Advisor Spotlight: Farewell to Jill Lingard

by Kari Ward

Having served the university and its students for 23 years, Jill Lingard has decided to refocus her energies and concentrate on her volunteer work with environmentally-focused, non-profit organizations.  Jill began her career here in Admissions in 1989, worked as an academic advisor in the College of Engineering from 1996 to 2001, and spent the last eleven years in the Heavener School of Business as the Associate Director for the Online Business Program. Jill, your friends at UF wish you well in your new endeavors. If you give your new career the same devotion you gave to all of us over the years, you’ll have North Florida’s waterways spic and span in no time!  Many thanks to you for being our inspiration and our champion!  [Why am I feeling the urge to sing "Happy Trails to You . . ."?]

Jill and her Dad, Bil Lingard

You hiked the Appalachian Trail, from Georgia to New Hampshire.  You went skydiving with your students.   And now you’re walking away from a secure job that you enjoy.  What is it in you that makes you do such crazy things, Jill?

Something in me is attracted to the potential of experiences in which outcomes are undefined, but where my actions make a direct impact on those results.  I’m comfortable with ambiguity and enjoy not knowing from day one ‘how it will all work out.’  I also enjoy exploring my physical and mental limits.  To me, nearly all fear is of the unknown.  If I’m willing to stretch myself and get to know an unfamiliar experience, the fear nearly always dissolves.  By the way, I think this trait is what drew me to the job I‘ve had for the past decade, so it’s not just about climbing mountains or jumping out of planes.  Launching an online degree like ours had never been done before, and I was very drawn to all the possibilities of that process.

Jill at her going away party with friends from her old stomping grounds in Admissions

You’ve told us that you’ll be continuing your volunteer work with Paddle Florida and Current Problems in your new life.  Can you tell us more about these organizations and how you got involved with them?  What kind of work have you done with them in the past and what will your new role be?

When I returned from my attempted thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail with a fractured hip, my mobility was severely limited for a few months.  But paddling was something I could continue to enjoy.  When I heard about Paddle Florida’s inaugural week-long trip down the Suwannee River in 2008, I jumped at the opportunity and have been a fan ever since.  Our paddling experiences brought us into contact with folks doing cleanups of North Central Florida’s waterways, which is the focus of Current Problems.  In 2010, Paddle Florida was granted non-profit status with the mission of supporting water conservation, wildlife preservation, springs restoration, and waterways protection through paddling trips staged in each of Florida’s five water management districts.  In addition to the ongoing cleanup efforts, I will assist both groups with grant writing, marketing, and PR work.   

Jill, goofing around with longtime co-worker and friend, Joe Rojo

What are you most looking forward to in your new life?

Refining and applying my writing skills to causes I believe in and working with an amazingly talented and dedicated group of citizens who have similar interests in Florida’s ecosystems.

What will you miss the most about your old life at UF?

Whether they’re 18 or 60, in front of me or online, I will miss being able to impact college students.  What an honor it has been to be able to influence people as they’re engaged in the process of ‘becoming themselves.’  I will also miss my colleagues tremendously.  They’ve become a second family to me and I will make every effort to maintain those relationships. 

The Online Business Program is your baby.  You built it from scratch, starting in 2001, and since that time over 800 students have graduated with their business degree.  What does this mean to you? 

Due to geography, fulltime jobs, or family obligations, the vast majority of those 800 graduates are students who lacked access to a UF degree before our online program launched in 2002.  It has been deeply rewarding to open up educational access to these students.  I get to see the meaning this has written all over the faces of their family members at commencement. 

What piece of advice would you give to student affairs professionals who are responsible for creating and managing programs?

Study the market to assess potential demand for the proposed program.  Surround yourself with an excellent team of individuals who have complementary skills sets.  Build good relationships with all the external offices and institutions you’ll need to depend on to make this thing work.  Ensure students, not tuition dollars, remain the focus of why you come to work each day.  (Take care of students, and finances will fall into place.)  Cultivate a sense of humor.

Jill, with the Online Business Program Staff

In the two plus decades you’ve spent at UF, you’ve focused much of your work on building relationships with community/state college students and advisors.  Why were you drawn to this group?  Where do you see university-community/state college relations going in the future?

Florida’s community college system launched my own education and subsequent student services career.  I had a really wonderful experience at IRCC in the mid-80’s.  Having flourished in that environment, I was thrilled to work with a program in which our success depends in large part on the ability to cultivate relationships with community/state college students, advisors, faculty, and administrators.  It felt like ‘coming home’ to me. 

