This document discusses using social media for professional development. It provides examples of how professionals in higher education have used Twitter and Facebook to connect with colleagues, develop mentoring relationships, collaborate on projects and publications, and stay engaged with their professional associations between conferences. The key benefits highlighted are using social media to ease networking discomfort, find mentors, co-author articles with new contacts, develop meaningful professional relationships, and help associations better serve members year-round. Brainstorming ideas are provided for how associations like WASFAA could leverage social media.
4. Who uses social media?
Men 60% White, non-Hispanic63%
Women 69% Black, non-Hispanic 69%
18-29 83% Hispanic 66%
30-49 70% Urban 67%
50-64 51% Suburban 65%
65+ 33% Rural
61%
65% of all internet users
Source: The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, April 26
– May 22, 2011 Spring Tracking Survey. N = 2,277 adults, including 755 cell
phone interviews. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish.
5. My campus is not
supporting out of
state travel. I use
Twitter to stay
connected to my
professional
colleagues & to
keep up with
trends.
Beth Moriarty, Ed.D.
Director of Res Life & Housing
Bridgewater State University
Adjunct Student Affairs Faculty
6. I specifically used Twitter
to connect with people in
student affairs prior to the
2010 ACPA conference. I
generally am not
comfortable with
networking, so Twitter
helped ease that
Christophe discomfort as I had
r Conzen already “broken the ice”
Director of with a number of
Campus Activities colleague. I continued
Suffolk County those connections…
Community
College
7. through Facebook,
which helped me to
grow even closer with
some colleagues and
also use that to have
some more one-on-one
conversations that
eventually turned into
Christophe collaborating on
r Conzen conference sessions
Director of
Campus Activities
and publications. I’ve
Suffolk County now done more
Community conference
College
8. Your Turn Has anyone here made
the leap into connecting
with peers using social
media? Care to share
your thoughts?
9. A social media story…
March 2009: ACPA Conference
• My first conference tweetup
• Attendance: 7
• Conference hashtag: slow but
steady
• Rey & Greg present about
Facebook
10. A social media story…
October 2009: My Couch
• Begin participating in #SAChat
• Meet Ed
• Rey jumps in a few weeks later
• I geek out because I “know him”
11. A social media story…
Summer 2010: In Class
• I need a mentor for doctoral
program
• Realize Rey would be perfect
• Ask Rey to be my mentor and
member of my committee
• Rey says yes!
12. A social media story…
January 2011: My Inbox
• Asked to write an article for ACUHOI
• Co-author with TJ
• I have no idea who TJ is. We email.
13. A social media story…
February 2011: Chicago
• Crash the ACUI tweet up
• Meet many twitter buddies,
including Ed, for the first time
14. A social media story…
March 2011: Austin, TX
• Attend South by Southwest
• Meet Rey in person for the first time
• Develop wonderful professional
relationship with Rey and Ed
15. A social media story…
May 2011: Miller Park
• Ed and I “overhear” a Twitter
conversation between Rey and TJ
• Within a month, we’ve planned a
week-long research project in Florida
• Turns out Greg will be there
19. Build your bio
• Name
• Job title/function
• Personal & professional interests
• Location
Without a bio, people have
no reason to connect with
you.
20. Start with who you know
• On Twitter…
– @MelissaHaberman
– @ThisItalianGirl
– @karynjoygraham
• Stalk their followers & who they follow
• Ask for recommendations
• Get lost in Twitter lists
– Try Melissa’s financial aid pros list
21. Seek out groups
• On Facebook
– “The Student Affairs Collaborative”
– “Women’s Leadership Institute Participants
and Friends”
• On Twitter
– #FinAid
– #AskFAFSA
– #WISA or #WLSALT
– #SAChat
22. Seek out orgs & events
• On Facebook
– WASFAA (facebook.com/WiscFAA)
– ACPA or NASPA
• On Twitter
– #WASFAA or @WiscFAA
– #NASFAA or @nasfaa
– #ACPA or #NASPA
– #EMChat
– #HigherEdLive
23. Reach out to individuals
• Conference presenters
• Article/Book authors
• Researchers
• People featured in this presentation
24. Social media is a great
tool to make info 'come
alive'. I can
process/question info
with multiple
perspectives and
sometimes I get to
Lisa connect with the person
Endersby behind the
Student Experience article/presentation/etc
Advisor
University of Ontario
to get more in depth with
Institute of the information.
Technology
25. I try to give
encouragement and
feedback to
professionals that are
finding their voice (and
expect my network to do
the same for me since I
still seek that
Joseph
encouragement,
Ginese feedback, and help
Director of the Center
for Student finding my voice).
Involvement When attending
Nichols College conferences, I try to
27. Social media reframed
how I interact with my
professional association.
