A Guide To Helping Modern-Day Students Succeed

If you work in the world of higher education then you know that your job role extends beyond simply teaching a syllabus. You have a duty to help young people (or older people, in the case of mature students) to gain the necessary skills to succeed in life. Essentially, you’re helping young people to enter the “real” world and make something of themselves. That’s no easy task, despite what some people say about teaching being straightforward. And if you want to make sure that you do your best as an educator in the modern world then this guide should give you some pointers.

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Teach them to think outside the box.

These days, going to university isn’t quite as extraordinary as it used to be. Increasing numbers of young people make the decision to pursue university education after sixth form. People are no longer going to stand out in the job market simply by having a degree. The best way to make sure your students separate themselves from the crowd is for them to… well, separate themselves from the crowd. University is an opportunity to think outside the box. It’s an opportunity to try new things and gain new skills that’ll prove useful in the stages that come after graduation. You need to teach them to expect more of themselves.

Obviously, you can’t do everything for every single student. The whole point of university is that it’s a learning curve. Your students have to learn to do things independently, but you have to guide them to that realisation. Give the minimum reading requirements, but suggest that they read beyond your requirements. Encourage them to come up with their own talking points in essays (if at all possible in the type of subject you teach). And you could start thinking outside the box too. Maybe you could look into trips for college students. Travelling is an opportunity to teach your classes in a more vibrant and engaging manner than is possible in a classroom. You need to help your students to expand their minds. Get them to do more than the bare minimum. They need to learn to think independently if they want to be successful in the world that comes after university.

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Be a better teacher.

There’s always more you could be doing to learn and grow in your profession. If you want to help students succeed in the modern day then you have to be a modern teacher. In other words, you need to keep learning to make sure that your knowledge is up to date. The world moves forward, so your lessons need to move at the same pace. Otherwise, you’ll be giving your students knowledge that isn’t going to help them in the real world. After all, if you’re teaching them things that are already old then they’ll be even further behind when they graduate in a few years. If you want to be a better teacher then keep learning. Make sure you’re giving every single student the tools they need to succeed. Beyond that, it’s up to them.

What You Need to Know About Working in (and with) Ed Tech

I feel like I've been given a unique gift.

I've worked in the higher ed technology space (what I'll refer to as simply "edtech") for a while now and it has given me an insight that was completely foreign to me before. While my experience may be different and m company unlike others in the space, I feel there are some important considerations that I've garnered. This goes both ways; traditional higher ed folks need to be open to our insights and we in edtech should be welcoming the insights from campus based professionals. There is at worst this stigma against non campus based professionals and at best just a shroud of mystery. I hope I can shine a light on what the work looks like and how we can all best work together.

We Are Your Partners

Something we talk about a lot at my company is how the relationships we have with the universities we work with are true partnerships. We're each putting an investment on the table, and we share in the successes (and failures). It's more than just a transaction. We want to help campuses reach their full potential. When our partners and their students win, we win. There is no point in trying to leverage something where we are the only ones benefitting from the relationship. This is what a edtech partnership should be, if it isn't, you might want to reevaluate things. 

We Have the Same Goals

Furthering my first point, we want to help institutions reach their full potential. We do that by equipping them with the best tools to augment the work they do best. We don't want to replace institutions. We don't think we're better than them. It is a true partnership in that sense. I feel as though there can be this adversarial point of view some people have in higher ed, but again, I think this is tarnished by bad partnerships in the past. We're at a point now that we know how important fostering shared goals are between edtech companies and campuses. 

We Can Learn From Each Other

This is one of my biggest recent takeaways from this latest journey of mine. Not enough of us are aware of or seriously consider higher ed adjacent roles off campus. We can all greatly benefit like I have from this sort of experience but these organizations can benefit as well. We bring something valuable to the table that these companies at times don't know they're missing. They often see themselves as a business first and a higher ed organization second. We can bring in a student focus and developmental theories that can help improve the student experience. I've also learned a lot more about the academic side of the house as well as the business of higher ed (which is a component even if it isn't talked about a lot).

These were just some random thoughts I've been having the past several months that I thought I'd share. We're all on the same team and part of the same ecosystem of higher ed. We should try to work better together to help achieve great student outcomes. You never know, your next career opportunity might be something you didn't even know existed before. 

What Higher Ed Can Learn From Remote Work

Something that has been on my mind a lot lately is the concept of remote work (also referred to as working from home, telecommuting, etc.). It can be something someone does full-time or part-time for their job, and is becoming increasingly common (with the exception of some recent high profile retractions from companies like IBM and Yahoo in the past few years). When remote work policies are done right, you're maximizing the potential of your team who have the flexibility to work in whatever way is best for them. I read a great book recently on this topic about Wordpress and their entirely remote global team. That book really set me off on this path of being an avid supporter of these sorts of policies.

My theory is that if higher ed supported more flexible work structures, we could move towards better student support and access as well as improved employee wellbeing.

Here are the main lessons I'd advise higher ed professionals takeaway from remote work best practices:

Presence Doesn't Equal Productivity

So the first and biggest barrier to remote work is typically the perception that it will reduce productivity. This is not the case, and there is pretty definitive studies to support that stance, this being one of them. It definitely requires supervision and support, but so does in person work. As long as you're providing the right tools (like using Slack, Google Hangouts, and the like to keep everyone connected) and guidance, as well as consequences if someone isn't meeting expectations, then remote work can be successful.

The fallacy people keep falling back to is the belief that being in an office with other people automatically makes us more productive, or that we will miss out on things if we aren't physically present.  Someone can be just as productive (if not more so) working remotely. I know for me personally, I need to move around to different locations to keep being continuously productive throughout the day. So if I'm working on personal projects, I'll sometimes start at home, then go to a coffee shop, then at times I've gone to co-working spaces. All we need to do to address the other concerns is make sure we work deliberately to help everyone feel included and involved no matter where they're working from. We can't treat remote workers as if they're working onsite. Similar advice can be helpful, but it is a different setting, so it needs to be treated as such. 

Whether you're implementing policies like this or not, your takeaway should be the same; employees need proper guidance, consistent communication, adequate resources, and fair consequences to be best positioned for success. 

Make Sure Your Whole Team Feels Included

Great remote teams really necessitate that the manager make everyone socially involved and feel comfortable contributing to the team dynamic. In-person teams obviously benefit from this as well but managers tend to let it happen naturally (which can be hit or miss). Intentionally fostering positive team interactions can be simple and quick, but have a big impact over time.

Generally, you need to abide by some ground rules to set the stage for everyone to feel included if you have people working in the office and remotely. The big thing here is making sure everyone is on equal footing versus some people in a conference room together and others calling in. This never works well with someone always getting lost in the conversation. Also, make sure you're emailing/chatting out important info, versus just popping in to let people know. Lastly, invite everyone to gatherings, whether they're in the office or not. They'll appreciate the thought even if they can't make it.

Also, team building activities are important since especially with remote teams, it can be hard for the small talk and bonding to happen that might be easier in person. There are some you can do with any team, whether they're together or not. This will help greatly with everyone feeling comfortable communicating and collaborating.

The lesson here for higher ed folks, is that people need different things to feel included and to let their voice be heard. Make sure you're creating space, respect, and camaraderie to allow for your team's dynamic to flourish. 

We Need to Support Employees' Whole Life

This is really the emotional core of this idea. We all lead complex, busy lives. We need to be able to take care of things during the day during the week. This can help tremendously with letting some of the pressure and stress off ourselves since it can be hard to find the time otherwise. Being flexible with working hours and location can be a huge load off of your employees shoulders. They can be home for repairs or deliveries, to look after a sick family member, or to have an important appointment. This way, they are feeling better, don't have to deal with a commute, and are able to focus and be more productive.

In education, our work can be physically and emotionally tiring. Allowing for some flexibility, especially after a tough time, can be highly beneficial. You can make sure someone is physically present in the office if you expect walk-ins, but otherwise, you can still get most of our administrative work done virtually nowadays. Plus, you could make digital platforms available to connect with students on if you really wanted it, which could be helpful for people to be remote more often and maybe work varied hours.

Modern work life has evolved greatly to allow for more possibilities in how we each are able to contribute to our teams. You'll miss out on great talent if you limit how people can work. If you open your mind to new ideas and ways to get work done, you can take your efforts to new heights and maximize each of your employees' potential. Which in the end, is going to help your students too.

Want even more advice on remote work? Check out this great guide from Trello!

Reflecting on Six Months at 2U

I recently had my first milestone at my new job; six months on the job in a very different environment still working with students everyday.

It has been a bit of a whirlwind that finally feels like it is settling down. I moved and started this job over the course of a weekend, didn't have a place to live setup, but it was all for the best. I love this company and how it works, the impact we have on students all over the country (and world), the opportunities I am granted, as well as the possibilities of where I could go with this team.

Here are some specific highlights from my time so far:

Every day is a holiday...

Something that has been really great about my experience so far has been that I've been able to have fun and do things I wouldn't be able to elsewhere. We've had several parties for various occasions over the past six months (Employee Appreciation. Impact Report Release, Halloween, to name a few), I went to our company meeting in Orlando, and I've also gotten to go to cool places in DC and will go to NYC next month for our program's student Immersions. I'll have the opportunity to go to other places next year as well as work out of any of our offices across the country if I want to. Just appreciating the awesome things I get to do alongside the work I do everyday for my students has made this time really precious. Our work is hard, but it is important to be mindful and take time to value everything that is given to us. As our CEO says, "Every day is a holiday, every meal is a feast".

A Sense of Urgency

A big change over the past six months has been moving from a campus to a business. We work with students and colleges every day, but our culture and the way we do things is very different. We're a higher ed tech company that moves quick and is always trying to improve. We're in the business of doing right by our students and partners, so that's always a driving force, but we also are trying to grow as an organization. It has been hard at times, but more often than not, I feel like this is the type of vibe I work best in. There is an energy and vibrancy that compels you to do better. I didn't feel that as much at any past institution I've been at, not to say it doesn't exist, but it feels like it is harder at a venerable institution that might be more slow moving.

The Future of Higher Ed

Online education is experiencing a resurgence right now as best practices are solidified and quality is able to scale. We're evolving past MOOCs and simple platforms. We're moving on to replicating what works best from on-campus education, augmenting it with technology, and serving it up to the world. We're bringing amazing institutions to places they've never been and expanding their student base way faster than they ever could on-campus. It's really impressive to behold!

I can talk about 2U all day, so please connect if you want to learn more or apply. We're growing fast and can use all the good people we can get!

Thanks for stopping by!

#SAGeeks - Connections to Life from Pro Wrestling

The SAGeeks series is all about celebrating the geeky and nerdy sides of all of us working in higher education and student affairs. The series is edited by Jenn Osolinski and Lynne Meyer. Check out our resources page for more geeky goodness.

The music hits. You stand up out of your seat because of the unfamiliar rhythm, the dramatic lights, a mesmerizing video display and corresponding pyrotechnics. You can’t help but anticipate that something big, something newsworthy is about to happen. Not only is it happening, but you’re there, live, in the audience to witness it. This scene could describe a lot of different forms of entertainment, but in this particular case, this scene describes professional wrestling… or sports entertainment for those who belong to that camp.

My fascination with this oft-mocked but incredibly formidable form of entertainment is not much of a surprise. Since childhood I have been enamored with the spectacle - the characters, the story lines, and the athleticism. In more recent times though, I’ve transitioned my interest from the action within the squared circle (wrestling ring) to that which takes place behind the scenes – the talent relations, the writing and production, marketing, etc.

The advent of the internet opened up the curtain. Fans who are interested can learn a lot about the history, the behind-the-scenes drama, and inner workings of the shows and companies. Podcasts have flooded the market, with current and past stars willing to share their insights and stories both in front of and behind the camera. As a fan, I consume quite a bit of this information. Maybe more than I should. It takes me out of the moment when cool things are happening. I’m thinking about why a booking decision was made, where it may be leading, if it’s a part of a bigger plan for the characters, and if I would book the arc similarly. While this level of detail and over thinking isn’t ideal for a fan of the genre that is so grounded in fostering raw emotions, it has yielded an interesting lens in which I view my other passion, and profession, in student affairs.

Sterling, the Independent Contractor

Once the goal of permanent, full-time work has been reached, operating with the mindset of an independent contractor is hard to reconcile for many professionals in our field. Finding the dream job at the dream institution and settling in for the long haul appeals to a lot of our colleagues at campuses across North America. Note: I am not here to discourage those motivations. What I do and recently did challenge myself to consider though, is what are my prospects on the current roster and am I happy with this assessment? Am I able to meet my goals of becoming a ‘main event talent’? Am I someone who is considered a ‘good hand’ but not a ‘star’ – someone who can help elevate others with greater potential but isn’t seen as having potential to succeed in a greater role?