I believe community and state colleges will continue to play a crucial role in higher education because of their open access and affordability.  They’ve also been quick to meet the current demands for flexibility by developing online and hybrid courses and programs.  I question the viability of some of their recently developed Bachelor’s degree options, especially when they duplicate available options through Florida’s state universities.  But their role in providing lower division and technical education remains unquestionably important.

From L to R:  John Laibson, the new Director of the Online Business Program, Jill, and Dr. Albert Matheny

What do you foresee for the Online Business Program, distance learning, and higher education, in general?

Tremendous growth and increasing quality as more excellent institutions get into the game and interactive technology improves.  In another decade, I don’t think ‘going to college’ will look anything like what it did as recently as a decade ago.  We can all sit around and complain about that OR get busy shaping what the higher education experience will be.  It’s been great fun to be part of a team which has taken the latter approach.

Your love of the written word led you to a position on the Common Reading Program Book Selection Committee.  Out of the zillion or so books you've read for them, which one was your favorite?  Of the books you’ve read for your own pleasure, which one is your favorite?

I think my favorite ‘chosen’ CRP book was last year’s Outcasts United.  I’m not a team sports enthusiast, nor do I have a clue about soccer.  So my enjoyment of this book is a measure of Warren St. John’s ability to tell a much richer story.  For every year’s chosen book, the committee reads dozens more behind the scenes.  One of my favorites this past year for sheer hilarity was Mary Roach’s Packing for Mars.  Roach does a superb job in all her books of reaching non-science-types like me with her layman’s take on science topics.  Packing for Mars looks behind the curtain of what it’s really like to train for and live in space.  I enjoyed it so much, it led me to read the memoir of shuttle astronaut Mike Mullane (equally comical and engaging)—not a typical selection for this former English major!  Outside of CRP circles, my favorite author is Charles Frazier.  I loved every word of Cold Mountain and Thirteen Moons.   I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Frazier at a book signing once and my knees nearly buckled from star-struck awe. 

Jill and one of her favorite professors, Dr. Rich Lutz, and friend Julia Smith

Who is the person who has influenced you the most in your time here at UF?

I would have to say Brian Ray, for bringing me into a team of such innovative and dedicated individuals, giving me the opportunity to help build something very meaningful from scratch, and doing whatever was necessary to support that process along the way. 

What’s the biggest life lesson you’ve learned here at UF?

Focus on what’s working and do more of that.  Don’t dwell on the negative.  Fix it and move on.

What do you view as your greatest accomplishment?

I have stared at this question with a blank mind for several minutes now.  I guess I don’t think in terms of one greatest accomplishment or accolade.  Every student I’ve impacted who has walked across the commencement stage is a greatest accomplishment.  I’m not sure who said "You make a living by what you get; you make a life by what you give," but that sums it up nicely for me.

And finally, “If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?”

“Finally—you’re here!  Bill Maher saved you a seat!”

Social Media: A Marketing Tool for Higher Ed Professionals

by Kari Ward

The UF Online Business Program is preparing to enter the world of social media to market our program to current and prospective students.  To ready ourselves for this leap--and it’s a giant leap for Gen Xer’s like myself and Jill Lingard--we attended Academic Impression’s “Social Media Strategy for Higher Education:  Beyond the Basics” conference in Boston, Mass. this past March.   As the title suggests, the focus was not to teach student affairs staff the mechanics of how to use social media, but rather to teach us the proper approach to using social media.

Jill and Kari visit Boston

The central messages of the conference were that those in higher ed need to develop strategic plans for using social media and that social media should be viewed as a marketing tool, not as just another means for disseminating information.  Our presenters explained that real life businesses use social media to sell their brands, images that have been carefully crafted to appeal to customers’ interests, needs, and values.  The goal of these companies is not simply to advertise, but to actively engage and involve customers with their product.  Many businesses use Facebook to accomplish this.  They create a Facebook page, ask customers to “Like” them, and then make posts asking customers to share their opinions and personal experiences with the product.  This is old fashioned word-of-mouth advertising plain and simple, but with added advantages.  Today's companies can interact with customers from a distance, prompt them to discuss their product, and then chime in and "manage" the conversation.

