Tony W. Cawthon, Ph.D.,
CAWTHOT@clemson.edu

Pamela A. Havice, Ph.D.,
HAVICE@clemson.edu

William L. Havice, Ph.D.
WHAVICE@clemson.edu

College of Health, Education and Human Development, Clemson University

Posted: October, 2003 Student Affairs Online, vol. 4 no. 4 - Fall 2003

Pamela Havice: William Havice: WHAVICE@clemson.edu Tony Cawthon:

College and University administrators and faculty generally agree �collaboration� is one of today�s most pressing campus issues and that it has many benefits for the campus community. Collaborating and working in teams can accomplish more than by working individually. Furthermore, collaboration allows for increased accomplishments in this era of decreasing resources. For the last decade, higher education has emphasized the creation of collaborative opportunities. In recent years this discussion has included both academic affairs and student affairs departments as integral parts in the establishment of collaborative opportunities.

In reviewing how campuses have engaged in collaboration several themes evolve. Typically, innovation in academic and student affairs collaboration revolves around the areas of faculty-in-residence, first-year experiences, learning communities, student life programs, and academic-student affairs planning teams (Bourassa & Kruger, 2002). Additionally, Hirsch and Burack (2001) state that the most successful collaboration projects are those that transcend traditional boundaries or functional areas. Campuses should look for overlapping issues that link student affairs and academic affairs. Hirsch and Burack (2001) stress the area of technology as one of these overlapping areas (others include assessment, changing student population, student retention, and general education). This article will focus on one example of how technology can be used to create successful collaboration between faculty in student affairs preparation programs and the staff in an academic advising center.

The evolution in information and communication technology has created new possibilities for innovative and flexible learning by crossing boundaries of time and place. With the advancement of computer networks, desktop videoconferencing, and the World Wide Web, learning modalities have greatly expanded, allowing for increased interactivity between the educator and the student, and also among students (Havice, Havice & Isbell, 2000). The impact of innovative information and communication technologies on higher education is evidenced by the growth in the number of virtual universities/colleges across the country as well as the tremendous increase in distance education programs. This evidence is in direct response to the increased pressure higher education institutions have experienced to deliver higher education more efficiently and to better meet the needs of the changing demographics in the student population (Guskin, 1996).

The primary mission of institutions of higher education is to enable students to reach their educational goals through appropriate programs and services. Therefore, higher education professionals must develop the skills and knowledge necessary to understand the needs of students, both on-and off-campus as well as students in the future. Furthermore, we need to be effective change agents in designing support services for students. To meet these needs it will be imperative that academic affairs and student affairs collaborate more effectively.

According to Kendall and Moore (2001), there needs to be more collaboration between academic and student affairs in using technology to establish quality distance-learning programs. These programs must provide effective student services that take into account the following:

� A convenient any time/any place delivery modality � which implies an asynchronous system, part of which should be a self-service model;

� One-stop shopping, which means student service staff must be trained across functions and able to address at least the first 5 or 8 questions about every element of a program;

� Services equal in quality and diversity to those provided on campus;

� Services based on identified needs of distance learners, which means that we need on-going feedback loops and that we need to be willing to adjust our services when needs change; and

� Ways to ensure that distance students feel connected to their institutions (Kendall & Moore, 2001).

An example of a collaborative relationship between a student affairs preparation program faculty and the staff in a college advising center is the design and implementation of a �virtual advising system.�� Our goal in using a virtual advising system was to advise students, in particular, students at off campus sites in order to facilitate students� academic progress. It has been especially useful in assisting students in the articulation of courses to meet requirements for undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Desktop Videoconferencing: A Virtual Solution

A primary goal of Clemson University is to ensure that its graduates are prepared to meet the demands of today�s global economy. This is an enormous task in itself and it becomes even more complicated when coupled with a student population spread across a rural area. Our Student Affairs program strives to provide the most complete academic advising experience to every student. We chose desktop videoconferencing technology as a medium to help us create a virtual advising system as a means of enriching our academic advising experiences.

Until recently, the majority of videoconferencing technology has been cost prohibitive in both hardware and communication costs for education institutions. Additionally, the faculty was hesitant to use technology that was complicated, undependable, and frustrating. Recently, our college started using desktop videoconferencing for collaboration, allowing geographically dispersed students and advisors to meet regularly with an affordable, reliable and effective system.

