Planning a University-Wide Event for the Communication Studies Department - Environmental Communication Week

Readers,


This week, I am excited about Environmental Communication Week! I am working with my partner in crime, Prof. Cristi Horton and two student interns. At first, we thought that this week would only include four events planned by our small committee. However, then we developed a bright idea to e-mail a "Call for Events" to the rest of the faculty, staff, and students at our university. 


After our first e-mail, I was very discouraged by the lack of responses. However, I tried a new approach with my new social media marketing technique that I developed for my academic department, "A Note from the TarletonCOMSDept". This marketing technique included a checklist (action items) in the subject time:


Subject Line - A Note from the TarletonCOMSDept: 1) Submit an event for Environmental Communication Week, 2) Look at the schedule for ECW 2011


Yes, I know that it is a long subject line, but through our "action item" based e-mail, we received over 15 e-mail messages from people who were formerly uninterested in ECW2011. Through this experience, I have been asked by one of the professors from the engineering department to write a grant and I also met a wealth of people whom I formed great working relationships.


This has been a great experience! Check out our schedule of events: http://www.tinyurl.com/environmentalcommunicationweek


Sincerely,


Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Freebie Friday! - Get PAID to Recycle! