BUILD BETTER ADVISING RELATIONSHIPS

THROUGH BLOGGING

NACADA Region 8: January 24-27

Becca Schulze & Katie Schumm

University of Oregon

Reporting back from the field…

University of Oregon

Undergraduates: 16,681

Graduates: 3,695

271 academic programs

67% of students are Oregon residents

83% of students are enrolled full-time

31% of student body in Fall 2008 were newly admitted students

*data courtesy of UO Admissions, Fall 2008

Office of Academic Advising (OAA)

Staff

7 Advisors, 3 Administrators, 2 Graduate Teaching Fellows, 4 Support Staff, 8 Student Workers

Advisee Population

Undeclared students Pre-health

National Student Exchange Pre-law & Pre-MSW

Annual Visits: 9,218

Office of Academic Advising (OAA)

Fall 2009 visits (as of week 6): 2,116

Office of Academic Advising (OAA)

Outreach to Students in Academic Difficulty

- Letters to all students on academic warning, probation, or

disqualification

Office of Academic Advising (OAA)

Outreach to Students in Academic Difficulty

- Letters to all students on academic warning, probation, or

disqualification

- Mandatory visits for 1st year undeclared students on academic

probation (approx. 136 students winter 2009)

Office of Academic Advising (OAA)

Outreach to Students in Academic Difficulty

- Letters to all students on academic warning, probation, or

disqualification

- Mandatory visits for 1st year undeclared students on academic

probation (approx. 136 students winter 2009)

- Mandatory visits for students petitioning for retroactive withdrawal

and academic reinstatement

Inspiration for creating the blog

Inspiration for creating the blog

I know that asking for help and advice is not the easiest thing to do, but

surfing the internet IS!-Becca

Why we chose a BLOG

-Limited access

-Can’t add pages

-Can’t manipulate page

templates

-Not interactive

-Content would be static

Website Facebook Blog

Why we chose a BLOG

-Limited access

-Can’t add pages

-Can’t manipulate page

templates

-Not interactive

-Content would be static

Website Facebook BlogX

Why we chose a BLOG

-Limited access

-Can’t add pages

-Can’t manipulate page

templates

-Not interactive

-Content would be static

-Existing facebook site

addresses all department

news & events

-Designed for short posts

-Posted content is not

searchable

Website Facebook BlogX

Why we chose a BLOG

-Limited access

-Can’t add pages

-Can’t manipulate page

templates

-Not interactive

-Content would be static

-Existing facebook site

addresses all department

news & events

-Designed for short posts

-Posted content is not

searchable

Website Facebook BlogX X

Why we chose a BLOG

-Limited access

-Can’t add pages

-Can’t manipulate page

templates

-Not interactive

-Content would be static

-Existing facebook site

addresses all department

news & events

-Designed for short posts

-Posted content is not

searchable

-Free

-Interactive

-Artistic control

-Content is searchable &

tagable

-*Some* personal

blogging experience

Website Facebook BlogX X?

Why we chose a BLOG

-Limited access

-Can’t add pages

-Can’t manipulate page

templates

-Not interactive

-Content would be static

-Existing facebook site

addresses all department

news & events

-Designed for short posts

-Posted content is not

searchable

-Free

-Interactive

-Artistic control

-Content is searchable &

tagable

-*Some* personal

blogging experience

Website Facebook BlogX X?

www.gradefirstaid.wordpress.com

www.gradefirstaid.wordpress.com

www.gradefirstaid.wordpress.com

www.gradefirstaid.wordpress.com

Okay, I’m ready to

give this blogging

thing a try…

Six Simple Steps

1. Be a “blog lurker”

Six Simple Steps

2. Develop your brand

X

Six Simple Steps

3. Plan your blog’s template

X

Six Simple Steps

4. Dive in, but don’t go live

5. Solicit input

Six Simple Steps

6. Unveil and promote

Plans for the coming year

Incorporate blog visits/participation into campus

initiatives for targeted student populations (Student

Life, at-risk and probationary, multicultural, first-

year, transfer, etc.)

Continue to collaborate with campus partners

Embed podcasts (student interviews)

Embed screencasts

Thanks for coming!

Safe travels and

happy blogging!