There are several technology-related/specific sessions at this year's ACPA Annual Convention. I've searched through the schedule to find sessions that I hope to attend:

Monday

• Social Media's Impact on the Job Search: Connection, Validation, Perspective - "Expand your professional network and effectively change your search process with social media sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn, and blogs."
• Challenging Our Notions of Learning: Understanding How Web2.0 Technology Works - "The rapid pace of change in technology and the rise of Web2.0 technologies have lead to novel situations confronting student affairs with broad implications for student learning."
• Now Generation: Integrating Technology into Student Affairs Practice - "As technology continues to evolve at the speed of imagination, it is imperative for student affairs practitioners to not only become aware of these new technologies, but to also gain a genuine understanding of why technology is such a keystone to millennial learning environments."
• Promising Practice — Emerging Technology for Emerging Leaders: Online Tools for Professional Development - "The nature of social media and web 2.0 affords us an opportunity share experience and expertise with student affairs professionals across the campus, country, and globe."
• Recruitment and Retention: Be More through Social Media - "Social media tools have moved beyond the newest fad and into the realm of integrated practices in recruitment and retention offices."

Tuesday

• Do you Google, Wufoo, Weebly? Using Technology in Student Affairs - "Our students are coming to college with more technological knowledge and skills than ever before. As student affairs professionals, we need to be prepared to serve them using methods they have become accustomed to."
• Developing Technological Competencies in First-Year Experience Courses - "First-year experience courses can provide ideal environments for developing technological competencies and skills among our students."
• SSAO Spotlight Program — The Changing Landscape of Privacy and Disclosure Laws: FERPA, Clery and Technology, Part I and SSAO Spotlight Program — The Changing Landscape of Privacy and Disclosure Laws: FERPA, Clery and Technology, Part II - "Government regulations that create the framework for privacy rights and disclosure obligations have changed substantially over the past year with the passage of the Higher Education Act; these regulations create continuing challenges to student affairs administrators in providing legal compliance."
• Promising Practice — Using Technology and Employing Design Strategies to Highlight Departmental Services - "With the bevy of opportunities for students on campus, it can be difficult to make your department’s initiatives stand out from the rest. Our panel will demonstrate how we have used Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Movie Maker to develop our office’s selection, training, and marketing processes."

Wednesday

• Using Google: Harnessing Free and Simple Technology as a Supervisor - "In times of budget cuts and limited resources, we often become frustrated about being forced to operate without the technology necessary in order to effectively supervise. Our goal is to provide you with information on how to utilize Google technology in order to create free and public resources for your staff and area."

In addition to the technology sessions that I've selected, the convention backchannels will also be buzzing with #SAtech-related sessions at #ACPA11.

Do you tweet? Let's connect. Follow me on Twitter.

Consolidation is an extremely dynamic topic of conversation at this year's ACPA Annual Convention. Attendees are actively participating and engaging via the #NASPACPA and/or #ACPA11 backchannels.

Passionate student affairs practitioners met on Saturday for the first of several convention consolidation discussions. A packed room of ACPA leaders/members listened to committee members as they outlined the process for consolidation. Voting is in full swing for eligible members from NASPA and ACPA. Most votes will be tallied via the web, however, a mail-in voting option is available. According to ACPA representatives, the results will not be immediately available as both associations wait for paper ballots to arrive.

The question/answer portion of Saturday's conversation was an interesting affair. Please note that I identify as a student affairs practitioner who is sans a campus (a professional choice that I made when I went into full time consulting work). Having said that, I can attest that there were several members in the room who seem to insist on living in a world that is black and white. Some folks seem constrained to polarizing consolidation issues so that critical thought and the "gray" that we all live in becomes severely obfuscated. What's at stake? In my view, how we serve our students and the future of our profession are going to be critically impacted by this vote. Consolidation will enable a single, unified community of student affairs practitioners/scholars to serve our students with greater fiscal capacity, enhanced opportunities for learning, and a singular vision of success.

