How are you using technology in your job?

In multiple ways, every day. In the usual ways most of us do—email, for example—constant use of Banner and disseminating data pertaining to new students across campus and with the SUNY Application Services Center.

How has technology transformed your job?

The web traffic and email has made our jobs in Admissions very different than 10 or 15 years ago. How we provide information to interested students and families—and their desire to get info instantly, 24/7—means we really have to be on our toes, so to speak, reacting to requests as well as trying to be proactive and have as much information as possible available to them, where they can get it anytime they choose.

What does technology add that would not be possible without it?

Our ability to offer information and answers to interested students and families via the web, for example, anytime they want.

How are you using technology as a tool to achieving your operational goals?

Obviously the website is important, but we’ve explored other options such as online chats, and web portals to allow admitted students to do some “self-serve” things like submitting deposits online.

What new goals do you have for using technology?

We continue to explore things, like the online chats, podcasts, blogs, etc. A very large project that would be important to the whole college would be the concept of imaging—for us in Admissions it would mean electronically managing applications for admission, vs. the old paper applications.

What is your biggest challenge in using technology?

Staying current and not being afraid to venture into new territory, while keeping up with current tasks.

How are you using technology in interesting or unique ways?

We’ve integrated multimedia presentations into all of our group programs hosted in Sheldon, and love the Historic Classroom, with the ability to show our campus video DVD, bring up the website, or show a PowerPoint presentation. Jerry Oberst is doing interesting things with targeted email, and the online chats have been fun.

How are you using technology in your daily life?

I don’t do anything fancy, just your standard web surfing and email.

If you had to pick one technology item that you couldn’t live without what would it be?

I, like most of the world, have become very dependent on email. (Too much so?)