Bear in mind, this reality isn’t one that everyone engages with. That is to say this isn’t the case for our contracted colleagues who move from institution to institution, role to role, being pushed through rapid prototyping and quick development to fill short-term vacancies and positions. While the lack of job security is omnipresent, these realities force those of us in contract roles to advocate for what we need to be successful and continue developing, to pursue networking and potential future employment opportunities, to share our successes and stories as a marketing tool, to be the best version of ourselves – maximizing our minutes - every time we’re on camera or in front of an audience.

I recently swallowed this fear and made a lateral move to another institution. Using wrestling terminology to highlight this example – I recognized that my position within the roster had peaked. There were only a few main event slots in the company and they were filled for the foreseeable future. I was happy and challenged in my role, working with lots of innovative, up and coming stars, but I wasn’t being completely fulfilled. I wasn’t buying into the vision and direction of the brand in the way that one should at that level. I was still connecting with the audience, I had built enough of a following outside of the organization to harness my network to explore upcoming opportunities, I had identified the type of brand I wanted to build for myself moving forward, and I wanted to work with a new talent pool to see what else I could learn and contribute in a different environment. I moved from a university to a college, I moved 4 hours away, and I shelved my anxieties about how the new team would view my potential contributions and dove into the new role with confidence. I was able to view myself as an independent contractor and a brand – searching for a team whose values aligned with mine, a place where I would be challenged to grow and develop myself while growing and developing others, an environment where I would be given an opportunity to maximize my minutes and earn my position.

Sterling, Talent Relations Manager

Professional wrestling survives on its creation of new stars. Without new stars, new audience members can’t be brought in. Eventually folks retire, audience members disappear, and the business wanes. How do we create new stars in our field? Or more humbly said, how do we develop new talent? How do we help elevate our peers to higher levels of success so that we all can be successful? How can we view our collaborative successes as best for business and not as competition? New stars doesn’t always mean the youngest or most recent graduates either – it can mean those who have for one reason or another been cast at a particular level or role and are seeking an opportunity to try something new or demonstrate the impact they can have working on another team or project.

Since taking on the role of Manager at my previous institution, I have shared with every staff member that I view my role as fostering an environment where we are empowered to achieve our common mission collaboratively. In order to do this, we need to build confidence and capacity. This includes me helping each team member develop the skills and competencies necessary to reach their next career goal through regular coaching, feedback, conversation, encouragement, and referrals to resources. I see my role as leading team members through the developmental system onto the main stage and beyond. I strive for team members to be willing and able to be open and honest about their future goals and potential opportunities so that I can be supportive in whatever way I can (constructive feedback included when some additional self-appraisal may be required). I look to disrupt a system that encourages complacency in our roles and can breed bitterness in our rising stars who struggle to gain exposure and experience, sometimes for their entire careers.

Pro wrestling, while full of campy glitz and glamour, has a long running machine behind it with many moving pieces that can give us new lenses with which to reflect on the same questions and view the work that we do in student affairs. This is just a glimmer of some of the ways in which it has challenged me to think of things differently and the questions it has forced me to ask of myself when considering my own career, as well as how I support the careers of others. I hope that by sharing some of my inner geek that I’ve given folks some points for consideration.

I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to the online community of SA pros who happen to also be pro wrestling fans – the #SAKliq. A wonderful group of people who I haven’t been able to interact with much during this transition with little cellular data and internet access.

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Sterling Webb-Crowe is currently the Manager, Co-Curricular Student Learning and Development at Centennial College in Toronto, ON., Canada. He views himself as an educator, collaborator, and administrator focused on promoting student learning, engagement, and success. Along with this, he is a certified Zumba ® instructor and an avid Fitbit™ competitor. He has a passion for 1980s television shows such as the Golden Girls, Murder She Wrote, and Matlock, and is a sucker for nostalgia. Connect with Sterling on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Positive Psychology, Social Media, and Student Affairs

* This post was originally featured on The OOHLALA Blog.

I recently took a course on positive psychology, (shout out to my professor, Dr. Colleen Georges!). The focus of positive psychology is on being happy. I’ve found that utilizing the principles of this psychology has helped me to be a more optimistic, empathetic, and grateful person in my daily life.

Positive psychology is great for improving one’s personal life but it’s also a useful application as a student affairs professional. Using the insights of this psychology you can provide students with support and help them succeed in their endeavors.

This psychology is apt for in-person interactions, however as many students spend most of their time online I’m going to talk about how to use positive psychology when engaging with students through social media.