I feel compelled to deconstruct one particular point that keeps coming up regarding consolidation:

• Myth - One annual conference equals too many attendees and diminishes networking opportunities: Well, I was at NASPA's annual conference, I am now at ACPA's convention, and I have been to a joint conference between both groups. Having more people at a conference does not limit networking opportunities. In fact, it increases the number of people that you can connect with. I met with scores of people in Philadelphia at NASPA. Adding several thousand more attendees to a conference doesn't limit who we can meet/see, it lets us find greater opportunities for networking.

One of the quotes that stood out for me on Saturday was that the effort to consolidate/unify ACPA and NASPA represents the most important moment in the 87 year history of ACPA. Consolidation is crucial for our profession. It is about our students, our work, our scholarship, and our very identity.

More information regarding NASPA / ACPA consolidation.

Do you tweet? Let's connect. Follow me on Twitter.

It's time for the 2011 ACPA Annual Convention. Get ready to "Be More in Baltimore." Starting on Saturday, thousands of student affairs practitioners will come together to share ideas, make connections, discuss the upcoming consolidation vote, and engage in massive amounts of professional networking.

The folks at ACPA have really ramped up their technology/communications efforts this year. Here's a rundown of this year's relevant techie bits:

• Follow @ACPA on Twitter for convention tweets. ACPA also has a Convention account: @ACPAconvention. I would recommend following both accounts. My hope is that the longer Convention account will quietly go away...besides, ACPA is only four characters, that leaves 136 for tweeting!
• Like ACPA on Facebook and connect with fellow ACPA members / convention-goers.
• Follow, engage with, and learn via the ACPA Backchannel on Twitter. The hashtag for the Convention is #ACPA11.
• Create your event itinerary using the super-convenient itinerary builder
• Access your itinerary and the rest of the event schedule on your mobile phone via the mobile-optimized ACPA Convention website.
• Attend the official #ACPA11 #SAchat tweetup on Sunday, March 27th at 9:00PM. The tentative location is currently the Pratt Street Ale House. Watch for final confirmation via the #ACPA11 / #SAchat hashtags.

I plan on attending many of the student affairs + technology (#SAtech) sessions as well as the numerous meetings on the proposed consolidation between NASPA and ACPA (#NASPACPA). See you in Baltimore!

Do you tweet? Let's connect. Follow me on Twitter.

I left for the NASPA Annual Conference the day after several earthquakes and a tsunami struck Japan. While at the conference, I saw numerous tweets on the backchannel that criticized the NASPA leadership for not doing more to support and advocate for the people of Japan. While I can empathize with folks who were struggling to find a sense of action at the conference, I know that for many, the way that we grieve, mourn, and respond to tragedy varies tremendously.

The timing of the events that occurred in Japan took place while many in the NASPA community were traveling and/or preparing for the conference. I firmly believe that if folks had had just a bit more time to come to terms with what had happened, that there would have been more of a communications effort to support the Japanese people at the NASPA Conference. During times of tragedy, it is important to find ways to support one another. One of my mentors once told me that it is far easier to be critical than it is to be creative and generative.

Having said that, I have seen tweets from several people who are gearing up to provide education, advocacy, and support for the people of Japan during the ACPA Annual Convention. Volunteers will be staffing a table to solicit donations in support of relief efforts in Japan.

One of the easiest ways that you can help folks out in Japan is by texting REDCROSS to 90999. It takes 10 seconds to donate $10. Micropayments, when collectively added up, can have fundamental impacts for aiding people during their time of need. The natural disaster that took place in Japan is grotesque in its magnitude. We all need to come together to be part of a collective solution of support. I donated. Will you?

Do you tweet? Let's connect. Follow me on Twitter.

As I write this post on a plane back to Oregon from Philadelphia I am struck by the immense amount of reflection and wisdom sharing that took place at the 2011 NASPA Annual Conference. There were an immeasurable amount of educational moments. Professional connections were made that will last well beyond the four or five days that many spent moving between the Philadelphia Convention Center and the Marriott Hotel. Many of the conference attendees also took part in The Placement Exchange (TPE). Everyone that I spoke with had only favorable comments about their experience as either a candidate or as an employer at TPE. The excitement of thousands of students affairs professionals being at the same place was palpable.

