Social Media to Facilitate Community Building and Engagement

February 22, 2011 - 7:41pm | by cward
Presenter(s)
Shannon Ritter (Penn State, US)
Liz Gross (University of Wisconsin- Waukesha, US)
Session Information
March 28, 2011 - 8:30am
Track: 
Access and Opportunity
Areas of Special Interest: 
Institutional Initiatives, Multiple Levels
Major Emphasis of Presentation: 
Practical Application
Institutional Level: 
Universities and Four Year Institutions, Community Colleges
Audience Level: 
Novice
Session Type: 
Interactive Workshop
Location: 
Prince of Wales
Session Duration: 
210 Minutes
Concurrent Session: 
Workshop Session 1 & 2
Virtual Session
Abstract
This session will focus on the use of social media within student affairs and how these tools can be used to facilitate community building and engagement among students outside the classroom environment. Participants will learn about the most popular social media tools and technologies and begin to evaluate how social media might best be used on their campus. Specifically, the presenters will examine how best to use these social media in a blended or online environment. Attendees will also develop support networks by leveraging social media tools and sites to facilitate best practices and collaboration during and after the conference.  
Lead Presenter

Shannon Ritter is a higher-ed, student affairs, social media techy-type person who currently works for Penn State in the recruiting/admissions role incorporating social media and technology into everyday life. She has been an active participant of online communities and social networking for over 15 years and not only does she strongly believe in the power of online connections to transform lives, she is brilliantly passionate about using these technologies to learn, share, and grow from each other. There’s nothing that energizes her more than sharing what she knows about technology and social media with others and then watching new connections form.

shannon@psu.edu , @micala (twitter)

Liz Gross is the Director of Marketing and Communication at the University of Wisconsin—Waukesha and manages the social media presence for the campus. Previously, she was Outreach Coordinator for University Housing at UW-Milwaukee, where she worked with students to use Facebook, Twitter and blogs to build community among campus residents. She is currently pursuing a PhD in the Advancement of Leadership and Service in Higher Education at Cardinal Stritch University, and her dissertation research focuses on college student social media use. Liz has presented on engagement using social media at the Wisconsin College Personnel conference and blogs for The Student Affairs Collaborative.

liz.vanlysal@gmail.com , @lizgross144 (twitter)