3 Ways to Use Positive Psychology & Social Media to Engage with Students

1. Celebrate positive moments with your students

I enjoy helping to celebrate when my students share an academic or personal success. (Such as getting an internship or membership to a fraternity or sorority). A simple “like” or retweet shows that you’ve taken notice of that student’s post. It makes them feel valued and creates positive feelings.

Pay particular attention to anything related to their college experience. This helps support the value of what they’re choosing to get involved in.This can also be applied to small, simple moments your students share about the good things that happen in their day. The impact of showing that you see, hear, and celebrate the joy of your students is a great way to help spread positivity throughout your campus.

2. Share affirmative messages and quotes

Another simple way to spread positivity throughout your campus is to share brief notes with your students. If you know they have an interview or test coming up, send a quick digital message to wish them luck. You can also share quotes to help motivate and inspire your students. When students are busy and stressed with exams and finals, provide support by sharing helpful videos, articles, or photos to keep students energized.

3. Be helpful everywhere you can

A great way to spread some good energy online is to listen and be helpful to students who have questions or concerns. You’ll surprise and delight your students when you jump in with some advice or resources to solve their problems. They’re often hoping for an solution to their problem but aren’t expecting it since a lot of the time no one responds.

As a student affairs professional, you have the knowledge to get your students help. We do it all the time in person when students stop by our offices. Use that same mindset on social media and your students  will feel supported. Even if they don’t need you all the time,they’ll know an answer is only a post away.

If you commit to this digital effort, it will supplement your other work by spreading positive energy and support for your students. Employing positive psychology principles on social media is a direct connection to the work we do in person with students. We want them to feel valued, supported, and celebrated. This is just another way we can do that for our students every day.

Thanks for stopping by!

Combining High Tech and High Touch

I’ve been reading some excellent articles lately by folks such as Patrick Love and Joe Sabado. They're talking about technology integration into student affairs work. It has me thinking about what the value of incorporating more technology into our high touch work. We’re currently experiencing a time where these new inventions are changing modern campus life. Also, with these tools there is so much potential for augmenting the work we do making sure learning and engagement happens. No longer will it be guesswork or estimations. We can have hard numbers for what our students are doing (or not doing). With more of this data, and better access to it, we can be poised for success in making sure we’re doing all that we can to support all our students, each day.

Big Data to Big Insights

Student affairs professionals are well positioned to gather a lot of information about their students. Whether it is related to events with an ID card-swiping and student engagement technology like Check I’m Here, or online class analytics from platforms like Canvas. We can know a lot about what our students are doing. Also, we can convey this data in a clear way and contour it to our needs. Need to know the split of program attendance between residential and commuter students? Need to know how first-year students are getting involved versus upper-class students? These tools can pull specific information like that for you. This can provide insights that will optimize your efforts by focusing on what’s working well. You can also trim the fat and cut away services that aren't needed to make room for what you need to stat doing. Combine these tools with the robust communication functionality of something like Cranium Café. It allows for professionals to take advantage of face-to-face interactions even if your students are around the world and has its own data and analytics. All these tools together will create an ecosystem that will allow for your team to give the best support to your students each day.

Predictive Analytics

An awesome aspect of software that has strong, positive implications for student support services is predictive analytics. This means that if certain behavior occurs, a trigger kicks into action to alert you that a student needs help. An example of this could be that a student hasn’t gone to the dining hall for a week. Once the alert comes up, professionals can jump into action to support the student. Students can even be provided with personal alarms to increase security. Even if the student doesn’t want or need help, they’ll know that the institution cares about their success. Any good tool for managing student information should have this feature since it takes the guess work out of figuring out who may be at risk. It allows for the high touch, soft skills to be utilized where they’re needed most.

Global Information Access

Just to clarify here, I mean to say “global” as your entire team, not the entire world. I have seen too many times that necessary information is only accessible in limited ways. It could be that an app only works from a wired desktop computer in your office. It is inexcusable to not allow your team, especially on-call administrators, to be able to access information no matter where they are. This allows for seamless support to occur since information is always just a few clicks away. You can go one step further too, and work to create an optimized mobile app for your team. As opposed to having them pull up information through a web browser on their tablet or smartphone, which can be less than ideal. Work with your campus partners to build something that serves everyone's interests.

Life moves pretty fast nowadays, but we now have the tools at our disposal to better keep up with it. With more insights, predictive alerts, and easier access to information, professionals can use high tech tools to augment their high touch efforts. Invest in these tools so that you can invest more of your time on the students who need your support the most. The return of a more engaged, supported, and persistent campus will be well worth the cost.