There were several key takeaways for me from this NASPA conference. Having attended NASPA events for 8 years, I am always impressed by the efficiency and care of the NASPA staffers and volunteers. I would especially like to recognize Kaaryn Sanon and Nathan Victoria for assisting me with my press pass as well as for letting me facilitate two social media sessions.

The technological aspects of this year's conference was a highlight for many attendees. Several folks commented about the mobile app as being a terrific way of keeping track of the schedule. I used the app on my Droid X and only briefly looked at my paper copy of the conference schedule. The app really did make it a lot easier to keep track of my personal schedule. Kudos to NASPA for adding this amenity.

Another highlight was the technology session room sponsored by Microsoft. The room was wired for wifi, had two large LCD screens with projectors, and had great sound too. As a presenter in the room, I was really happy that I didn't have to worry about the technology connectivity aspects of the room. It made it a lot easier to focus on content and facilitation.

Several attendees signed up for Twitter for the first time. The #NASPA11 backchannel has been extremely active. The hashtag was followed by several SA pros who couldn't attend the conference. It added a terrific layer for knowledge exchange/access and community building. A quick reminder to the new SA Twitterati, please make sure that you fill out your bio and add a picture to your profile. I eat "eggs" for breakfast, I don't follow them on Twitter!

iPads were everywhere. While I did notice a few Android or Windows 7-based tablets, Apple's slate was clearly the most popular tablet at the conference. I also noticed a multitude of Android-based phones as well as a lot of iPhone 4's.

Interestingly, in my conversations with multiple Senior Student Affairs Officers (SSAOs), the position of a Director of Student Affairs Communications / Marketing was frequently mentioned. Perhaps this is the beginning of a new functional area in student affairs? Communicating our programmatic endeavors, marketing our institutions, and utilizing social media for connection-making has emerged as a core component within several student affairs divisions.

Social media was a major topic of conversation at #NASPA11. For many attendees, this was the first time that they had made connections with how they could utilize social media to enhance their practice. As I mentioned in my Advanced Social Media "unsession," social media requires a holistic approach that is driven by strategy. There isn't one tool to rule them all...this isn't the #LOTR (The social media unsessions were nerd-safe spaces).

Always ask what you hope to accomplish before you select your social media tools. And remember, social media does not cause a common sense lobotomy. While slightly modified, your communication and meaning-making-methods can easily translate to the social sphere. Be comfortable with experimentation. Innovation in the student affairs social media sphere is a unique experience for your campus/area. Make mistakes, grow, learn, and use the tools to enhance your strategy.

I want to include a special thanks to Lisa Endersby from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT). Lisa came up on stage and co-presented in the afternoon with me on Tuesday. Her insights about LinkedIn were invaluable. She's definitely an up-and-coming professional to keep on your radar.

Lastly, I would like to thank everyone who came up to me and mentioned that they had watched the first episode of Student Affairs Live. The next live episode will be on March 23rd at 1:00PM PT. My guest will be Laura Pasquini from the University of North Texas. We will be chatting about Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) and the Elimination of Higher Education Silos. When you couple a massive annual conference experience with digital connection-making, your PLN becomes a reliable source for fantastic amounts of professional development opportunities.

Do you tweet? Let's connect. Follow me on Twitter.

The 2011 NASPA Annual Conference has been an amazing event. More than 5,000 student affairs practitioners came to Philadelphia to share information, make connections, and discuss the future direction of both the association and the profession. The exhibit hall was jam-packed with a variety of higher education vendors / service providers. Sessions, meetings, banquets, receptions, and all sorts of festivities have kept attendees active from early in the morning to late at night.

As expected, the #NASPA11 backchannel conversation has been very active and insightful. Multiple tweetup events have drawn large crowds. The #WLSalt event on Saturday and the #NASPA11 #SAchat tweetups were terrific opportunities for student affairs professionals from all over the world to connect, share, and socialize. Twitter has proven to be a fantastic way for practitioners to network prior to large conferences. This creates a sense of community that enhances the conference experience and connects people long after the conference has concluded.

