Blog by: Cody Olsen, OrgSync Campus Liaison, Dixie State College

Just like many others, I am fully aware of the recent uprising of the mega-internet platforms now known as social media. Their increase in popularity has brought a new level of communication and interaction to all groups and ages, especially on college and university campuses.

As a full time student I know that social media has become just as effective as e-mail, text messaging, and phone calls because of the instant communication capability. Many times on campus I witness arguments between friends because someone failed to receive an invite to the latest social event. It’s clear that these students have already jumped on the social media train, but what about the rest of the campus population: the faculty and administration?

Untapped Resource for the Classroom
Many educators tend to adhere to the tried and true teaching methods of the past. Unfortunately, students are changing, and those once effective teaching methods are becoming stale. Faculty, and campus administrators, can utilize social media as a tool for creating new ways to engage students by posting relevant articles, research and websites to these social media sites that students are frequenting on a very regular basis; hence, encouraging outside the classroom learning.

Extend Learning Beyond the Classroom
Using these social media tools educators are able to reach students through new communication mediums and provide students with exposure and experience to valuable tools.  Providing their students with the experience of blogging, developing podcasts and building professional networks, equips students with skills they will likely need after college due to the multiple mediums that all outlets are reaching out to with these social media tools. Allowing students to hone these skills inside the classroom, giving appropriate and constructive feedback, plays both into the traditional mode of teaching/learning as well as the know-how of the future tools.

Teach People, Not Lectures
Many of the postings and updates on social media sites are fully searchable and identifiable to a particular user or author. With the proper skills, educators can track and follow the indications of the comprehension and understanding of specific lectures, lessons, writings and assignments of their students over the duration of the class. Using social media posts, along with student interaction in the classroom, educators may now base their teaching on custom plans centered not only on the needs of their students, but the overall student participation level over these various social medium platforms. This bridge is easy to cross for the faculty member by indicating in the course syllabus the specific social media sites that they will be monitoring/tracking/participating in along with their students and then granting a certain percentage-point amount for participation, frequency, cogency, and relevance to the course materials.

These perks are only a small taste of the fresh new style that social media can bring into the world of higher education. In addition, we will see the potential for higher productivity, better student accountability, and increased participation because when faculty members are reaching out to students where they currently are, the internet, it establishes credibility of both the student and the faculty member. With new technology breeds innovation, and with the best and brightest minds utilizing this new medium, the possibilities for overall effectiveness are near infinite. It’s clear that the use of social media can have a great effect on the lives of students and educators alike. It’s time to throw away the stale, and to embrace and create a fresh new environment where education can thrive.

Blog by: Angel Quicksey, OrgSync Campus Liaison, Claremont McKenna College

Today’s world is smaller, flatter, and more connected than ever before. Places and people that once seemed remote are now only a click away and virtually right next-door.  Neighbors that once chatted through a fence are now chatting online through a social network such as Facebook, Twitter or AIM. Young people – students, especially – use the internet to stay connected, as it’s easier than ever to reach out to the classmate across campus, parents back home, or even the friend made while studying abroad.

Yet, students can use such technologies to reach out in a different way. Young people on campuses around the world already promote social justice and create change. Clubs raise money for relief actions in war-torn countries, they prod politicians and their fellows to take action on environmental issues, they support campaigns for AIDS relief, clean water, and health care. But if one club on one campus can raise a few thousand dollars for Darfur or Burma or the environment, imagine what could be accomplished if those students came together to accomplish something even greater. This is where social media comes in. Recall what students can do without our new technology:

•    The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the 1960s – the group, begun at Shaw University, staged many of the sit-ins and freedom rides of the civil rights movement and had a leading role in the1963 march on Washington.
•    The students of the 1970s and ‘80s who protested apartheid in South Africa – beginning with students of Stanford University in 1974, these young people divestment from companies involved in South Africa during apartheid. By 1988, 155 universities had partially or fully divested funds from the country.

