
“The practice of student
affairs…must shift from a campusbased model to a learner-based
model, WHEREVER that learner
is,” (Upcraft & Goldsmith, 2000).
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In conclusion,
 Contingency Theory
– A fit must exist between an institution, its size, its
technology, and the requirements of its environment
(Blau & Meyer, 1987)
 A website must be current and accurate
 Values should be reflected in a student affairs
web site
 Be inclusive, NOT exclusive
 Foster student learning
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References
American College Personnel Association (ACPA). (1996). The student learning
imperative: implications for student affairs. Washington, D.C.: Authors.
Anderson, D.R. & Lorch E. P. (1983). Reactive vs. Active Theory. Retrieved February
22, 2003, from http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/activereactive/index.htm.
Astin, A. (1984). Student involvement: a developmental theory for higher education.
Journal of College Student Personnel, 25, 297-308.
Barratt, W. (2001). Models for evaluating student affairs websites. Student affairs
online, 2(Spring). Available at
http://www.studentaffairs.com/ejournal/Spring_2001/will1.html.
Barzilai, K. (2003). Organizational Theory. Retrieved February 22, 2003, from
http://www.cwru.edu/med/epidbio/mphp439/Chapter13.htm.
Berners-Lee, T. (2003). Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). Available at
http://www.w3.org/WAI/
Blau, P. & Meyer, M. (1987). Bureaucracy in modern society. New York: Random House.
Boyer, E. L. (1987). College: The undergraduate experience in America. New York:
Harper & Row.
Chickering, A. (1993) Education and identity. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
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References
Guernsey, L. (1998, July 17). College-bound students use of the web, but value
printed information more. The Chronicle of Higher Education, p. A12.
Hage, J. & Aiken, M. (1970). Social change in complex organizations. New York:
Random House.
Jones, S. (2002). The internet goes to college. Available at
http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/pdfs/PIP_College_15Report.pdf
Scherer, K.(1997). College life on-line: Healthy and unhealthy Internet use.
Journal of College Student Development, 38 (6), 655-666.
Schlossberg, N. (1989). Marginality and mattering: key issues in building community.
In D.C. Roberts (Ed.), Designing campus activities to foster a sense of community,
New Directions for Student Services, No. 48, pp.5-15. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Shotter, J. (1984). Social accountability and selfhood. Oxford: Blackwell.
Strange, C.C., & Banning, J.H. (2001). Educating by Design: Creating campus
learning environments that work. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Upcraft, M.L. & Goldsmith, H. (2000). Technological changes in student affairs
administration. In M.J. Barr & M.K. Desler, The Handbook of Student Affairs
Administration. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 216-228.
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Student Life Web Site
2003 Division Review Board
For further information, please contact us.
--THE DIVISION REVIEW BOARD
Candice Brooks
2003 Division Review Board Chair
Assistant Vice President for Student Life
[email protected]
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