Communicating with College Students (in Emergencies)

Over the course of the semester, we have covered topics each week that have sparked my interest even more in their particular areas. However, two topics have stuck with me over the course of the semester in which I want to fuse together into one topic…how to communicate with today’s college students in times of emergency. This is a very challenging topic for student affairs professionals and university administrators due to the amount of protection they owe the university community. I guess this blog could also relate to communicating with students in general regardless of the situation. Through personal experience, I have noticed significant changes in the ways students respond to communication from me as well as other students affairs professionals just in the past two to three years. In times of crisis, it is imperative to have an effective communication system in place to notify the entire university community immediately to avoid further problems associated with the emergency. In today’s technologically savvy world of communication, there are several areas of communication that should be utilized in times of emergency and they are as follows: e-mail, Facebook, Myspace, text messaging, and others. Each of these methods should be utilized in order to communicate with everyone.

E-mail
E-mail has become very out-dated in terms of communicating with students, and it does not have the same effectiveness as it did several years ago. Today, college students have become apathetic towards e-mail, especially campus-wide e-mail. With the excessive amount of university e-mails sent out daily, it is easy for students to overlook an “emergency” e-mail as opposed to a brown bag luncheon lecture or a new exhibit at the library. Also, some student inboxes are rarely checked resulting in being bounced back claiming that the mailbox is full. As mentioned in a blog I was reading about the topic, the author made a great point by saying that “if we want to communicate with them efficiently, we probably should look into using their preferred media rather than trying to force them to use email which they do not understand, and which they fear.”

Facebook/Myspace
Of course, the first thing many college students do as soon as they wake up is check their Facebook account…if they haven’t already done so on their iPhone, Blackberry, etc. Many universities are already utilizing this interface, but it is the responsibility of the student to “Friend” the university or join a particular university group to be up to speed with alerts and other communication the university may deem important. Of course, there could be problems with Facebook and/or Myspace if duplicate accounts are created as imposters, but hopefully, that would never be the case!

Text Messaging
Text messaging has become to “go-to” means of communicating with students lately. From a personal standpoint, I never thought text messaging would be as utilized as it is today to communicate with students. As an staff member, it is easier to communicate with my students because I know they receive the message as soon as I send it, and I can receive a response almost immediately, if they are not in class, of course! The implementation of the REBALERT interface at Ole Miss has been very effective in notifying the community of weather warnings/watches, and fortunately, we have not had to utilize the program for a campus crisis. Unless something drastic changes, I would think that text messaging is the most reliable means of communicating with a large amount of people in a short amount of time.

Others
So, barring a severe emergency that cuts our communications methods, how does the university communicate with students? For example, if Oxford and the University suffer a major hit to all telecommunications (phone, internet, etc.), how do we get a quick message to all students? Some universities are actually tackling that issue at a rapid pace. The use of the campus emergency system (sirens) has been a popular method recently. The warning system has the capability of playing a message to alert the area of any type of situation that may arise. Of course, the other way is to use the old-fashioned means of communication and use word of mouth, which could be scary!

Over the next five to ten years, technology will probably completely change what I have written about in this blog, but it is important for universities to constantly evaluate their communications methods to ensure that the university community is aware of any and all emergencies on campus.

http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2008/08/21/communicating-with-college-students-using-their-own-media/

What’s in a “modern” student union?

During my time at Ole Miss, the only thing I have lacked as an undergraduate student, graduate student, and staff member is a quality student union. With the construction/renovation of student union facilities at in-state schools such as Southern Miss and Mississippi State, I cannot help but admit that my jealousy has sunk in. In comparison to other schools in the SEC, we are the only school lacking an actual Union Director to lead the operation of the Student Union. Student Unions are a vital part to the mission of universities. They should assist the learning mission of the university with the social mission of developing students. Without a quality student union, students lack the “attractive” meeting space to bond together. For example, at Ole Miss, our 1970s-style student union features many trends that were popular during that time. Many of the characteristics of the union can be compared to those of the Law School and Turner Center. The first thoughts that come to my mind are tons of concrete, not much room for traffic, and obsolete windows. In terms of interior characteristics of the Student Union, we are lacking proper meeting spaces, an actual ballroom facility, area for student organizations, theatre/auditorium space, other retail services, and quality recreational areas.

