Leveraging Technology:Strategies to Engage your Students and Make your Job Easier!

Chryssa Jones, Veterans Services Coordinator

University of California, Riverside

chryssa.jones@ucr.edu

What Are Your Challenges?Tweet them now using the #NAVPA11 tag

What Are Your Challenges?You are too busy

Busy researching overpayments & debt letters

Busy calculating net payer adjustments

Busy monitoring student registrations, degree plans, add/drop/changes, fee changes, & attendance

Busy processing certifications & paperwork

You are busy answering student questionsStudents don’t read email

Students don’t listen to what you tell them

Students don’t use the resources they have

No time for outreach (because you’re too busy)

New tools are too complicated

Technology Can Help!Job Processes:

Reporting tools & campus data systems

MS Office tips

Cloud-based collaboration

Sharing “Best Practices”

Outreach:Social media

Your “official” website

Direct email vs. list-serves

Old-fashioned Word of Mouth

SuperSCO

Job Process ImprovementsBanner & other systems

Banner Workflow

Take the time to learn your data systems

Write improvement proposals

Data ElementsVA file number

Chapter 33 eligibility %

Certification data

Restricted fund sources

Processing Comments

Document ImagingEasy to review at any time

Automate ProcessesInstallment Plans

Degree-plan Checking

Report batching

Reporting ToolsCert reports

Add/drop reports

FinAid adjustment reports

Sample Cert Report

Other Tips & Tricks:Use email templates & auto-responders

Improve your Excel skills for data analysis

Use Mail Merge Wizards to send customized (more effective) messages

Use SharePoint and other cloud-based tools when appropriate

Learn from others & share with others!

Outreach & CollaborationSocial media

Your “official” website

Email

Student peer support

Community events

Goal is to ensure comprehensive Transitional, Academic, and Peer Support

Why Use Social Media?It’s where your students are

Empowers your students to help each other

Improve your situational awareness

Establish a voice in your community

BUT…. You have to do it right!

Facebook PagesFriends are individuals

Pages are for businesses and organizations

Keep your page fresh!

“Like” other pages to easily share content

Use scheduling tools like Hootsuite to manage future updates

Facebook GroupsUsed for groups of “Friends”

Ideal for your student organization

You can’t post as your page, only as yourself

Group posts are more likely to be seen than “Page” posts

TwitterYour students are on Facebook, but your colleagues are on Twitter

Follow others for updates and easy retweets

Link accounts for easy updates to both

OR optimize each separately for maximum reach

Keep Your Website CurrentYour website is your information portal

Easy to find info = fewer student phone calls

Link to VA pages and other sites (but check the links periodically)

Great tool: a Twitter box automatically updates your website with your current tweets

http://www.jccc.edu/veterans/veterans-week.html

Other Collaboration TipsPartner with your local VetCenter

Make contacts with other service organizations in your community

Participate in community-building events

Find service opportunities for your students

Do joint events with other schools in your community

Recruit student volunteers to lead the way

Comments?Please tweet your feedback!