HighEdWeb Blog

Welcome to our new weekly feature, “Worth 1000 Words,” where we will showcase different images from HighEdWebs throughout the years.

One of our beloved #heweb traditions is the presentation of the Coveted Red Stapler Awards™ to the Best in Track presenters.  Here we have our HighEdWeb 2008 award winners, posing for a dignified and somber group photo with their shiny new trophies.  Who will win this year’s most desired cool office supply in recognition of truly awesome #heweb09 presentations? Join us in October to find out! 

Colleen Brennan-Barry

The HighEdWeb conference will play host to two fantastic keynote speakers this year:

Jared Spool
If you’ve ever seen Jared speak about usability, you know he’s probably the most  effective communicator on the subject today. As the founder of User Interface Engineering, he’s been working in the field since 1978, before the term “usability” was associated with computers.

For Monday’s keynote — Cooking Up Gourmet User Experiences on a Fast-Food Budget —  Jared presents simple ways to gather information about your users, the tasks they are doing with your designs, and how well the designs meet their needs.

David Galper
David is the founder of Ruckus Network, a legal digital entertainment service and social networking site for colleges and their students. David has helped companies conceive, develop, launch, and market highly viral products.

Prior to his entrepreneurial activities, David was a Consultant at Arthur D. Little in the Technology & Innovation Management Group, and worked with DEKA Research to develop the first markets for the Segway Human Transporter.

Check out the HighEdWeb 2009 site for more updates on this year’s program, and don’t forget to register before the early bird deadline (August 31st).

Lori Packer

Yesterday afternoon, around 300 higher ed Web professionals sitting at their desks around the world braved the initial audio/visual difficulties to watch and participate in the Social Media Summit at the Penn State Web 2009 conference. Between the coverage of live events in the room at State College, the conference chat and the Twitter stream (plus @tsand’s Ustream commentary), the level of participation was pretty amazing and downright … social!

Thanks from all who benefited from the discussion are due to summit coordinators and presenters Mark Greenfield of the University of Buffalo, Brad J. Ward of bluefuego.com and Jordan Goldman at Unigo, plus all the Penn State conference organizers for taking a chance and opening the conversation to the rest of us. 

Here are some highlights, to be found in full on Twitter at #smsummit.

Robin2go W00t! Starting the #smsummit!

jallgire From @markgr at Social Media Summit — with social media, we all have marketing/admission/alumni staffs in the thousands! #smsummit

skirubbi “Social media is not about control. its about empowerment — giving people the ability to get your message out.” #smsummit

jesskry Whoa - double audio now. And loud! #smsummit

moosetoga #smsummit is just one more bit of evidence that online conferencing still has miles and miles to go before it’s a mature tech

LoriPA Love watching 200 geeks try to troubleshoot audio/visual problems in real time. I <3 geeks! #smsummit

ulieanntuttle Listening to @bradjward presenting at Penn State Web 2009 Social Media Summitt #smsummit

kerri9494 #smsummit Average higher ed Twitter web site: Following = 254 Followers = 471 Updates = 260

Shanan_S The schools with the most Twitter followers likely have someone encouraging discussion + interaction.@bradjward  #smsummit

LoriPA Hey, was just gonna say athletics! (@bradjward at #smsummit: RSS-only accounts still have a place on Twitter; not always about conversation)

theotherlondon bluefuego.com researched over 900 highered Facebook accounts 33% growth in the past two months #smsummit

cpd623 #smsummit, like the formula for determining engagement on facebook… 1000 fans with 10 comments and 90 likes, you get 10% engagement.

jesskry Its not your platform: its what you offer. Be a part of the conversation. @bluefuego #smsummit

tsand AND have fun w/ it! #smsummit

beatnikgal #smsummit No.1 Question to answer - how do you measure the value of social media?

LoriPA Analytics of social media — how come “justify” so often means “quantify?” <sigh> #smsummit

kprentiss measure value: connectedness -> engagement -> retention. #smsummit

TuftsWebComm “Those days are gone. You do not control this anymore.” – @markgr #smsummit

Gordon_Ryan “PR has a PR problem. People equate PR with BS.” #smsummit So true.