The proposed consolidation between ACPA and NASPA has been on the minds of many in attendance. Several sessions have offered participants the opportunity to ask questions, voice their concerns, and champion a new unified association. Voting began on March 15th and will last for a month. With ACPA's Annual Convention right around the corner, voters will have ample opportunity to discuss, learn, and decide on the future of both associations. Change is in the air!

I've been attending sessions, meetings, tweetups, as well as facilitating two social media unsessions. It's been a great conference thus far. As a student affairs professional without a campus, it's been very exciting for me to be able to attend the NASPA Annual Conference. The experience has been transformative.

Do you tweet? Let's connect. Follow me on Twitter.

Student affairs professionals frequently use hashtags on Twitter to organize around specific topics and add context to their tweets. One of the most influential student affairs hashtags is the #SAchat tag. Numerous hashtags have emerged as a way for student affairs practitioners to create community, engage in networking, and as spaces for peer-to-peer conversations. One of the newest and most exciting student affairs-related hashtags is: #WLSalt.

This January, six participants and one faculty member from the 2010 Women's Leadership Institute, an event held annually serving 19 of the CHEMA organizations, came together and created this hashtag to support and engage women in higher education in the Twittersphere. They use the hashtag to send tweets that support, lift, encourage, and promote women leaders and invite others to use it as well. This is all in an effort to build a network of women focused on and consciously choosing to push women forward at all levels in higher education. They are confident that the hashtag can create a network of women on Twitter who will enthusiastically help each other in generating amazing professional opportunities.

Using the #WLSalt hashtag, all SA pros are invited to become #WLSalt evangelists and use the tag to:

• Support: Provide support, connections, and resources for leadership, academic, and career opportunities
• Affirm: Highlight the success of women leaders at all levels
• Lift: Elevate women through recognition, introductions and relationships
• Transform: Facilitate the continued success of woman in higher education

In addition to the #WLSalt hashtag, the group co-tweets from: @SAWomenLead, they blog at SaWomenLead.com, and are currently developing a Facebook page.

A #WLSalt tweetup is scheduled to take place at the 2011 NASPA Annual Conference in Philadelphia:

#WLsalt Tweetup
Saturday, March 12th at 8pm
Finn McCool's (118 S. 12th Street)

The #WLSalt hashtag has been a great place to find resources, connect with amazing leaders, and as an additional way to continue supporting the successes of all women in higher education. With most of the major student affairs associations having communities of support for women, the #WLSalt hashtag adds another layer of generative community-building and engagement.

Do you tweet? Let's connect. Follow me on Twitter.

The largest student affairs job placement fair -- The Placement Exchange, takes place in Philadelphia this week. More than one thousand potential candidates will break out their interview suits and engage with scores of higher education institutions looking to hire the best and brightest in the student affairs profession. The Placement Exchange (TPE) is a multi-association collaboration between NASPA, ACUHO-I, NACA, NODA, ASCA, and AFA. Since 2006, TPE has been one of the most popular placement programs for second-year student affairs grad students as well as for current professionals who are looking for a new position within the field. TPE occurs during the week prior to the NASPA Annual Conference.

One of the innovative aspects of TPE is the inclusion of the StrengthsQuest assessment for candidates and for employers. Registered attendees were given access to the StrengthsQuest assessment. The assessment is a great way for both candidates and employers to find out about what they do best. StrengthsQuest gives student affairs professionals valuable insights that will benefit both candidates and employers. According to Gallup, "employees who have the opportunity to use their strengths are six times as likely to be engaged in their work and more than three times as likely to report having an excellent quality of life than employees who don't get to focus on what they do best." In short, StrengthsQuest helps professionals match their talents to a position that fits their top abilities.

In addition to having access to their StrengthsQuest assessment results, TPE members have had the opportunity to attend a series of webinars that increase their fluency with their strengths. Topics have included: an introduction to StrengthsQuest, how to apply one's strengths, and a focused session on using strengths on the job.

