CONNECT 2016

Engaging New & Incoming

Students through OrgSyncPresented by

Debbie Allison, Assistant Director, Leadership Experience & Programs, Whittier College

Katie Clendening, Student Ambassador, Leadership Experience & Programs, Whittier College

Background

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OrgSync Comes to Whittier

• Selected by students in Fall 2013

• Soft launch in Spring 2013, fully launched

in Fall 2014

• One umbrella, ~90 portals

• Currently using: Budget module, payment

gateway, card swipe

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Why the Need to Engage?• OrgSync profile creation added to the new

student checklist

• No new content created during summer

• Missing key engagement opportunity

Whittier’s Successes

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Engaging Incoming Students:POET Sync Blog• A 10 week blog on OrgSync focused on

targeting first-year students

• Advertised through “Class of” page on

Facebook

• Written and promoted by student

ambassadors

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Engaging Incoming Students:POET Sync Blog• Topics Including:

-15 Tips for Incoming Students

-Science and Learning Center Spotlight

-All About Program Board (& Welcome Week)

-First Year Res Hall Spotlight (Video Included)

-Uptown (Whittier) Funk

-Spotlight on ASWC Senate

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Katie Clendening's Fabulous Day at Stauffer Hall

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Engaging New Students: Infusing OrgSync into Activities Fair

• 2014 Activities Fair: Powered by OrgSync

featuring OrgSync training stations

• 2015 Activities Fair: “Find your Fit” Station

• Students stop by, share their interests, and

using OrgSync, ambassadors connect them

with interests

Challenges

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Barriers to Continued Engagement

• Keeping up with Generation Z

• OrgSync no longer on the new student

checklist

• Competition with other campus systems;

not yet a one-stop shop

• Money and justification

Opportunities

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New Opportunities for Engagement

• Additional umbrellas: Residential Life, Athletics

• Keeping current with student trends: Buzzfeed

style articles

• Better integration into Orientation

• Collaboration with faculty and academic advisors

Breakout/Discussion

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Let’s Get Creative!• Break into groups of 3-4

• Choose a type of institution and a department within

that institution to represent

• Design a program/initiative from your department to

engage either incoming/new students using OrgSync

or Collegiate Link

• Share out!

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Final Thoughts

• Identify a need, find a way to fill it

• Engage your students where they’re at and

in ways they already engage

• Infuse OrgSync into existing programs

Questions?

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Thank you!

Debbie Allison

dallison@whittier.edu

Katie Clendening

kclenden@poets.whittier.edu