Women in Housing: The Hashtag
Friday, March 26th, 2010
In my most recent post, I wrote about staying connected with colleagues for both personal and professional reasons. Among the reasons I value those connections is the opportunity to share ideas and resources. When two of my professional mentors recently joined Twitter, I found a new dimension of connecting with them. Through our mutual involvement in a weekly student affairs chat, I learned more about their philosophies and approaches to their daily work. We connected long ago through mutual interests in conference hosting, professional development, and chocolate; this more insightful look into who they are as professionals only served to increase my respect for both of them.
Twitter is a strange animal, truly, as so many people are hesitant about its usefulness or influence. Tom Krieglstein, co-founder of Red Rover, once said (on Twitter), “Facebook is for the people you already know. Twitter is for the people you want to meet.”
Among Tom and Red Rover’s many accomplishments is the creation of The Student Affairs Collaborative, an online resource where student affairs professionals gather to share information and ideas. In addition to a frequently updated blog, there is a weekly chat during which student affairs professionals from around the country gather on Twitter to discuss a topic voted on earlier in the week. Through this medium, more than ideas are shared. There is a support network in place now, a group who cheers each other on through interview processes and holds one another accountable for self-care. In fact, one of the incredible people with whom I’ve connected — and now been fortunate enough to spend time with — articulated the value of the online student affairs community far better than I could in her recent blog post.
Finding support on Twitter can be as simple as knowing the right words to search for in the sidebar. Preface the search phrase with # — this is called a hashtag and helps organize topics. Search for #studentaffairs and you’ll find funny anecdotes and reflective insight. Search for #reslife and you’ll find more funny anecdotes and some venting of frustrations we all share. Search for #wihsng and you’ll find a support network you never knew existed. The #wihsng hashtag was created by one of my mentors, Julie Payne Kirchmeier, Director of Housing at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. A new face on Twitter, Julie is a veteran in the housing and residential life communities. #wihsng unites women from all functional areas within housing and provides them with a back channel on Twitter for engagement, support, discussion, and shared resources.
If you’re already on Twitter, join the conversation by searching for #wihsng and sharing your thoughts. If you’re not on Twitter yet, let this be the impetus to your joining — free professional development in a comfortable setting.
Join Julie and I for the first #whsing chat on Monday, April 5 at 1:00 p.m. ET [12:00 p.m. CT] when the topic will be “Professional Development Opportunities for Women in Housing.” Contact either of us for more information or for help getting set up on Twitter. We’re happy to help and look forward to your participation as we continue the conversation.
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