And so, the conference presenters argued, higher ed professionals need to conduct themselves more like businesses.  We need to use social media strategically--to develop marketing plans with measurable outcomes, to create and sell a brand, and to get students talking about our product.  And just what is our product?  It’s what we advisors are forever trying to sell--the valuable advice, services, and programs we provide to our students.  So if you or your advising or student affairs office wants to meet students where they’re at—on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn—and you want to use social media purposefully and effectively to achieve an intended outcome, here are the main "take aways" from the expert presenters who spoke at the conference:

• People often view social media as a form of free advertising, but that’s a fallacy.  If you’re doing it right, social media is pretty labor intensive.  It requires significant planning and forethought; writing, filming, researching, editing, collecting, and organizing content; analyzing activity on your site to see if you’re meeting intended goals; not to mention the time it takes to manage, monitor, and post to your sites.  When considering social media use, you might ask yourself the following questions:  What are my goals?  How committed am I to maintaining my site?  How many hours per week can I dedicate to social media?  Who can help me with content and site management?  And is this the most effective use of my time?

• When creating your own academic advising brand, you’ll have to decide on the image you want to portray.  To help figure this out, you might ask yourself "What qualities are my students looking for in an advisor?  What kind of information do they want from me?  What are my values and how can I convey them?  What unique skills do I have?  How do I want my students to perceive me?”  Ponder your answers and then think about how you can convey those ideas to your students.  (For more information on how to create your own personal brand, see this wikiHow page.) 

• When you think about developing a brand, keep in mind that a brand is “a person’s gut feeling about a product, service, or organization” and that your brand is not what you say it is.  It’s what your customers say it is.  So if you have a Facebook page, your objective should be to prompt students to share their thoughts about your services instead of you directly telling students how valuable your services are.

• Once you’ve defined your brand, you need to identify your audience.  Where are they?  Do they use Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, or some other social media site?  Who are they?  Current or prospective students?  Natives or transfers?  Or all of the above?  If the latter, how will you tailor your posts to make them relevant to these different populations?  What are they interested in?  Your students’ major will have direct bearing on the content of your posts.

• Which brings me to the subject of content.  How will you create content?  To insure your posts are timely and relevant, you could start by creating a calendar that features advising- or career-related dates and events, such as advance registration or Career Showcase.  Ideas for content that you can create yourself include photos of student organization events, orientation, and commencement; internship or job announcements that cross your desk; or homemade videos featuring you, your students, and their professors.  Of course, you don’t have to create all of your own content.  You can use outside sources, like event calendars; news items and press releases; annual reports; research stories; websites; published rankings; alumni profiles; or workshop announcements from UF, the CRC, or CLAS websites.  Just make sure you add value to outside content by explaining its relevance and relating it to your students’ interests and needs.

• When thinking about content, you’ll want to create posts that are interactive (in other words, posts that ask questions and inspire students to comment), visual (use lots of graphics, pictures, and videos), current, relevant, useful, and consistent.  Content that is overly repetitive, regurgitated, understood by only a limited audience, out of context, poorly targeted, and inconsistent won’t help you build a following among your students.  Having an interactive approach is especially important.  Instead of posting a basic reminder about advance registration, for example, you can generate conversation about advance registration by asking your students whether they have registered for any interesting electives next semester.  When creating posts, make your tone personal and genuine and demonstrate care and interest by responding promptly to students’ posts.  

• Last but not least, create a set of tangible goals and learn how to measure them.  For example, you could determine the number of people you want to RSVP to an event, visit your website, or apply to your program.  Then you can measure your desired outcome using Google Analytics.  Finally, and perhaps most importantly, be sure to report your findings to your boss so that you can justify the amount of time you’re spending on Facebook! :) 

Meet Julie Crosby: UF@ Santa Fe Center Advisor

by Julie Crosby

I’m Julie Crosby, coordinator of the University of Florida @ Santa Fe (UF@SFC) Center at Santa Fe College in Gainesville. For SFC students working towards transferring to UF, it can be a challenge to determine and connect with the right academic program at UF. As the “Gateway to the Gators,” the center exists to help our students make these connections.  Students often come to me for general UF information and referrals. I help them determine the appropriate college and advisor, provide contact information, and encourage them to seek UF advising early. This fall, I’ll be co-sponsoring the October 10^th Gator Day @ Santa Fe event with the SFC Academic Advising Department, so please mark your calendars!

Prior to this position, I was Volunteer Coordinator of the Florida Museum of Natural History and before that an educator of middle, high, adult, and alternative education students in Putnam and Alachua Counties. I’m a graduate of UF (M.Ed, minor in Ed. Leadership), Flagler College (BA, English), and St. Johns River State College (AA). I have three daughters and I’m very excited that--if the Mayan calendar is wrong and all goes well--all of them will be in college at UF and SFC before 2013 is over! Woohoo! My husband, Scott, is also a Gator (BSFRC).