ColB Kerri Hicks @ #smsummit : Development hires MANY people to engage alums/biz. How can we engage via social media w/out hiring many web pros?

dancinjul Question  2- How do you integrate Social Media at your school/business. #smsummit

TuftsWebComm Re: coordinating campus-wide social media, we currently don’t try to coordinate/control, but we do try to aggregate and advise. #smsummit

theotherlondon Does it make sense to coordinate social media practices institution wide? Yes. Control social media practices institution wide? No #smsummit

JamieOber Using social media to manage social media - Mark Greenfield said his school created a Ning site to share projects, best practices #smsummit

theotherlondon Ah the discussion I’ve been waiting for: How do you make the case to senior management to utilize social media? #smsummit

cpd623 #smsummit how do you determine ROI with social media? Can we justify the time spent to build out the brand on these platforms?

stevier From @tsand: If you’re waiting for a green light from your administrators, then you get what you deserve. #smsummit

beatnikgal Worried about your ROI in social media? If you don’t do it, you’ll worry more about your “return on ignoring” #smsummit

bevinhernandez Understand the business, Understand the user, Understand the medium - brilliant easy mission statement #smsummit via @markgr

kuratowa Does social media mean the end of the traditional higher ed website? My sources say No. #smsummit

jesskry @kuratowa Def no. One is personality, one is information. #smsummit

apetersen Student trusts college’s website for facts, but decision made on community/review sites, hearing from other students. #smsummit

Robin2go Go real or go home. And yes, that’s my trademark. :) @markgr #smsummit

ColB From #smsummit backchannel: “I think of LinkedIn as data-driven, Facebook as a publication, and Twitter as a conversation.”

kuratowa “Never say anything on Twitter that you wouldn’t say to your boss. The end.” #smsummit

tsand I <3 my boss. #smsummit

mansibhatia #smsummit Does Twitter have a place in HigherEd? Is it just a fad?

TuftsWebComm It’s not about Twitter; it’s about conversation. Don’t bet on the app, bet on the trend. #smsummit

whitneytaylor “Twitter redefines what a coworker is.” #smsummit

ellenkanner thx to @markgr for the great content and opportunity 4 further discovery with folks i’ve just “met” #smsummit hello to fellow higher-eders!

skirubbi Best part of #smsummit is all the new friends made. And isn’t that really the point of social media? To be SOCIAL??

Lori Packer

Show of hands: who participated in some form of live-tweeting during your commencement ceremonies this spring? Here’s a quick informal sample:

• Tufts (for my money one of the best of the higher ed twitterverse) asked seniors to share memories and photos at #tufts09 and had over a dozen seniors and alums communicating with them on the day. Some thoughts on the experience from the Office of Web Communications at Tufts.
• Union College (@UnionCollegeKY) live-tweeted commencement, including Ashley Judd’s speech.
• Vanderbilt twittered their commencement at @VanderbiltU using #VU2009. Live twitter stream from the day.
•  Indiana University East (@IUEast) tweeted and twitpic’d their commencement. Live twitter stream from the day.
• Ithaca College’s (@ithacacollege) coverage featured twitpics with speaker and astronaut Jim Lovell.

With no real planning (and even less thought) I decided to live-tweet the University of Rochester’s commencement ceremonies this year. We have been webcasting the ceremony for the past nine years, but tweeting was a first.

I didn’t promote this effort in any real way at all: didn’t establish a hash tag or include any mention in our student and parent newsletters or make note of it on the commencement website. I just figured that since I had to be on campus all day anyway I might as well give it a whirl. I twittered under the University’s institutional Twitter account (@UofR) and here’s how it went:

Will be “live Tweeting” the College Commencement ceremony, which gets underway in about 10 minutes. 7:50 AM May 17th from twhirl

The procession and “Pomp and Circumstance” have begun! Man, it’s lovely outside. Chilly, but sunny. 7:54 AM May 17th from twhirl

The last of the graduates take their seats as the platform party arrives, led by the Grand Marshall carrying the University mace. 8:09 AM May 17th from twhirl

Ceremony is about to get underway, and the bubbles are already flying 8:12 AM May 17th from twhirl

Trustees chair Ed Hajim ends his speech. “May the force be with you!” to much applause. What, no “live long and prosper?” 8:23 AM May 17th from twhirl

President Joel Seligman calls out many student-run community projects. We’re biased here, but our kids really do kick butt. 8:28 AM May 17th from twhirl

Faculty awards are being presented for excellence in undergraduate teaching. 8:31 AM May 17th from twhirl

Kodak CEO Antonio Perez receives an honorary doctorate from President Seligman. 8:42 AM May 17th from twhirl