Now go out there and do good for your students!

An Open Letter to Future Academic Advisors

Dear Fellow Newbies,

I had a very visceral “Lean In” type of moment with myself a few weeks ago. Having just received a promotion and in the midst of launching head first into conference season, I began to wonder whether or not I should request an update to my business cards. I still had about 300 left with my previous title having only started my job a year ago, but I felt this deep-seeded urge to say to the world “Hey I worked hard, I earned something, and you all should know!” But then that creeping, obnoxious little voice in your head, the same one that tells you that maybe you’re not entitled to an opinion at so-and-so meeting, said loud and clear “Whoa there lady, who do you think you are? Don’t be a show-off. Don’t make noise because you’re already pushing your luck.” But then the spirit of Sheryl Sandberg whispered in my ear and said “Hey stop that! Claim your new title. Get some coffee, too” and all was right with the world again. 

That issue that we all face sometimes, feeling “like a fraud” in your job, because you are brand new to a position, or too young, or too inexperienced…maybe that never goes away. One thing is for sure, however, that if we let that voice get too loud, we can keep ourselves from really making a difference in the places that we work. As graduate students and new professionals, we sometimes need to remind ourselves that we are more than capable. We can be great educators and show everyone that we understand the complexities of the field, can apply our training, and really discuss the big issues higher education is facing today. 

Sitting in a room of soon-to-be graduates excited about their upcoming post-graduation adventures is a great re-energizer. This time of year is always tough to get through---between the grim weather and the post-holiday lull (and for me, the pacing of a quarter school like Drexel), life seems to be sucked out of you on a daily basis.  “You are here for them”, a mantra muttered under one’s breath regularly when speaker contracts, committee meetings, and purchasing card reconciliation bog down the day-to-day. It’s a reminder that we are in a unique position with a heavy responsibility – as mentors, teachers, soundboards for future aspirations—operating in a very strange hybrid world in which our students must navigate intellectual pursuits, identity development, and financial and personal hardship all at the same time. So then how can we become better allies to our students (in all senses of the word)? How do we move the profession forward in order to make sure that 10, 15, 20 years from now we still have the privilege of getting to do this job? 

I think it comes down to that educator’s mantra…you know the one, that phrase that’s haunted your subconscious since Student Affairs 101: theory to practice, theory to practice, theory to practice. I refuse to believe that I was the only one that had nightmares about this…”Dear Ed.M. student, we will send your Master's degree in the mail once we receive visual confirmation that the words ‘Theory to Practice’ have been tattooed to your face” Etc., etc. Before the big kid money, when ‘the job search’ was an ever-present cloud looming over your head and you spent your days figuring out if it was actually possible to buy gas using only nickels, at least one chunk of your day--every day in fact--was devoted to theories and readings and readings and theories. Magolda and Chickering and Dewey, oh my! You remember, when you were at the height of paper-writing hysteria, you started wondering things like whether you should get a “Challenge and Support” t-shirt made and hey, maybe faculty would be more generous with your grades if you wore it to class once in a while. 

Two years into the field I have slowly come to realize that the kind of developmental and educational psychology foundation we received has been extremely critical in becoming an effective educator, especially when the tough cookie (you know the one) knocks on your door hoping for some direction. When I think back, however, I realize that for whatever reason I didn’t make it a point to do the deep dive with theory as applied to academic advising, the role I had always seen myself taking on later. Student Life, Residential Living…those were always the coursework’s main focuses it seemed, with the nuances of career and academic advising as peripheral inquiries if we had the energy between writing papers and working our assistantships. Or maybe at that point I just lacked the insight (and time) to analyze the intersectionality of student development theories and the specific realm of advising I find myself in today. 