In an article from The Bulletin, a publication from American College Unions International (ACUI), the authors highlight the necessary areas for student unions as well as common trends and benchmarking data. They list thirteen components that are necessary for “current” student unions. The list is as follows:
- Food Service
- Bookstore Facilities
- Ballroom Facilities
- Student Organizations
- Administrative Offices
- Conference/Meeting Rooms
- Theater/Auditorium Space
- Additional Retail Services
- Recreation/Entertainment
- Lounge Space
- Special/Miscellaneous Components
- Academic-Related and Student Services
- Multicultural Centers

The article explains three overarching trends when taking each of these areas into consideration. One being, program components are being built to accommodate flexibility and variety. It is important for unions to keep up with the fast pace of our world (in terms of technology) as well as the diversity within it. Another theme, these particular program components are increasingly catering to specific student feedback and trends. One thing that has been changed slightly at Ole Miss is the use of the bookstore. Due to student feedback, we have a coffee area (Starbucks) as well as a bookstore that is similar to that of something off campus (Campus Bookmart and Rebel Rags, combined). Lastly, the program components my go beyond all expectations and create a student-friendly union. There must be devotion to student organizations within a student union in order for universities to promote leadership development of students. As fast-paced as our world is, the renovation of the Ole Miss Student Union will need to be light-years ahead of the current trends in order to remain both competitive and attractive to students.

http://www.acui.org/publications/bulletin/article.aspx?issue=412&id=1134&terms=trends+in+student+unions

Going Green....but HOW?

Many colleges and universities across the country are leading the way for a greener future for our planet. By doing so, various positions have been created, buildings have been adjusted, constructed, or demolished, and new initiatives have popped up across the country. For example, here at the university, an actual department was created to oversee campus sustainability. By having an office that is dedicated to the cause, new policies can be easily created and implemented. They can also help increase campus awareness. In terms of buildings, the new law school will be LEED-certified (as well as the Luckyday Residential College.). Other buildings have been renovated to accommodate expectations to be green. Despite all of this encouraging work and progress by the universities, the biggest difference-maker will be made by faculty, staff, students, and visitors. So, for this blog, I want to focus on the opportunities the campus community has to enhance the green initiative in terms of energy consumption.

Of course, in our technology-driven world, electricity is used or wasted every second of the day. Did you know that just by having an appliance plugged in and turned off, energy is being wasted? Think about that…your phone charger by your bed at home, your nice plasma-screen television, and even that light in the corner that you never turn on. In terms of the workplace, everyone (or almost everyone) operates with a computer. These contraptions use a ton of energy when being used. Change the settings so that they are set on energy-efficient or have the monitor shut off after an hour of no use or go as far as putting your computer in stand-by when you go to lunch. Also, relating to computers, it seems that we print out tons of garbage that is never physically read again. Digitize the paper keep it on your computer rather than wasting the paper and placing it in the filing cabinet. Also, in relationship with paper, when sending something across campus, why use a one-time-use envelope when reusable envelopes are available.

The Sierra Club provides ten ways to be GREEN at work…

1. Be bright about light
2. Maximize computer efficiency
3. Print smarter
4. Go paperless when possible
5. Ramp up your recycling
6. Close the loop
7. Watch what (and how) you eat
8. Rethink your travel
9. Reconsider your commute
10. Create a healthy office environment

http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2007/03/10_ways_to_go_g.html

Many of these adjustments are very simple and can be made on an individual basis. I think, however, that it is the responsibility of the leadership within universities to implement these policies to ensure the university meets green standards.

Sex, Drugs, and Alcohol: What’s wrong with it?

According to a National Institute of Justice study, about 62% of 100,000 reported sexual assaults were due to the victim being “drugged” while 5% of the assaults were considered date-rape. Of course, not all of these assaults occurred on a college campus, but the numbers are still somewhat startling. In an article titled “A dangerous mix: drinking, sex, and college students,” Carol Smith claims that alcohol is the number one date rape drug on campus. The article points out how common it is for drugs to be associated with sexual assault. According to Trinka Poratta, a consultant for police departments and educational institutions says there are almost 40 different drugs that are common factors in campus sexual assaults including benzodiazepines (Valium and Ativan), party drugs (Ecstasy), and pain meds (Vicodin). The most common date rape drug is GHB because of it is common to dispense this potent odorless and clear liquid in eye dropper or a nasal spray bottle. Some date rape drugs can affect the system in as quickly as 15 minutes. Also, when some drugs are combined with alcohol, the result can be amnesia. Even if an individual consents to a sexual encounter, the individual is considered legally incapable of consent which would result in a rape charge for the assailant.

Since many of these cases go unreported, it is difficult to file charges against individuals who can make this a routine. Poratta says that she tells men “you may get with it a few times, but if you don’t get away with it, you are a sexual predator for life; that is a heavy jacket to wear.” Men can protect themselves from being accused of a drug-facilitated sexual assault easily, “have sex sober” according to Poratta. Other preventative measures include the following:

• Always get your own drink and watch it being poured.

• Never leave your drink unattended. If you need to use the restroom and can't take your drink with you, leave it with a trusted friend—not a new date!

• If your drink tastes funny, do not drink it. Dispose of it to keep others from drinking it.

• Keep in mind that most drugs used to spike a drink are colorless and tasteless; therefore, keeping your drink within sight is paramount.

• Be aware of how your friends are acting. If they seem more "out of it" than usual, be very wary and keep an eye out for them.

Even though it may be difficult to prevent date rape, it is never the victim's fault regardless of the outcome.

http://invw.org/node/940

http://www.womensweb.ca/violence/rape/daterape2.php