These students saw a need for change and combined their efforts across the nation to guarantee civil rights in America and abroad.

Today, students have even more tools available to them to create social change. Through the internet, particularly social media sites, students can easily spread information by broadcasting videos, photos and headlining news.

The power of these sites has become especially apparent in recent weeks as students and opposition leaders in Iran used Facebook and Twitter to spread their message and capture images, like the death of Neda Agha-Soltan.

While perhaps not facing the same immediate strife as the people of Iran, many college and university students tackle other important issues at home and abroad. Yet, most campus organizations seem to work independently, though they may be working toward a similar goal.  Why not take advantage of this new age of social networking and connect with others at your college, in your area, or in a similar branch of your club? Then, once these connections are established using social media, you can create larger events, campaigns and movements that will greatly impact your campus, your nation and even the world.

Blog by: Daniel Ware, OrgSync Campus Liaison, University of Alabama

As many know friendships that are made in college tend to be friendships that last years even after college. Now many colleges and universities are jumping on the bandwagon to make on campus living mandatory for freshmen. Many freshmen are being put into dorms with large amounts of students, and it is up to the freshmen and their Resident Assistants (RA’s) to build a community among themselves.

When asked what he believed helps build a strong community, James Wright, an RA at Paty Hall at the University of Alabama, said:

“Communication between residents and RA’s is absolutely crucial to building a strong and functional community. In halls such as Paty, where constant exposure leads to understanding and frequent communication by word of mouth, flyers, and Facebook, the foundation of good community is easily laid. However, in halls like Riverside, where the most communication a resident can expect is a note; community is not as strong.”

Residence halls usually use flyers to pass on information to students, but unfortunately they are often thrown away and sometimes not even read.  In addition, they can amount to a huge waste of paper, and many schools are beginning to support going green. Word of mouth sometimes can be a good tool for communication in small residence halls but are less affective for larger dorms. Also, the main message tends to get distorted as people relay the message to other people; kind of like the elementary school game, telephone.

Facebook, email, and other on-line tools are usually the best line of communication for college residents and their RA’s.  Most students use social media outlets such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter and usually check them often.  The tools are online and so are the students, so residence halls can easily keep students updated on involvement opportunities and build a community around residence hall life.

In today’s society, a college education is more important than ever, and there is no shortage of institutions for students to choose from. So, how do prospective students make up their mind? What draws them to one institution over another? More than anything else, they look for a place they can call home. They consider what the University has to offer them. Student involvement in the campus community is vital to a successful college life. Prospective students don’t want to attend an institution where they will be isolated, and have nothing to do but study. While it’s true that students are looking for a good education, without a comfortable environment, learning won’t be possible.

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE Studies) shows that student success is directly linked to student involvement. NSSE measures student involvement in academic and co-curricular programs and activities, and the effect they have on students. According to NSSE, the more involved students are in an institution, the more invested they will be. The higher the student involvement level the higher their grades are and the more likely they are to re-enroll for the next semester. Highly-engaged students are more likely to re-enroll than less-engaged students. An institution that offers inviting options for student involvement is also creating free, word-of-mouth marketing. The more a student likes an institution the more likely they are to promote and recommend it to others. Among institutions that scored appropriately in the NSSE student involvement and engagement study 93 percent of students reported having a favorable image of their college.

Because student involvement is so important, it is vital for an institution to create a culture, not just a campus. When students are involved and engaged, they feel like they are a part of something. This sense of belonging fosters loyalty and pride in their institution, as well as academic achievement, and community involvement. There are five benchmarks laid out by NSSE to gauge a successful student involvement environment.

These benchmarks are:
1. Sufficient level of academic challenge
2. Favorable amount of active and collaborative learning options
3. Quality faculty and student interaction
4. Abundant amount of enriching community interaction
5. Existence of a supportive campus environment.