I thought ACUHO-I was
for chief housing
officers, not entry- or
mid-level professionals.
Stacy Oliver Through social media I
Associate Director of connected with
Residence Life members that
Lake Forest College
encouraged me to be
involved – present,
write, etc. Through
28. Social media helped
GLACUHO become an
organization that serves
its members outside of
the time they’re together
as a group. It allows us
to share resources and
Stacy Oliver have dialogue about
Associate Director of
Residence Life current events.
Lake Forest College
29. The #wihsng network
developed a social media
committee and plan to
tweet at specific times to
meet a need. They’ve
added to the number of
Deb women who know about
the network.
Schmidt-
Rogers
Director of
Residential
Education
30. It's a way to promote free
professional development
(webinars, etc). It also
allows me to develop and
promote the brand of the
orgs I support and/or lead.
I use it as a tool for
Ann Marie influence, donating, and
Klotz fundraising, too
Assistant Director of
Residential
Education
DePaul University
32. Your Turn Brainstorm in groups of 3:
How can WASFAA or
NASFAA use social media
to benefit the association?
33. Recommended Practices
• Use Twitter and Facebook to connect
members in between conferences
– Facebookpage(s) or group(s)
– Twitter account and hashtag
• Try committee meetings using Google
Hangouts
• Offer continual social media training so new
members or late adopters don’t feel left out
• Designate social media coordination to a
small team.
Why are you here? Are you skeptical? Excited? Let me know what you want to learn in the next hour.Why am I here? To inform and inspire. To train and guide. To evangelize, if you’ll let me.
Social media is used by the majority of people of all ages, regardless of their color, location, socioeconomic status, education level, or gender.It’s free. In a time of declining funding for professional development and conference travel, using social media to connect with colleagues is a no-brainer.
This is a really basic way to use Twitter or Facebook for professional development.
By being more intentional, you can reap greater benefits.
You may have heard hype over the last two years about personal branding. Social media gives you a platform to develop your professional brand. What areas do you excel? Who are your best collaborators? These things all become apparent over time on social media. Consider the “expert rule” – you’re only considered an expert 100 miles away from your campus. SM will help you develop expertise.
Has anyone here made the leap into connecting with peers on social media? Care to share your thoughts?
I’d like to tell a quick story about my experience with using social media for development. Over time, it can have amazing impacts on your career.
Over the last two years he has pushed me harder than I thought I could be pushed academically. He’s added an entire new level of rigor to my doctoral program. For the entire first year of my classes, we had still never met in person. There was a good chance the first time we would meet would be at my dissertation defense.
I was asked to do this article because of my presence on social media. It was my first national publication.
This was a surreal experience, unlike the tweetup I participated in at ACPA. There were approximately 50 people there. We had a private room. And I realized that when you get to know someone on Twitter, you hug them the first time you meet them. There’s no need to break the ice, because you know what they’ve been doing day-to-day for the last few months.
Not only was this important to continue to form professional connections, but our network on Twitter was following our every move. They wanted to be there with us.
Meanwhile, while doing research for my dissertation, I’ve been getting to know Greg through his work as an academic. We had never tweeted or met in person, but he was connected through my network.
Conducted a week-long research project at the University of Florida. Met with staff from the doctoral program. Had a great time. Realized this was my “dream team” of collaborators. We all have a different focus, but the same overarching interest – data-based practice for social media in higher education, both in the classroom and out.
In March we gave our first panel presentation at South by Southwest EDU, and we’re currently working on an academic paper to submit for publication.
Your story is likely not going to replicate mine. So how do you get started?
Melissa also has a list of WASFAA members she’s aware of on Twitter.
When you reach out to people, you’ll have a deeper learning experience…and eventually you’ll find that people are reaching out to you.
If you have the privilege of attending a conference, you can pay it forward by tweeting or blogging great content for people who couldn’t make it. But don’t go overboard. Twitter will limit you. They’ve limited Joe twice.
ACUHO-I is an organization for housing professionals around the world. It’s huge, and traditionally the only way to get involved was to join a committee. When I was involved in ACUHO-I, I recognized common names in the newsletter, but I didn’t have a relationship with anyone. In the last few years, that has changed.
GLACUHO is a regional organization for housing professionals.
Once you begin to create a professional brand on social media, you can leverage it to benefit your organization. Ann Marie has done amazing things for ACUHO-I’s foundation by tweeting about opportunities to donate and offering matching donations during crucial time periods.
Word is the WASFAA innovation committee has tried this at least once.
Has anyone here made the leap into connecting with peers on social media? Care to share your thoughts?
At this point, does anyone have any questions?
I wanted to save the “social media 101” for the end, so people who already feel comfortable on social media didn’t have to sit through it. Is there anyone here who would like a getting started tutorial on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+?