Laura A. Wankel - Böcker

New technologies provide new ways of delivering the programs and services of higher educational (HE) institutions. Social media such as Facebook, blogs, Flickr, Twitter, and the Second Life virtual world engage constituents and enhance effectiveness. Understanding the trends in the expanding role of social media in HE and the related implications for staff preparedness and training is necessary for future-oriented administrators and practitioners. This book examines how social media are redefining what university communities are and the purposes and practices of the various functional areas in HE. It presents an overview of innovative practices in the recruitment, advising, retention, graduation and engagement of students and alumni, and examines social media in connection with enrollment management, advising and mentoring, public relations and alumni relations. Topics covered include: how Facebook helps and hinders students' social integration; connecting fans and sports more intensively through social media; how to prepare staff to use social media in robust ways; and, using social networking sites during the career management process, for social research and studying abroad.

Explores the current context, role, and challenges of post-secondary education and presents options for promising pathways forward.    The post-secondary educational system has undergone dramatic changes and experienced immense stress in the past two decades. Once regarded as the logical next step toward career opportunities and financial security, higher education is a subject of growing uncertainty for millions of people across the United States. It is more common than ever to question the return on investment, skyrocketing cost, and student debt burden of going to college. Prospective students, and many employers, increasingly view attending institutions of higher learning as inadequate preparation for entering the 21st century workforce. High-profile scandals—financial impropriety, sexual abuse, restrictions of free speech, among others—have further eroded public trust. In response to these and other challenges, leading voices are demanding strengthened accountability and measurable change.  Higher Education's Road to Relevance illustrates why change is needed in post-secondary education and offers practical solutions to pressing concerns. The authors, internationally recognized experts in college-level teaching and learning innovation, draw heavily from contemporary research to provide an integrative approach for post-secondary faculty, staff, and administrators of all levels. This timely book helps readers identify the need for leadership in developing new networks and ecosystems of learning and workforce development. This valuable book will help readers: Understand the forces driving change in higher educationDevelop multiple pathways to create and credential self-directed learnersPromote access to flexible, cost-effective, and relevant learningAdapt structures and pedagogies to address issues and overcome challengesUse an inclusive approach that extends to employers, K-12 educators, post-secondary educators, and policy-makers, among othersHigher Education's Road to Relevance is a much-needed resource for college and university administrators, academic researchers, instructors and other faculty, and staff who support and interact with students.

The purpose of this book is to provide student affairs professionals who work at Catholic colleges and universities a tool for reflection and dialogue on difficult issues they face in their campuses. It is intended to be used in staff development sessions, in training sessions with student leaders and resident assistants, and in master’s level student affairs preparation programs at Catholic colleges and universities. This book is the next step in a series of projects that began in the early 1990s after the publication by the Vatican of the apostolic constitution. This book is a collection of case studies that focus on particular issues related to Catholic identity that are faced by student affairs professionals who work at Catholic colleges and universities. By its very nature, the focus on the difficult issues we face is a limitation. The editors in no way wish to imply that Catholic identity is only about problems. Previous research and experience clearly indicates those who work at Catholic institutions understand and embrace the opportunities that this environment provides for them. But as Schaller and Boyle (2006) indicated,there is a need for dialogue around the difficult issues that we face. The editors believe that a book of case studies is particularly helpful because it allows a staff to discuss problems at fictionalized universities and then ask themselves, “What would we do here?” The editors solicited cases using a mailing list provided by the ASACCU; thus, the cases included in this book represent the real concerns of those practicing in the field. Some of the cases that are included are true stories of situations that actually happened, some are fictional, and some are hybrid stories based on actual events but changed to illustrate an issue. To protect the privacy of those who were kind enough to share their difficult issues with their colleagues, the names of case contributors are listed at the beginning of the book in alphabetical order, rather than being listed with the cases they contributed.

