Transcript Student Affairs.com Case StudyGeorgia Southern University Robert Bryant, Tana Pennix, Peggy Winskey.

Student Affairs.com Case Study
2003
Georgia Southern University
Robert Bryant, Tana Pennix,
Peggy Winskey
Purpose
• Our committee has been charged by the
Vice President for Student Affairs of
Western Idaho College to review and
propose changes to the Student Life Web
Site.
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Focus Topics
• Statement of philosophy for the Web site
• Divisional Web site
– Why is it important?
– What is the Division trying to accomplish
through the Web site?
• Who is the targeted audience?
• What does the literature have to say about
student affairs Web sites?
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Statement of philosophy for the
Web site
• Student Affairs at Western Idaho College is
dedicated to providing information and
facilitate accessibility to a diverse array of
programs and services to augment and
support out of class needs that complement
the student’s in-class experience.
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Philosophy Statement
• Boyer’s “Six Principles of Community”
provide a framework for Western Idaho
College’s philosophy statement fostering an
environment that will enhance and integrate
the life long process of intellectual,
occupational, physical, interpersonal, and
emotional development of all students.
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Boyer’s “Six Principles of
Community”
I.
II.
III.
Purposeful – a place where
faculty and students share
academic goals and work
together to strengthen teaching
and learning.
Open – a place where freedom
of expression is
uncompromisingly protected
and where civility is
powerfully affirmed.
Just – a place where the
sacredness of the person is
honored and where diversity is
aggressively pursued.
IV.
V.
VI.
Disciplined – a place where
individuals accept their
obligations to the group and
where well defined governance
procedures guide behavior for
the common good.
Caring – a place where the
well being of each member is
sensitively supported and
where service to others is
encouraged.
Celebrative – a place in which
the heritage of the institution is
remembered and where rituals
affirming both tradition and
change are widely shared.
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Divisional Web site
• Why is it important?
– The key word for Student Affairs in the 21st
century is “connectivity”, which usually refers
to linking up to the internet.
– The web provides access to an almost limitless
amount of information on practically any
subject.
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Community “Connectivity”
• The ever-evolving and increasingly powerful
information and communication technologies have
fundamentally changed the nature of communities.
– Chat rooms, discussion boards, and on-line courses
facilitate on-line communities.
• Elling and Brown (2001) offer two examples of
institutions that utilize technology for developing
and enhancing campus community.
– Electronic calendars of events
– Chat rooms for students both on and off campus,
faculty and staff
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Divisional Web site
• What is the Division trying to accomplish through
the Web site?
– Pro-Actively responding to the transformation of the
way services and information are delivered not only to
the campus community but to the world at large.
• on-line applications, i.e. admissions, housing , scholarships,
financial aid
• Web directory
• Video downloads of campus life
• On-line registration
• Timely updated college information
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Who is the targeted audience?
• Students
–
–
–
–
• Faculty, Staff
–
–
–
–
Prospective
Incoming
Current
Alumni
• Parents
Current
Prospective
Departments
Divisions
• Community
– Of incoming freshmen
– Of current students
– Of alumni
– Local
– Global
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What does literature have to say
about Student Affairs Web sites?
• Literature, written both before and after the
proliferation of technology, supports the
recognition of the web experience as a part of the
college environment.
• In Coming of Age in New Jersey, Moffat (1989)
found that “college from the student’s point of
view was a combination of academic and outsidethe classroom education.” (p.54).
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Literature continued:
• Technology is reshaping the world of student
affairs; however, is being done so with little or no
analysis of it’s potential for good and bad.
• Personal interaction is being replaced by the
impersonal use of on-line service.
• Student Affairs is essentially student focused and
interpersonal, and the web sites should reflect the
school’s core values.
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Critique of Current Web site
– WIC Web site does not meet the following
thirteen Basic Values supported by Will Barratt
• Inclusion: all students, student groups and student
organizations must be included in material presented
in the site.