Students who are involved devote more time and energy to academics, spend more time on campus, while participating actively in student organizations, and having more positive interactions with faculty and staff. All of this leads to a more productive educational environment that benefits every part of the institution. On the other hand, uninvolved students neglect their studies, abstain from extracurricular activities, spend little time on campus, and rarely contact faculty and staff. This lack of interest leads to a lack-luster college experience.

Students are not the only ones to benefit from an engaged environment. Student involvement is often the catalyst for other institutional and community improvements. Faculty, staff, and the surrounding community all benefit from student involvement. From volunteering, to relaxed and free flowing conversation, the benefits are endless. But, meaningful and worthwhile student involvement does not just happen overnight, it’s an investment process that takes time, effort, and money. But this is an investment that has been proven to be worth the effort. Student involvement on campus is one of the quickest ways for students to become part of an institution’s community and create a personalized college experience.

Eric Fortenberry and I (Nicole Andreas) recently returned from a campus visit at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa!  We were warmly welcomed by Dr. Stacy Jones and her team in the Student Involvement and Leadership office.

Nicole and Eric with the Leadership and Involvement Staff

The Division of Student Affairs at the University of Alabama is actively pursuing opportunities to maximize each UA student’s learning experience.  “After searching for a solution to manage students’ co-curricular involvement on the student side, campus side and staff side for about three years, we brought OrgSync to our campus as the “Source” to manage our student involvement.  After conducting focus groups composed of faculty and students, we quickly learned OrgSync was the only choice that fully met our management needs and excited students,” said Dr. Stacy Jones.

UA is creating an entire program and team dedicated to providing their students with the services and tools they need to manage their student organizations and involvement needs.  They are branding the program as the “Source”, as in: the source to go to for all student involvement and student organization management.

To kick off the launch of the Source powered by OrgSync, Stacy Jones and Kristen DuBose planned an exciting Launch Party on the Plaza with games, prizes, food and fun to intrigue students about the new Source program.  Everyone signed up on OrgSync through their “My Bama” accounts(a single-sign-on solution that UA chose to implement to simplify user registration through their current campus sign-on information), and the Launch Party was a brilliant success.

Our visit also included meetings with several campus departments including Bama faculty, advisors and administrators.  Each department was excited about bringing OrgSync to campus for different reasons.  Vice-President of Student Affairs, Dr. Mark Nelson, immediately saw value in getting every campus department at UA on board.  He even asked, “Does OrgSync print money too?  What can’t this [OrgSync] platform do!?”

Signatures for the Children's Miracle Network

In between scheduled meetings, Eric and I were shown around Alabama’s extraordinary campus by Daniel Ware, a student leader from UA’s Residence Hall Association.  It was fascinating to learn the history behind the Tuscaloosa campus, and it was great to meet so many friendly students during our tour.  While traveling through campus, Zeta Beta Theta and Phi Mu were campaigning on the Quad to gain signatures on a giant blow-up ball.  For each signature, a donation would be made to the Children’s Miracle Network.  Of course, Eric and I had to sign the ball.  We are all about giving back to those in need.

Daniel was a great tour guide!  He brought us to see the football stadium and to see the famous “Walk of Champions.”  The Walk of Champions honors Bama football coaches who have lead the school to victory, and it displays the SEC titles and awards the football team has been recognized for.

After our tour, we met in the Student Recreational Center on campus to get all of the club sports team signed up.  We had a great turnout and we met with many different teams who were excited to start using OrgSync in the Fall.  The women’s soccer team was especially excited to be able to manage different user groups and target their specific information to manage and engage their team more efficiently.  Primarily, the players were particularly excited to learn that they could juggle their hectic sports schedules AND their involvement with other campus activities from just one place.

Before we left, Eric and I were asked to share our story with two entrepreneurial classes in the business school.  We really enjoyed talking to the students, and we felt inspired as these future entrepreneurs sat in the same seat I was in not too long ago.  I think a lot of them were inspired too, just to know it really was the same seat, and many of them told us about their dreams of starting their own company some day.  Several students even came up to us after the class to learn how they could get involved, and help spread the word about OrgSync.