Commencement speaker Congresswoman Louise Slaughter is about to receive the Eastman medal. 8:47 AM May 17th from twhirl

Louise Slaughter’s speech is about to blow off the podium, but she presses on. 8:52 AM May 17th from twhirl

The best advice from Congresswoman Slaughter: Sometimes in life, procrastination pays off! Huge applause. 9:00 AM May 17th from twhirl

This is it! The conferring of degrees for the bachelor’s candidates in the School of Arts and Sciences. 9:01 AM May 17th from twhirl

“I welcome you to the fellowship of learned citizens!” Cue the beach balls. 9:03 AM May 17th from twhirl

Now it’s the School of Engineering’s turn. And those engineers know how to party. 9:04 AM May 17th from twhirl

It’s a silly string explosion in the Engineering section! 9:05 AM May 17th from twhirl

Woohoo! It’s John Phillip Sousa time! It’s what’s become a UofR tradition, the graduates go absolutely nuts to Stars and Stripes Forever. 9:08 AM May 17th from twhirl

The Yellowjackets lead the singing of the alma mater. 9:11 AM May 17th from twhirl

Seligman punches the air. “Congrats Class of 2009!” That’s a wrap everyone. Remember, it’s called Commencement because it’s a beginning. 9:18 AM May 17th from twhirl

We had a grand total of two replies during the course of the event, which was fine I suppose given that I definitely considered this a toe-dipping exercise. Some lessons learned for next year:

• Get the word out to students and parents (I think parents in particular may be key) that you plan to do this.
• Establish a hash tag for the event and start using it in advance of the big day to establish that tag amongst your followers.
• Don’t just post! Search for what others are saying before, during, and after the event so that you can respond, congratulate, converse, etc. Search on your hash tag but also other relevant search terms (e.g. the name/nickname of your university, the name of your speaker)

Commencement is a party, and your university is the host. Like any good host, you want your guests to have a good time meeting and talking with each other. Twitter is an especially fun way to do this on an especially fun day. I’m already looking forward to next year!

Lori Packer

Do you have a great idea for a presentation/poster at HighEdWeb but just ran out of time to get it typed up and sent in?  Well, you’re not alone.  We heard from a number of folks who requested a few more days to get their presentation proposals together, so we’ve gone ahead and extended the deadline. 

Presentation proposals for #heweb09 are now due on MAY 27, at 9 P.M. (CST). Send yours in today: http://2009.highedweb.org/proposals/

So get going!  And remember that presenting  lets you network with others, gives you a shot at the Red Stapler of fame, and earns you an additional $100 off your registration fee — and who doesn’t like that?! 

Colleen Brennan-Barry

The Web World Needs You!
Yes, that’s right. You. You know you’ve done something interesting, new, difficult, or fun this past year. Something others would benefit from hearing about, if only they could. And if you don’t tell them, who will? Now is not the time to be shy.

With great power comes great responsibility. Share your knowledge with the world of higher ed Web professionals and submit your presentation idea today at http://2009.highedweb.org.

Lori Packer

It’s Good to Give Back
After years of gathering useful information and having career-changing epiphanies from attending past conference presentations, isn’t it time to pay if forward by sharing knowledge and experiences of your own?

Balance out your conference karma and submit your own proposal to #heweb09 at http://2009.highedweb.org.  The deadline is tomorrow, so don’t delay.

Lori Packer

This is the Money You Could Have Saved By Being a Presenter
All HighEdWeb presenters receive a “thanks for sharing your brain” discount of $100 — just think about the cash you could save by being a presenter AND taking advantage of special early-bird registration pricing! 

Make your conference budget a little healthier by submitting your proposal today at http://2009.highedweb.org/.

Lori Packer

The Joy on a Young Web Professional’s Face
With just one timely and informative presentation at #heweb09, you can bring a lifetime of happiness and knowledge to a young higher ed Web professional who needs you.

Do it for the new Web pros — submit your proposal today at http://2009.highedweb.org/.

Lori Packer

The Red Stapler of Fame
The best presenters of the conference (as determined by attendee feedback and ranking) are rewarded with the coveted Red Swingline Stapler, which you may display proudly on your desk as a symbol of your mastery of both Web development and nineties cult comedies.

The deadline is May 15; submit your presentation proposal at http://2009.highedweb.org/.

Lori Packer