• Representation: all departments and divisions in
student affairs, and allied departments must be
represented.
• Active: content must contain active information
such as current events, schedules, names, dates, and
times.
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Thirteen Basic Values
• Informative: content must contain regulatory information
such as codes of student conduct, and the student
government constitution.
• Interactive: the web site must provide mechanisms for
student interaction.
• Currency: all information must be current and none out of
date.
• Convenience: the site must be designed for easy use.
• Community Building: the web site must link
appropriately to the campus, the community, and the
world.
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Thirteen Basic Values
• Developmental: web site must student development
goals.
• Learning Focus: web site must promote appropriate
learning goals.
• Clarity: web site must have a written set of goals and
measurable outcomes.
• Accountability: site must contain evaluation
mechanisms such as feed back, sections, and counters.
• Accessibility: site must meet accessibility guidelines.
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Specific Technical Mistakes
• Design
– Text is not in high contrast with any background color or images, leading to poor
printing quality
– Pages do not work within the structure of the common monitor size which requires
more scrolling
– Does not offer a “printable version” of site pages
– Does not provide downloadable college forms
– Lack of continuity both in color scheme and in form
• Content
– Lack of relevant information about campus life and career services
– Does not provide the following information: page developer and/or contact name,
e-mail, postal address, phone numbers, and counters (preferably not visible).
– The same policies and procedures are not department specific
– Lack of professional layout
– Scrolling text window on the Athletics link is distracting, illegible, and scrolls
entirely too fast.
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Specific Technical Mistakes
• Responses
– No contact information, email link not available
– No department contact name of information
– Only phone number given is an extension, no referral name
included
• Links
– Career Services link is expired
– Residence Life link is under construction
– There are no links to and away from page
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Proposed Web site revisions
supported by
Chickering and Gamson
•
Chickering and Gamson (1991) identified seven
principles of good practice for teachers, which apply
equally as well to student affairs educators:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
Encourage student-faculty contact,
Encourage cooperation among students,
Encourage active learning,
Give prompt feedback,
Emphasize time on task,
Communicate high expectations, and
Respect diverse talents.
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Proposed Revised Web site
• Revisions Include:
– Philosophy statement
– Link for “Text only”
– Vice President of Student Affairs contact
information
– List relevant student service departments and
allies in alphabetical order
– Links to college, local, and global headlines
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Revisions continued
• Revisions include
–
–
–
–
–
A site index
A key word search dialogue box
A message from the Vice President
A student class and activity calendar
Brief outline of what information each link
contains
– Site visitor counter
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Revised Web site Template
• Point and click on hyperlink to view
template
• Template does not include active hyperlinks
• http://www.geocities.com/pencap2001/WIdahoCollege.index.html
• Note: this hyperlink may not work on all versions of MS Office Power
Point. If this link will not take you to the template automatically, open
up internet explorer and type the above URL into the address bar.
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References
Winston, R., Creamer, D., Miller, T. (2001, p. 8, chap. 4). The professional student affairs
administrator, educator, leader, manager. Lillington, NC, Brunner – Routledge.
Earratt, W. (2001, May 11). Models for evaluating student affairs websites. Student Affairs
On-line, Vol. 2, No. 2. Retrieved February 20, 2003, from
http://www.studentaffairs.com/ejournal/Spring_2001/will1.index.html
Wallace, H. (2000, Fall). Campus ecology theory and websites; one example of applying
traditional student affairs theory to technology. Student Affairs On-line, Vol. 1, No. 3.
Retrieved February 21, 2003, from
http://www.studentaffairs.com/ejournal/Fall_2000/index.html
Web Design Guidelines – Student Affairs Computing Services. (n.d.). Retrieved February
20, 2003, from
http://www.asu.edu/sacs/guidelines.html
Gamble, A., (2002). Community Development; programs, practice and a glimpse into the
future. College Student Affairs Journal, 22, 100-101.
Boyer, E. (1990, p.7). Campus life: in search of community. Princeton, New Jersey.
Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
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