Communicating with Students

1
Communicating with Students

• CIT services are critical to student success We
  must communicate!

2
Focus Group Objectives

• Target student audience conducted 4 focus group
  sessions with twenty-two undergraduates and eight
  graduates.
• Collect first-hand feedback, ideas, and opinions
  about best practices for communicating with
  students.
• Use results to improve dependability, speed,
  availability, quality, and usefulness for
  communications about
• Planned/unplanned outages
• Performance issues
• Resource, training, and event announcements
• Student software availability, upgrades, et
  cetera
• Security alerts

3
What Students Said...
When asked to list the services they felt were
critical to their success at Cornell...
Grads said...
Undergrads said...
22 were asked
8 were asked
A note about authentication
4
What Students Said...
A note about authentication
Students didnt know what the term
authentication meant, but agreed its very
important to access online services with their
NetID and password, because if that service is
down, they cant access other services that are
critical to their success at Cornell. When the
functionality of authentication was defined,
nearly all students felt it should be
communicated about during an outage.
What about other CIT services?
Several were described as nice to know NUBB,
free anti-virus, software discounts, public lab
software, HelpDesk, computer labs Others they
dont care to receive communications for include
software training, speakers and events, news
about IT topics
5
What Students Said...
When asked how do you want to be notified about
outages, both undergrads and grads reported...

• First choice I prefer email (ALL students said
  this)
• Only communicate for critical services.
• The subject is really important.
• It must be short, simple, and to the point.
• I hadnt realized it was complicated to email
  students... I would opt in to receive messages
  about services. (ALL students in the room
  agreed)

6
What Students Said...
When asked how do you want to be notified about
outages, both undergrads and grads reported...

• Second choice I prefer text messages (11 of 30
  students said this)
• It must be opt-in, because it costs me money.
• We had this at my undergraduate school and
  people could subscribe or not and it was pretty
  helpful if there was an emergency on campus.
• I dont know if an IT emergency rises to the
  level of a text message.
• I think it would be really annoying.

• Third choice I prefer info on the lab desktops
  (8 of 30 students said this)

7
A Glimpse Into the Student Experience
Example Unplanned Outage

• When a service stops working, students want
  instant information
• Sorry pages should have details (time till
  restored or until next update, what happened,
  available alternatives).
• Keep it honest, short, and friendly/informal.(oop
  s! thats embarrassing)

Most will ask a friend why its not working, then
give up.
If the internet is down, some would like a text
message. BUT, for some it costs so it must be
opt-in.

• Their biggest worries...
• Is it my fault?
• Is my professor aware? Will I get in trouble for
  something out of my control?

8
What Students Said...
How aware are students of computing services
available to them?
Graduates are MUCH more aware than undergrads.
Undergraduates assume they will get some type
of service, whereas graduates EXPECT services.
Students want to be more in the know about
available services.

• Free anti-virus
• Net-Print
• Software discounts
• Blackboard
• Email
• Helpdesk
• NUBB
• RedRover Secure

Whats the cost? How do I get it? What if it
isnt working? Whats the benefit to ME?
9
More Insights Available In the Report

• In addition to what weve discussed, look in the
  report for information about
• Student recognition of the CIT website
• Student recognition of the For Students page
• Things that make students tune in and tune out!
• Amazingly All students said they tune in for
  email!
• 18 of 30 tune in for lab desktops.
• Only 10 of 30 tune in for posters... and it drops
  off rapidly from there.

10
Recommendations Based On the Focus Group Results

• Some things CIT should consider
• Improving outage communications
• Increasing service awareness on campus
• Increasing web traffic to cit.cornell.edu/students
  
• Meeting student expectations for communications
  style
• Minimizing less effective communication
  strategies

11
How CIT CanImprove Outage Communications

• Build a mobile website with status page content,
  HelpDesk contact information, and a link to the
  full website.
• Create an e-list for students to receive critical
  information about service changes/outages. A list
  of high-priority services is available in the
  report.
• Create managed sorry pages that can be updated
  with info students want to see during an outage.
• Pursue potential Bb community page.
• Research opt-in text messaging services being
  used at other universities.

12
How CIT Can Increase Service Awareness on Campus

• Keep a running list of services students are most
  interested in and feature those services in a
  scheduled annual campaign.
• Better utilize CIT Public Lab desktops with
  scheduled rolling campaign the space should
  ALWAYS be used to communicate something.
• Implement the e-list and Bb community page
  mentioned previously.

13
How CIT Can Increase Web Traffic to
cit.cornell.edu/students

• Change browser homepage in CIT Public Labs to
  cit.cornell.edu/students.
• Along with the CIT student services campaign, run
  a continual campaign to familiarize students with
  cit.cornell.edu/students.
• Brand cit.cornell.edu/students on everything we
  publish for students.
• Provide HelpDesk bookmarks (with link to
  cit.cornell.edu) to CU libraries and residence
  halls for students to take.

14
How CIT Can Meet Student Expectations for
Communications Style

• Keep emails to students very short and less
  formal.
• Create messages that feature how services will
  make student life easier.
• Make short how-to videos available for tasks
  like
• How to sign up for RedRover Secure
• How to install Net-Print drivers

15
How CIT Can Minimize Less Effective Communication
Strategies

• Limit use of postcards and posters.
• Dont spend time developing a CIT outage mobile
  ap for the iPhone. The audience is too small to
  warrant the effort/cost of development. Consider
  a mobile website instead can be used by any
  device.
• Dont spend effort building a CIT Facebook or
  other social site for students. Students reserve
  this space for socializing.

16
Next Steps

• Provide specific service feedback to appropriate
  service owners.
• Provide link to full report on CIT internal
  website. Email Service Owners and Service
  Managers an update with link to full report.
• Share with CIT via CIT Values October
  newsletter/poster.
• Meet with service owners who can help us develop
  and implement recommendations.
• Discuss recommendations.
• Determine opportunities.
• Schedule projects (build a mobile website,
  research texting, etc.)
• Start using some of our new communication
  channels.
• Try to conduct a new set of focus groups with
  students every two years...