Overall, our visit was extremely successful, and I can’t wait to go back to the University of Alabama.  Roll Tide!

The landscape at the University of Alabama is a testament to the concept of “integrative learning,” and the University’s Quad exhibits this quality.  Whereas one half of the area is open, the other half is tree-filled and covered with shade and benches. This is the formula for the perfect student experience, in which, the tree-covered area can be seen as the student’s academic life, and the open side as their extra-curricular endeavors.

Integrative learning is an interdisciplinary process involving student activity both in and outside the classroom. In an academic setting, students are required to attend classes ranging from forty people to over four hundred people; all of whom are watching a powerpoint presentation or listening to an impersonal lecture. However, there must be a manner in which to convey knowledge that is captivating and stimulating to a student that compels them to engage their studies in a fun and informative manner- enter OrgSync.

OrgSync is a new and revolutionary online tool for the total management of student organizations and their members.  OrgSync incorporates integrative learning techniques to continue what academia begins, but further helps student organizations effectively communicate, and especially in the campus residence halls.

As an example, take the Blount Undergraduate Initiative at the University of Alabama,which is a living-learning community that houses its scholars.  Blount is not just a residence hall, it is also an academic building with classrooms on the first floor where Blount scholars go for their foundational courses.  One professor, and all of the Teaching Assistants/Graduate students involved in those classes live in Blount, so at any point in the day, students can go to their instructors and ask questions. Not only are students afforded the ability to have open and personal dialogue with their professors, but the students are also encouraged to socialize and foster discussion among themselves for a fully integrated approach.  Academic or recreational topics are welcome in a large open forum known as the “Lobby,” and this peer-to-peer learning can be observed on a daily basis.

Having an area where everyone in the community can come together and collaborate allows for the furthering of knowledge in an otherwise social setting. Alex Wilson, a resident of Blount, said, “Living in Blount—a living-learning community—has deepened my understanding and furthered my studies of all things academic; in turn, I am made aware of world events, politics, and other activities that exist outside the classroom. This knowledge makes me a better-rounded student.”

Implementing the organizational measures of OrgSync for student interest groups on the campus of UA furthers the communication between these groups and the faculty.   Open communication increases the effectiveness of organizations such as the Blount program, and facilitates an integrative learning experience.

Integration Enables OrgSync to Release a Premier Treasury Solution for Higher Education

OrgSync is excited to announce that it has integrated PayPal into its co-curricular management platform.  With PayPal, student leaders and campus administrators can electronically issue invoices and collect payments online.  The integration brings convenience and security to collegiate treasury management while decreasing administrative burdens and saving campuses time and money!

“We are pleased that OrgSync has chosen PayPal to provide student organizations and campus administrations with a safer and more convenient way to send and receive money online,“ said Glenn P. Lim, General Manager of Alliances and Vertical Markets at PayPal.  “We look forward to working with OrgSync to make the security and convenience of PayPal available to college campuses everywhere.”

OrgSync continues to evolve, offering campuses a partnership to build the ultimate campus management solution together!  “PayPal’s payment service is a great match for the needs of OrgSync’s technology platform,” said Eric Fortenberry, CEO of OrgSync.  “OrgSync has developed an unparalleled company culture, forming unique relationships with each one of our campuses.  We share a vision with our clients to build a solution that will benefit the Higher Education community as a whole and accelerate student involvement and success.  OrgSync has found the same zeal and values in PayPal and is excited to provide additional treasury benefits to its clients.”

You can view the press release here.

So far, we’ve talked about benefits to a company, where to begin and who should be involved. There are a few other items that you might need.

