Why Webmasters make good pets

Webmasters - A New Pet for an Old Family
There is no doubt that Student Affairs administrators and practitioners are under a nearly constant barrage of demands on their time and service, often with fewer resources with which to meet those demands. In such a climate, a tendency to return to the basics often predominates, and programs, initiatives and cultures which are seen as tertiary to the co-curricular education of students become a fireside story, nevermore to rear their ugly heads.

Nowhere is this philosophy more misfounded than in the area of developing technology for Student Affairs. This misfoundation, however, is often lost on Student Affairs, because by the very nature of their calling, most Student Affairs folks do not have the resources or inclination to become conversant enough in technology to form an informed opinion, let alone disagree with one. If a Student Affairs staff has not met technological demands, the fault should not lie with it. Technology is a specialty, similar to law or medicine or accounting. Few lawyers practice medicine, and of those who do, fewer still are licensed CPA's. A common thinking error is to assume that because so much media-blitzed technology is sponsored by the young and/or uneducated, technology and its implementation is child's play. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Nevertheless, Student Affairs divisions are being increasingly pressured to conform to and interact with technological sources, in everything from personal productivity to programming direction. How, then, is this disconnect between technology and Student Affairs to be resolved?

This article examines the benefits (and some pitfalls) of hiring internal technology people - staff members who a) can interact with other staff members, not necessarily the students; b) can bridge the gap between campus I.T. and the minimum wage secretary who is holding on until retirement (or the next round of budget cuts, whichever comes first), and c) will hold dear the values entrenched in the Student Affairs subculture, while having the technical skill to expand the role and service Student Affairs can offer. For purposes of simplicity, the entire I.T.staff will be regarded as "the webmaster," given that the web has almost single-handedly forced technology on Student Affairs in a way which the personal computer, campus network and Windows could not.

But I Already Have Pets, and I Like Them
Technology is unlike other 'administrative functions' (accounting, finance, marketing, etc.), in that the needs of a division are not always accounted for by central campus planning. Some would argue that there is no need for an internal webmaster, because the campus already has one. Others would argue that there is no reason to hire one person (if that is the case) to do what department heads and student workers can do.

If, in fact, these arguments are valid, then the reader may be well served by abandoning this article now. For most in the real world, honest evaluation will reveal that the campus webmaster is simply overburdened with projects which are either more profitable (i.e. providing class registration over the web) or are more political (i.e. making sure the Dean's Council minutes are regularly posted). In such an environment, it is difficult to keep web pages updated, much less utilize the technology for grander schemes. Similarly, department heads that provide brilliant student interaction may not be able to guide those same students, as workers, to utilize the opportunities provided by the web. Most divisions struggle to keep rudimentary web presences current in either environment, and are precluded from conceiving how to take their web endeavors "to the next level."

By having an internal webmaster, one that is singularly focused on technology, departments can then devote their limited resources to what they are best at, while letting "the computer guys" do what they are best at. How this process is managed will often depend on the personalities involved, and it would be a mistake to believe that a webmaster will solve all technology woes. It would not be a mistake to believe that a skilled technician with moderate people skills will be able to make the bridge between what you want to do and what can be done.

Making Sure They are House-Trained and Play Well with the Kids
The very fact that a department needs a webmaster may preclude it from choosing the right one. As with the uninitiated in anything, opinions from those who are informed should be sought. Campus I.T. can often be the best resource - this group is most familiar with the nuances of higher education and technology, and will have valuable advice to offer. The webmaster will often be interacting with this group, so it is best to have its buy-in before proceeding.

Once the appropriate qualifications are defined, campus I.T. should help in the interview process as well. An alarmingly large percentage of 'computer geeks' are more geek than computer, and the initiative will be lost on one who cannot perform as advertised. Children should not be trusted around the junkyard dog, even if that dog is well groomed when it is first brought home. Specific implementations will vary, but a good webmaster is one who has experience working with web technologies (which may not be the same as developing web pages) and who has some formal education in I.T. During the 1990s the appropriateness of formal education for I.T. practitioners was a heated topic, but since the burst of the dot-com bubble, the value of education has been re-emphasized. Make sure, however, that they do have training in I.T., and that they aren't the advisement counselor who has a knack for fixing people's computers. The skill set held by the former will be lost on the latter.

Treat Your Webmaster Well
Your webmaster has a tough job -- innovate the needs of an industry that is generally resistant to change (Student Affairs) by inducing the change they seek to avoid. Management support will be key to the success of both the new webmaster and the new initiatives, for technology by itself has never solved problems, and almost certainly will create new ones. If they are properly cared for, most webmasters will successfully rise to the occasion.

Examples of "the Next Level"
What should the efforts of a webmaster be? A different skill set will be needed if they are simply going to update the brochure aspect of websites instead of taking your organization "to the next level." Below are several projects, either completed or in development, sponsored by Weber State University Student Affairs I.T., which have moved beyond the traditional static use of web technology.

• Tutor Scheduling Application: Enrolls students who need tutoring with tutors proficient in the area of question. Scheduling is done on a semester basis.

• RentMaster: Inventory management and rental control system for wilderness recreation centers.

• NoteTaker: Online agenda management and automatic web publishing of meeting minutes.

• ColumnKeeper: Online assessment tool, tailored to the '5-column' model of assessment adopted by the University.

• Abacus: Extracts student interaction data, which is used by Research Support for reporting purposes. Student interaction data is collected by various applications on the division intranet.

• KittenCare: scheduling and attendance tracking of the drop-in day care sponsored by the Department of Non-Traditional students.

• Tally: Inventory control and short-term rental (hours, not days) of wireless laptops in the Student Union Building.

• TriChi: Organization management for Student Activities and registered organizations. Also provides data reporting.

• Vote: Allows online voting for student elections (student officers, Homecoming royalty).

All of these applications were developed in house, because commercial applications were either too expensive or did not meet departmental needs. A similar number of commercial applications have been purchased when it was cost effective to do so. In these situations, the webmaster can assist in coordinating the installation and support. Examples include Marquee Sign Management, OQ-45- Psychological Counseling Database, Key Management System for Residence Halls, and SNAP Survey Sftware.

Conclusion
There are many technological needs that beg the attention of Student Affairs administrators, and imagining that these needs will go away is not a realistic solution. As student needs become more technologically oriented, Student Affairs organizations must adapt to meet these needs, and generally will require the services of technology specialists who are dedicated exclusively to their unique needs. This type of change may not be easy or simple, but as time goes on, it will become increasingly necessary.