After picking up a copy of NACADA’s Academic Advising Approaches (2013) to prepare for a number of academic program interviews, I discovered two new friends that somehow captured in neat(ish) models the spirit of student mentorship I had always strived for: Socratic Advising and Advising as Teaching. Socratic advising involves the use of reflective exercises such as journaling and goal setting. Advisors facilitate lines of questioning that encourage students to think about the logic behind their decision-making. If you’ve ever had a student say that wanted to be an engineer but then share that they were not “a fan of doing math” you’ll see why this is a useful tool. Advising as teaching posits the idea that you are in fact a complete educator, with the ability to provide the student an experience similar to what they would get in a regular classroom setting (and I would dare say, better). You get to know your students and their academic strengths and challenges. Advising sessions have learning goals, action plans, and follow-ups and, for the really ambitious, you might even create an advising syllabus at the beginning of the academic year to really frame the expectations for the relationship and the purpose of your future meetings. Both of these models pull from the many student development theories we’ve learned and can be used to help you impact the student experience in positive ways—which is always the goal at the end of the day, isn’t it? (More on these two models if you happen to be interested in seeing my session ‘Perspectives on Socratic Advising and Advising as Teaching for New Professionals’ taking place at ACPA 2016 on March 7th in Montreal)

All of this comes down to a very important question—So What? Who cares? Is this a valuable thing to think about? Faculty mentors wrote this question all over my culminating thesis drafts and these days I scribble it on feedback for my students’ work regularly. Even as graduate students and new professionals at the bright beginnings of long careers in education, we should take the time right now to probe these questions and think about the “big picture.” Why are student advisors important? Why should we care that institutions place value on our roles? In an era when all types of organizations are making the sprint towards faceless digital processes, where do professionals like us fall? Some think that the every day transactional aspects of our jobs as academic advisors (overrides for course restrictions, degree clearance, etc.) are the only things we do. Proponents of the “cutting the fat” (aka ‘There are too many administrators!’) strategy of revamping higher education think that one day we could all be replaced by cheaper, more efficient “robots” (software) that can give students exactly what they want and the answers they need when they want it. And if that’s really how people feel, those with power and influence anyway, that could spell big trouble for our jobs in the future.

But that’s the problem, isn’t it? The road to helping students develop into ambitious, well-adjusted, and resilient individuals is not about handing over easy answers. Although their words and actions sometimes don’t provide great evidence to the fact, our students are adults that need to learn how to trail blaze. With that said, tossing 18-year olds into the proverbial deep-end isn’t necessarily the best idea either. For many, college is the first opportunity they have ever had to explore new terrain without the every day guidance of guardians or the comfort of familiar communities. To be clear, I’m not advocating for a full-scale return of in loco parentis by any means, but there has to be a balance—a sweet spot—somewhere between being Mother Duck and feeling like you staff a customer service desk. That is where a well-trained, patient, compassionate educator comes in: armed with common sense and a handy network of campus resources, as well as confidence in their ability to use their own education. An advisor has critical influence. The most successful seniors will tell you that a great someone was in their corner, asking the right questions, proofreading applications to graduate school, conducting mock interviews, introducing them to this amazing dean or that brilliant professor, and always having a box of tissues ready for the really rough patches. 

“The higher education landscape is changing” is a very buzz-wordy thing to say these days—maybe the more compelling reminders are that budgets are getting cut, people are being laid off, and accreditation bodies (scary) and parents (scarier) are in a constant hovering state. So how do we approach the future of our field, all things considered? At minimum, be comfortable talking about these issues early in your career, be proud of your training, continue to develop it, and advocate for your profession as a critical part of a student’s ability to thrive. With many answers still blurry, one thing at the very least seems crystal clear: if we see ourselves (and allow our directors and deans and provosts to see us) as simply walking and talking degree auditing software, we won’t be here for much longer.  That scares the heck out of me because I have a fantastic job working with some of the smartest and most daring young people I have ever met. Not to mention, I also really dig my new business cards. 

Sincerely,

Also Still a Newb

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Ana Castillo-Nye is the Program Manager for the Pennoni Center For Interdisciplinary Inquiry at Drexel University and advises in the college's individualized major program. After completing her B.A. with a concentration in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Rutgers University in 2011, she continued with graduate studies at the School of Education where she received her Ed.M in College Student Affairs/Higher Education Administration in 2014. She believes in cultivating student personal and professional growth with the goal of facilitating leadership development that approaches problem solving in the systemic mindset. She tries to challenge students to learn how to move between“small lens” and “big lens” thinking. Within and outside of academia she is interested in issues regarding educational access, specifically related to immigration advocacy/reform as well as educational and leadership opportunities for women globally.

How to Embrace Social Media as a Tool to Connect with your Students

* This post was originally featured on The Student Affairs Hub.

Social media has become pretty ubiquitous in our lives now. News is made from it and spread through it. We reference it offhand in our conversations with each other,  and we've developed new terms to describe it.

