So, the past week or so my office has been partaking in some retreat sessions to discuss the aim, mission and goals of our department. One of my co-workers brought up the discussion of staying relevant with our students and how important should this be? When we were discussing this topic, it went beyond just learning new technology or being forward thinking with our marketing and event planning, it was down to the simplest level. Do we seem “old” to our students? Do we talk the right lingo? Should we know what’s popular in the movie theater, the latest Grammy drama, or what’s trending on twitter so that students can relate to us? I mean..I’m all about tweeting out the latest Kanye West drama fest that is happening on a daily basis, but if I Bye Felicia a student, do they think I’m trying too hard and lose my authenticity? Being my normal scholar self, I immediately got back to my office and began to research this idea. Nothing. Came. Up. Nothing. Not one blog, article, or scholarly research paper. There was nothing I could find on whether staying relevant on topics with students would help develop connections, or put a wedge in them. I truly believe as an academic advisor our students look to us as supplemental parent figures for most of their academic life. I remember when I was a teenager, if my parents asked me to “chill on the weekend” with them, I’d roll my eyes and think “man you are trying waaayyyy too hard.” Is that what my students think of me? Should I even care? Obviously it is always important for professionals in higher education to stay relevant when it comes to emerging technologies, marketing trends, and new theories and philosophies that are being developed, but it is important to stay relevant in the way I’m referring to? I do think staying relevant is important, in a way. For example, the School of Management at UB has a Businessweek Survey that in the past we have to encourage our senior students to take the time to fill out. We needed to come up with a new creative way to do this. What did we do? Take the current media trends of the time and popular memes and try to create a poster campaign that our students would recognize and relate to. …And it worked. Our students created a buzz about the posters, and we hit our target number of students earlier than we ever have in years past. In this sense, knowing the trends of the time was a huge gain for us. But is it needed for everyday conversations and advisement? Does it add a layer of relatability to students, or does it seem like we’re trying too hard?
I would like to know everyone else’s thoughts on this topic, leave your comments below! -Samantha Calabrese Academic Advisor University at Buffalo
7 Comments
Ben
2/27/2015 05:20:33 am
Great idea! Being in Student Life and Leadership (what most institutions call Student Activities), there will forever be the challenge of "engaging" students and really figuring out their interests on a particular budget. I have had similar ideas as far as advertisements are concerned. 1 idea was with my SGA - creating a poster based off a picture of the group in their conference room. I would borrow some elements from the Sons of Anarchy (SOA) in their element as they bring items to the table in the series. So, it wouldn't be "SOA", rather "SGA" - see what I did there? :)
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Sam
2/27/2015 05:40:11 am
Hey Ben! Thanks for the comment! We didn't have any true concerns with copyright and everything was run through departments for approval. So I think you would be ok! :) And a great idea! I think more fun elements for marketing and targeting students is where the true bang of relevance comes in, rather than trying to incorporate lingo in everyday life, or wear hip clothes... :p
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Ronda
2/27/2015 05:37:27 am
Interesting questions, Sam. I think that in part it depends on how much age difference there is between you and your students. In one of my lectures last semester, I tried to lighten up things with a "all about that bass" reference. It fell flat (and I have no doubt there were some eye rolls). But I'm thinking it might have been in part because they see me as so much older than them, and thus (perhaps) as trying too hard. For you (closer in age) it is probably different. They probably expect you to be more in tune with current trends. That said, I think that all instructors and Higher Ed staff need to use some of the strategies you mention, in order for students to see them as having relevance and being worth listening to.
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Sam
2/27/2015 05:42:04 am
Ronda!! Thanks for the comment! :) Although I may be the youngest on my staff, other staff members had the same concern. I do think age comes into it, but I'm hoping as I get older I won't run into too many eye rolls! But it definitely creates more questions, does age play into authenticity and relevancy? So many different thoughts and questions can arise from this! And you're right, I think as part of our duties as higher ed professionals is to keep up on different strategies to always reach our student population.
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Dalene Aylward
2/27/2015 06:05:41 am
Great post! I think authenticity with students is so important. Would it be realistic for me to discuss these topics? Would I be trying to hard, like you said? If it's something I have to struggle with answering & concentrate on integrating in the conversation, then it's likely not authentic.
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Sam
2/27/2015 08:18:28 am
Dalene-
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5/13/2015 08:57:49 pm
Nice Article.
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