There are several ways for UF advisors to deliver information to SFC students through the UF@SFC Center. One of my main roles is to advise SFC students who are interested in the online degree programs of the Heavener School of Business and the College of Health and Human Performance; likewise, I also recruit and schedule advisors and program coordinators from all UF colleges to present information sessions and/or offer regular walk-in advising sessions at SFC. I’ve hosted wonderful presentations by UF staff representing six colleges this year, as well as monthly advising sessions from CALS. It has been a pleasure to meet so many of you and see the passion you have for your majors, programs, and colleges!

I also focus on promoting UF programs, activities and organizations, pre-professional exploration events, etc. that are open to SFC students.  Announcements--which lead to some great connections between SFC/UF students, staff, and faculty--can be targeted to students in a particular major or broadcasted to the SFC community as a whole. Our Facebook page is www.facebook.com/uf.sf.center.  If you "Like" us, we’ll "Like" you right back and happily promote your programs and events.

As coordinator of the UF@SFC Center, my ultimate goal is to bring in advisors and other representatives from every UF college to meet with targeted populations of SFC students at least once during the year.  My students are hungry for information and very eager to become Gators!  It’s so gratifying to see their response when they are exposed to UF's major options, career opportunities, and advisors who help them make well-informed decisions and eventually realize their Gator dreams!

Let’s partner to bring UF to SFC and vice versa!  Please contact me if you’d like to discuss scheduling an information or advising session:  julie.crosby@sfcollege.edu or (352) 381-7137.

Advisor Review: Exploratory Students at UF

Advisor Liz Kazungu serves as chair of the exploratory committee in UF's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.  This committee works to provide students who have not decided on a major with the information and resources they need to make timely and well informed decisions.

by Liz Kazungu

With the 2012-13 Academic Year just around the corner, I thought it would be a good idea to offer a review of how exploratory majors work.  To start, entering freshmen who aren’t certain about their major can declare one of three exploratory categories that most closely represents the major(s) they are considering:  Exploring Humanities and Letters, Exploring Science and Engineering, or Exploring Social and Behavioral Sciences.  Likewise, students who are having second thoughts about their declared major can change to one of these exploratory categories.  Students can remain in an exploratory major for the first three fall/spring semesters only (not counting summer).  Unless a student is attending part-time or withdraws from one of her first three terms, there are no exceptions to this policy.  By the end of the third semester--before registering for their fourth--exploratory students must declare a major.  As an example, students who entered UF as freshmen in Summer B or Fall 2011 must declare a major before they can register for Spring 2013. 

During their first three semesters, exploratory students should actively explore possible majors, narrow their choices, regularly meet with advisors who advise for the majors they are considering, and take tracking courses for their prospective majors.  When meeting with exploratory students, advisors should stress the importance of critical tracking and help them assess 1) if the majors they are considering are realistic and, if not, what alternative majors are there and what are their tracking requirements and 2) how they should schedule their summer and third fall term so they are prepared to declare a major by the end of fall.  A common mistake exploratory students make is taking only general education courses until they decide on a major.  Unfortunately, this strategy can leave them unprepared to declare a major at the end of their third term. 

Choosing a major can be a difficult decision, but there are various resources available to help students make that decision.  Since exploratory majors are classified under Liberal Arts and Sciences, my college hosts workshops and offers an exploratory website that features a host of resources.  In addition, you can contact us via email, call (352) 392-1521, or refer students to 100 Farrior Hall.  Also, please encourage exploratory students to review the CRC website or visit them on the first floor of the Reitz Union.  The CRC offers one-on-one career planning sessions, online major and career assessments (CHOMP), as well as workshops that can help them with their decision-making.

As an informed community, I'm certain that UF will help exploratory students find their way!

Student Financial Affairs Announces Changes to Tuition and Fee Deferment for Academic Year 2012-2013

by Diane Hurtak

Diane Hurtak, University Bursar's Office

Generally, students receiving financial aid such as federal aid (accepted Perkins and Direct Loans and predicted Pell Grants), state aid (including Florida Bright Futures scholarships), institutional aid (Turner grant) and/or college awards, are not expected to pay their tuition and fees by the end of the second week of class as they are unable to control when these monies arrive on campus. 

In the past, students receiving any financial aid were able to have their fees deferred for 8-10 weeks.  Effective Fall 2012, the deferment period will be reduced to six weeks.  In addition, students who receive only private funded loans and scholarships will no longer be granted a tuition and fee deferment. The deferment period for veterans, graduate assistants and merit scholars will not be reduced.  Also note, students receiving only federal loans must accept them by 5:00pm, Thursday, August 30, 2012 or they will not qualify for a tuition and fee deferment.