Currently, we are using an integrated desktop video communications device by POLYCOM ViaVideo, utilizing a broadband Internet connection, that delivers business-quality, interactive video and voice communications from a desktop or laptop PC. The device has a very low technology frustration level (LTFL) for our faculty and students. It simply plugs into a desktop or laptop PC via the universal serial bus (USB) port. All you have to do with ViaVideo is plug it in and place it on top of your computer monitor. By using the USB connection you eliminate a lot of frustration having to take apart your PC and install a card for the device. The quality of the audio and video is great and it is a very reliable product. It is small enough to hold in your hand and affordable. Reliability, ease-of-use, and cost were the main considerations for our college when selecting a video conferencing system. The system had to be easy for the faculty to use and it had to be extremely reliable in order to develop their confidence in the system.

Videoconferencing helps people to work more effectively because visual communication is perhaps the most natural form of communication. People understand faster and can remember more of what is shown, rather than told, especially when the subject is itself a visual idea.

Virtual Advising Session

The key to a successful virtual advising session is proper planning. In our experiences with collaboration and planning with others in the implementation of this system, it is important to keep in mind the following:

Have all support documents needed;
Manage the equipment while facilitating the discussion;
Keep the videoconference session focused and productive;
Keep the virtual advising session on track and on schedule;
Prepare a �To Do� list;
Send an e-mail message several days in advance of videoconference meeting to remind everyone; and
Have all support materials available � i.e., handouts, graphics, computer files.

Good planning and proper use of the system will make the academic advising session as effective as traditional face-to-face advising.

Tips for Advising

As you explore the use of desktop videoconferencing for virtual advising or other collaborative projects, we offer the following practical suggestions:

Focus on creating interactions. Remember to look towards the camera when speaking and listening because it is like making eye contact. To engage the other person, be sure to ask questions, make comments, and share.
Be sensitive to extraneous noises and sounds. These will be picked up and amplified by the microphone. For example, shuffling of papers, drumming your fingers, or tapping a pencil/pen. Additionally, avoid side conversations with others in the room.
Room set up is essential for success. Insure that all participants� faces are brightly lit. Use close up shots of participants (fill 65% of the frame). Be aware of the background that will be displayed on camera.
Be aware of your own personal presentation while on camera.

Speak with normal tones and volumes. Remember the microphones are sensitive so there is no need to lean forward or raise your voice.
Keep your movements slow and to a minimum. Avoid excessive moving in your chairs and using overly active gestures. These can be extremely distracting.
Choice of clothing is important. Choice of clothing (i.e. color, fabric patterns, or accessories) can impact your on camera presentation.

Summary

This collaborative project between our graduate preparation program and Academic Advising Center of the College has yielded many benefits. Some of the more tangible benefits included minimizing travel time for faculty, students, and staff traveling to and from remote sites. This reduction saved both time and money; however, there are a number of intangible benefits. Developing and implementing a virtual advising system provides opportunities for collaboration and increased teamwork.� Furthermore, this system has improved the department�s relationship with our remote students. It has enhanced our communication with these students and strengthened the student-advisor relationship. In addition, we believe the virtual advising system contributes to the students� sense of belonging in the academic program.

As the leaders in collaboration on campus, student affairs professionals may want to explore other areas for collaboration via videoconferencing systems. For example, videoconferencing can be used in admissions processes and interviews, for judicial hearings with off-campus students, in career centers for employer/employee interviews, and in meeting with colleagues from across campus to around the world. The opportunities for collaboration using this technology are boundless.

References

Bourassa, D. M., & Kruger, K. (2002). The national dialogue on academic and

student affairs collaboration. In A. Kezar, D. J. Hirsch, & C. Burack (Eds.). Understanding� the role of academic and student affairs collaboration in creating a successful� learning environment (pp. 9-38). New Directions for Higher Education, No. 116. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Guskin, A.E. (1996). Facing the future: The change process in restructuring

universities. Change, 28 (4), 27-37.

Havice, P. A., Havice, W. L., & Isbell, C. (2000). Rubrics and a strategy for

integrating traditional instruction and distributed learning. In B. L. Mann (Ed.). Web course management. Toronto: Canadian Scholars� Press.

Hirsch, D. J., & Burack, C. (2001). Finding points of contact for collaborative

work. In A. Kezar, D. J. Hirsch, & C. Burack (Eds.). Understanding the role of academic and student affairs collaboration in creating a successful learning environment (pp. 53-62). New Directions for Higher Education, No. 116. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Kendall, J. R. & Moore, C. (Eds.), (2001). Student services for distance learners: A critical component. NASPA�s Net Results (http://www.naspa.org/netresults/index.cfm).