While it may be still a bit foreign to some professionals at higher education institutions, it is commonplace for our students. When given the proper attention, social media can be an effective asset in our outreach to students. It also helps to build a feeling of community on campus.

Whether you're an entry level academic advisor, hall director, or the president of an institution, you can be a powerful presence for students on social media. Your social media presence will help them feel heard, valued, and cared for.

I personally have taken a few different stances that I hope help me connect better with my students. I make my Twitter publicly available, (it's even on my business cards). I accept requests from students on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram. I don't seek them out, but if they connect with me first, I make sure to accept their invitation.

Connecting with my students in this way helps me to celebrate their successes, build their network, and be more accessible to them should they need me. I've never had any issues with making myself more available rather than guarding myself behind virtual walls. No student has ever abused this. However, even if there was an instance where someone used my good will inappropriately, I'd still make myself available to all my other students who need me. I wouldn't want to let them down based on a single student who needs some educational conversations about their behavior.

Another stance I take that many professionals hopefully take as well, is that I don't have a "personal" account and a "professional" account. I just have my one Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc. I really don't believe anyone should have separate accounts for stuff like that unless someone has a brand they're trying to build that they want to be separate from themselves.

I don't have strict standards about what people should or shouldn't do on their social media channels. Students just need to be comfortable with employers, friends, and family seeing whatever they post.

While someone can try to ignore social media, it is an omnipresent, constant, global influence in our lives. It is something that I view as an asset and resource. I embrace and love social media for the connections and learning that can happen through it.

By maximizing the potential of social media for sharing your story, (or your institution's), you will see success in your personal and professional efforts.

Ways to Engage Your Students in Giving Thanks

*This post was originally featured on The Student Affairs Hub.

As we approach the season of giving, I thought it would be relevant and important to talk about the value of gratitude for ourselves and our students. We often take for granted that the people we care about and owe our success to, know how much we appreciate them. So many things go unspoken and feelings remain unknown because we assume people can read our minds and know how we feel.

Obviously, people can't know what we don't tell them. Students especially, owe a lot of people for getting them to where they are today. It can be a transformative educational experience to help convey the importance of gratitude as well as give opportunities to our students to put this value into action.

Here are some ideas to help implement this concept:

Organize a Scholarship "Gratitude Gala"

I've seen several campuses put on events like this, (I've even partaken myself as a student way back when). Essentially, you just set up an opportunity to have students hand write notes to the specific people who helped fund their scholarships to be able to go to your institution.

You can make it into a fun party atmosphere with refreshments and it's just a simple but powerful gesture for students to know that their scholarship came from another human being and they can share their gratitude with them, (it also will probably help retain the support from your generous donors to get these sort of notes).

You can even take this one step further and have the donors come and meet the students personally to engage on a deeper level. Investing in a program like this is valuable to everyone involved and is a quick way to spread a lot of positive energy to your community.

Send a Long Overdue Thank You Note

I took a Positive Psychology course during my graduate program, (with the super awesome Dr. Colleen Georges), and one of the assignments was to write a message to someone who you want to thank for having a big influence on your life that you've never told. It could be from years ago but it was just important to do it, and tell them about the impact that they've had on you.

A TEDx talk from Drew Dudley really captures this point well. His short but poignant speech in that video is an old favorite of mine that I share with students often.

Reflect on Accomplishments

Something that I did this year was think back on all of the things that I have done in my life. It was a really powerful exercise that really allowed me to feel like even if I was gone tomorrow, I have made a positive impact on the places I've been and the people I've had the pleasure of knowing. It also inspired me to want to think of more things I want to do before I turn 30 in a couple of years.

Looking back though, it really conveyed to me how grateful I should be for the life that I have been privileged to have. I'm typically pretty humble about anything that I do, so I had to allow myself to be a little proud of what I've done. Even so, my life hasn't always been easy, but I am thankful for everything that has happened, (or hasn't happened), to me to get my life to the point it is at now. I wouldn't have had this powerful epiphany unless I put intentional thought and energy into it. It's really valuable to encourage your students to think this way, especially if they're not feeling terribly confident in themselves or what they've accomplished. Acknowledging and being grateful for things that come to you in your life creates a foundation of positive energy for you and your students when you put thought and effort into it.

A quick email, a short hand written note, or a quiet reflection can positively influence your mind, wellness, and point of view. With the holiday season approaching, do yourself and your students the favor of giving the gift of thanks. You and everyone around you will benefit from it.

Thanks for stopping by!