Fall 2012 Tuition and Fee Payment Deadlines

Aug 31   Tuition and Fee Payment Deadline             

Oct 12   Deferred Tuition and Fee Payment Deadline for Students with Federal

            and/or State Funded Financial Aid        

Nov 16   Deferred Tuition and Fee Payment Deadline for Veterans,

            Graduate Students on Assistantships, and Merit Scholars

Prior to the end of the second week of classes, advisors might want to remind their students to confirm their tuition and fee deferment by logging into my.ufl.edu/Main Menu/My Campus Finances/Student Center.  Tell them to look for the yellow star under the Service Indicator heading with “Deferment” in the Indictor Name.  If students have questions about this issue, they can contact the University Bursar at (352) 392-0181.  

Advising Health and Legal Professions Students

by Christine Richmond

The “Advising Health and Legal Professions Students” column examines common misperceptions about pre-health and pre-med students.

Christine Richmond

Pre-Health Myth #2:  All that students need to get into medical school (or dental, veterinary, etc.) is a good GPA and a high test score.

Professional schools look for a lot more than just a good test score and GPA.  Most schools use a holistic review of applicants that looks at everything from how they’ve demonstrated their motivation for the profession, to letters of recommendation, and personal characteristics.  Students often like to ask the question “What looks good?”  When they ask, we try to have them to take a different perspective.  Rather than ask what looks good, they should ask how they can prepare themselves as an undergraduate student to be a better health professional in the future.  Everything they think they “have” to do, has a purpose.  Shadowing exposes them to different settings and specialties within healthcare and can confirm that they’ve made the right choice of profession.  Volunteering exposes them to the patient and caretaker’s perspectives, allows them to work with different kinds of people, develops their cultural competency, and helps them discover what their own strengths and weaknesses may be.  Research can help them develop valuable critical thinking skills and an awareness of research methodologies they may use to evaluate medical literature.  

These activities are valued by professional schools for a reason.  It’s the student’s job to demonstrate their passions, interests, and dedication to their future career through the activities they choose to participate in.  It’s often easy to spot the application of a student who is simply checking off boxes as they go through their undergraduate experience as opposed to one who is truly invested in what they’re doing.  Many of you work with pre-health students, especially incoming students who are eager to do whatever they think they should do to be a competitive applicant. The next time one of them asks “What looks good?” encourage them to think about how they can demonstrate their interests, strengths, and preparation for the profession through their activities rather than just check off boxes.  Academic preparation is important, but that alone is not enough. Remind them that admission to a professional school is a short term goal, while practicing as an excellent professional is the long term, lifelong goal.

Did you know?

The UF College of Medicine offers a new early admission program for students interested in Rural and Urban Medicine (RUUM).  The goal of the program is to recruit and enroll undergraduate juniors who are academically excellent and who can demonstrate a sincere interest in rural or urban medicine and in practicing medicine to underserved populations.  RUUM is a 4/4 (eight year) BS or BA/MD degree program that will enroll up to six new students per year. If accepted, a student secures a place in medical school as long as program requirements are completed and academic standards and Honor Code policies are maintained.  Those accepted do not have to take the MCAT.  See the UF College of Medicine's website for further information.

Kep’s Korner

by Glenn Kepic 

Gaylord Opryland Hotel

I recently returned from the NACADA mid-year meeting in Nashville, TN, site of the 2012 annual conference in October.  The NACADA Board of Directors, Council, and some of the Executive Office staff had an opportunity to meet and discuss strategic goals and current issues of the association.  I am glad to report that NACADA is in good hands and under very capable leadership!  And despite the economic downturn, the association is on very stable financial ground.  Also, the Gaylord Opryland--site of this year's annual conference--is absolutely beautiful.  Conference attendance is expected to be high, so make your plans to attend soon.  An unusually high number of quality proposals were submitted and less than half were accepted for presentations at the conference.  That we know of, this year's UF conference presenters are Glenn Kepic and Lynn O'Sickey from CLAS and Robbie Shields, Katrice Graham, and Kari Ward from the Heavener School of Business.  Is anyone else from UF presenting?  Please make a comment and let us know!

NACADA End of Year Sale!

This is a great time to invest in NACADA professional development resources.  NACADA members can purchase academic advising resources at a 20% discount! The discount is available on NACADA books, monographs, CDs, and DVDs via the myNACADA site.  To receive the discount, copy the phrase EOY-20%OFF and paste it in the discount code section at the bottom of your shopping cart before you proceed through the check-out process.  The discount expires on June 30, 2012.