What can we do on our campus to maximize our attendees' professional development experience?

Make it an EVENT!

• Read Optimizing the NACADA Web Event Experience  by Webcast Advisory Board Past-Chair Karen Thurmond and WAB member Melissa Lantta.

• Utilize the Web Event Host Guide, developed by Webcast Advisory Board Chair Terry Musser and NACADA Web Producer Leigh Cunningham.

• Think through the various aspects of set-up and facilitation well in advance of the event.
  Learn from these participants from previous seasons:
  •  For our first Webinar, we did not adequately anticipate that we would want to have a group discussion at the end; our room was not well-designed for that.  Now we've changed to conference-style seating instead of lecture style, and we like it!
  • We learned from our first attendance that we needed to reserve the room for a longer time period and plan for discussion prior to and immediately following the program.
  • We weren't sure about this format going in, and we did get distracted at times, but we were also to make comments to each other that we wouldn't have done in a live setting. We held a great discussion/brain-storming session at the conclusion of the webinar.
  • Because we had people from across campus attending, we were able to start a conversation about the importance of mission and learning outcomes for campus advising (not just in our units).
  • We found that it was a good opportunity to share thoughts and network with folks from across campus we don't see often.

 

• Consider bringing in campus resource personnel to assist with facilitation or follow-up.

• Our campus facilitator typcially invites staff from various student services departments related to the event or resources being presented for campus Q&A and additional local information that may differ from presentation.
• Our university invites the resource person from the university to add comments and talk about resources at our institution.

• Strategies suggested by Webinar hosts:
  • We have the person(s) specifically responsible for this area on campus speak following the event.
  • We have refreshments!
  • We host a "mini-conference" for 1-2 hours after the broadcast.
  • Our Dean encourages everyone to attend.
  • Our group tends to immediately have its own discussion following the webinar about issues relating to our college.

If you have comments or suggestions - such as those above - about what you learned from your participation that might be helpful to future viewers, please email them to Leigh Cunningham.