There will be at least 3 strength-based sessions at this year's 2011 NASPA Annual Conference:

• Strengths Development: A Key to Self-Awareness and a Bright Future - facilitated by Mark Pogue, Vice President, Gallup.
• Strength-based Education and the Social Change Model of Leadership
• Leadership StrengthsQuest: Leading With Strengths

My strengths: Strategic, Ideation, Maximizer, Individualization, and Intellection. What are your strengths? How do you use them in your professional practice?

Do you tweet? Let's connect. Follow me on Twitter.

I leave for Philadelphia next Saturday to attend the 2011 NASPA Annual Conference. Thousands of student affairs practitioners and higher education vendors will be in attendance at one of the largest student affairs conferences in the U.S.

I'll be writing for Inside Higher Ed, interviewing attendees for Higher Ed Live, and facilitating two social media unsessions. I hope they have Red Bull in Philly!

NASPA is doing a terrific job of getting attendees primed to participate via the conference backchannel. I've written in the past that the best backchannels are active before, during, and after a conference, and I think that this event has had a fabulous amount of pre-conference tweets.

In addition to the backchannel, the folks at NASPA have partnered with the #SAchat to offer up an official #NASPA11 #SAchat tweetup during the conference.

Two additional highlights that I really appreciate for this year's annual conference are the inclusion of a new multi-platform mobile conference app as well as a major push for a more accessible conference.

There are going to be several sessions that will be relevant to the readers of this blog. I've been perusing the conference schedule and this is my first round list of potential sessions:

Student Affairs Technology

• SSAOs: Tweeting and Educating With Purpose
• Tracking the Social Footprint in the Hiring Process
• Social Media, Enriched Professional Development and the Future of Student Affairs
• Wired for Life: Engaging the Mobile Generation
• OMG, Is Anyone Else Like Me? Incoming Student Facebook Group Use
• @Twitter: Is Facebook Really MySpace?
• Don't Fence Me In: Skill Sets of Highly Effective SSAOs (While this one isn't specifically listed as tech session, I hope that technology is one of the SSAO skills...)

ACPA / NASPA Consolidation

• At What Price Unification? Senior Student Affairs Officers’ Perspectives
• NASPA/ACPA Consolidation – A Facilitated Conversation
• NASPA/ACPA Consolidation Town Hall Meeting

Which sessions are you most excited about? Will you be tweeting during the conference?

Do you tweet? Let's connect. Follow me on Twitter.

I am thrilled to to announce the launch of Student Affairs Live!

Student Affairs Live is a new LIVE weekly web show focused on issues for student affairs professionals. Part of Higher Ed Live and sponsored by Inigral, Student Affairs Live is going to feature exclusive interviews with SA pros from colleges/universities and leading higher education solution providers. We’re going to chat about social media, leadership, student affairs technology, the latest association news and more. I want to find out about best practices from folks who are doing amazing things and share them with our community.

Hosted by yours truly, the show will broadcast live every Wednesday at 1:00 PM PT / 4:00PM ET at: http://www.ustream.tv/user/higheredlive

Please let me know if you have an idea for a topic or a guest. I plan on bringing in a wide variety of thought leaders. We’re going to have fun, learn from one another, and continue advancing our profession.

I’m pleased to announce that Ed Cabellon will be my first guest on Wednesday, March 9th at 1:00 PM PT. Ed is the Director of the Rondileau Campus Center at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts. Ed is an avid blogger and member of the student affairs social media community. We’re going to be chatting about student affairs, social media, and the future of SA Tech.

In addition to the weekly web show, I’m going to be posting mini video interviews from the NASPA Annual Conference and the ACPA Annual Convention. I want to share the freshest student affairs information with our community. Speaking of community, I want to give a special shoutout to my fellow #sachat and #acadv members as they inspire me on daily basis!

I’m so excited about Student Affairs Live! #GameOn

Do you tweet? Let's connect. Follow me on Twitter.