The purpose of this book is to provide student affairs professionals who work at Catholic colleges and universities a tool for reflection and dialogue on difficult issues they face in their campuses. It is intended to be used in staff development sessions, in training sessions with student leaders and resident assistants, and in master’s level student affairs preparation programs at Catholic colleges and universities. This book is the next step in a series of projects that began in the early 1990s after the publication by the Vatican of the apostolic constitution. This book is a collection of case studies that focus on particular issues related to Catholic identity that are faced by student affairs professionals who work at Catholic colleges and universities. By its very nature, the focus on the difficult issues we face is a limitation. The editors in no way wish to imply that Catholic identity is only about problems. Previous research and experience clearly indicates those who work at Catholic institutions understand and embrace the opportunities that this environment provides for them. But as Schaller and Boyle (2006) indicated,there is a need for dialogue around the difficult issues that we face. The editors believe that a book of case studies is particularly helpful because it allows a staff to discuss problems at fictionalized universities and then ask themselves, “What would we do here?” The editors solicited cases using a mailing list provided by the ASACCU; thus, the cases included in this book represent the real concerns of those practicing in the field. Some of the cases that are included are true stories of situations that actually happened, some are fictional, and some are hybrid stories based on actual events but changed to illustrate an issue. To protect the privacy of those who were kind enough to share their difficult issues with their colleagues, the names of case contributors are listed at the beginning of the book in alphabetical order, rather than being listed with the cases they contributed.

As interaction in higher education among faculty, staff, students, and others becomes ever more digital, the welter of new online communication technologies have provided many unintentional opportunities for indiscipline and misconduct. As a result of this unfortunate increase is misbehavior, administrators and instructors in higher education are increasingly being called upon to remedy and forestall such actions. Misbehavior Online in Higher Education is rich in contemporary case studies, analytical reports, and up-to-date research providing detailed overviews of various misbehavior, including cyberbullying, cyberstaling, cyberslacking, and privacy invasion, hacking, cheating, teasing, and enhanced prejudicial attitudes. The development of approaches to addressing these problems is discussed and examples are provided. The book also anticipates emerging problematic behaviors and explores the creation of new policies, programs, facilities, and technologies to tackle such problems.

"Increasing Student Engagement and Retention using Social Technologies: Facebook, e-portfolios and other Social Networking Services" uses case studies, surveys, and literature reviews to examine how these social media technologies are being used to improve writing and publishing skills in students, create engaging communities of practice, and how these tools are being used for e-Mentoring and constructing online reputations. Chapters include applying positive psychology and cognitive styles in user design, designing outcome based curricula using student personality types, engaging second language students through electronic writing tasks, applying psychological variables on the academic use of social media, using social media to motivate students to take charge of their own learning processes, and creatively using technology to enhance teacher education. This volume will also discuss a framework for deploying and assessing these technologies in higher education institutions.

Increasing Student Engagement and Retention Using Mobile Applications: Smartphones, Skype and Texting Technologies examines new research on how mobile technologies are being used in higher education to increase learner engagement in an epoch of increasing globalization and diversity. These enabling technologies are reshaping and reframing the practice of teaching and learning in higher education. Through case studies, surveys, and literature reviews, this volume will examine how mobile technologies are being used to improve teamwork and leadership skills in students, to create engaging communities of practice, and how these technologies are being used to create inter-cultural and global experiences. This volume will also discuss frameworks for adopting and deploying these technologies.

Increasing Student Engagement and Retention Using Multimedia Technologies: Video Annotation, Multimedia Applications, Videoconferencing and Transmedia Storytelling examines new research on how videoconferencing, video annotation, video mapping, and related technologies are being used in higher education to increase learner engagement in an epoch of increasing globalization and diversity. These enabling technologies are reshaping and reframing the practice of teaching and learning in higher education. Through case studies, surveys, and literature reviews, this volume will examine how video, mapping, and related technologies are being used to improve writing/publishing skills, academic literacies in students, and create engaging communities of practice through digital storytelling, narratives, and inter-culturalism. This volume will also discuss a framework for deploying and assessing these technologies.