Gotta know the rules

Before you get too far, know the rules on your campus. After you have secured a champion, talk to the others areas of campus and also include a question on any rules that you might need to know (even if they don’t want to work with you and you’re on your own). Sometimes the Dean of Students or the President’s Office will know if vendors are allowed on campus, if you can put logos on banners etc etc. Campuses can get tricky about that stuff sometimes.

Know the company cycle and who to talk to

If you decide to approach companies, expect that they have a certain funding cycle and you’ll need to find out what it is. If they are a multinational company, they typically begin to set their budgets for the next fall in mid Spring (March or April). Remember that we speak in academic timelines, and they may have a different end of fiscal year date. If you’re going into this cold, you will need to find out who the right person is to send a proposal. Don’t expect the receptionist or the main company address to get to that person. Cold calling is really hard, but you may need to do it to find out who the campus relations or community relations person is – or maybe even marketing or PR. It’s great to find someone who knows someone who can hook you into a person with a name you can actually call and ask.

Budget

Do a budget. You can do a pie in the sky budget and a shoestring version so you have some room. Think of every possible item that you will need. Do your research.

Next time, we’ll get into writing a proposal.

We reached our goal to raise $1,500 to provide drinking water to those in need. Thank you to everyone who donated. Please continue to help us spread the word for this amazing cause!

This month people from cities across the globe are uniting for a much larger cause to raise money to provide drinking water for those in need. Today the OrgSync team has set out to support this effort by harnessing the power of social media to raise $1,500.

Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of all sickness and disease, and kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Only $20 can provide one person in a third world country clean, safe drinking water for 20 years.

In an effort to help us provide a basic necessity to those less fortunate, we ask you to donate a small amount (even $1 will help) which will be personally matched by Eric Fortenberry, Founder and CEO of OrgSync. Eric has agreed to match the first $1000 raised because as a leader, Eric is passionate about leveraging his understanding of social media to unite the online community for such a great cause.

This Nigerian woman is gathering water from a local pond, which is used as a source of drinking water. But because of a Guinea worm larvae infestation, this water must be filtered to remove the water fleas that carry the parasitic larvae of the Guinea worm. Photo by E. Staub, courtesy of the CDC and The Carter Center.

Please click the icon below to donate.

Also, please help us spread the word about this cause to anyone you may know. Thanks for everyone’s help!

Why Water Relief?
Charity: Water promo featuring “Time Bomb” by Beck from Charity: Water on Vimeo.
Watch this short video to see how 1 in 6 people don’t have access to safe, clean drinking water. To learn more visit Charity Water.

Keep track of how much money we raise throughout the day:
Twitter: Follow @OrgSync
Facebook: Friend Eric Fortenberry
Blog: blog.orgsync.com
Flickr: OrgSync

We would like to thank the following individuals for donating!

Major Donors ($50 and above):
Karen Andreas $100
Michael and Phyllis Jurica $100
Melody Fortenberry $100
Katherine Haas $100
Phil Andreas $50
Keith and Evie Katz $50
Debra Cerda $50
Daniel Ware $50

Donors:
Michelle Greer
Cayce Stone
Jami Darden
Nicole Andreas
Mike Pearson
Jon Bolden
Aaron Wallis
Jeff Jackson
Clifton King
Matthew Buck
Andrew Katz
Leanna Laskey
Peter Vincent
Darryl Graham
Steve Lyons
Chelsea Lyons
Wesley Faulkner
Katherine Katz
Debbie Pesses

This past Thursday, the OrgSync crew was invited to the Bobby Bones Show Christmas Party.  The party was put on by the 96.7 Kiss FM Morning Show and was held in downtown Austin at Vicci, benefiting Toys for Tots.  Special guests included Brandy, Kevin Rudolf, Lesley Roy, White Tie Affair, and Shontelle!  We got to meet Bobby Bones, Lunchbox, Amy and Carlos and saw some great performances.  The boys even got a picture with the lady santas!  The party was a lot of fun and benefitted a great cause.  We can’t wait to go back next year!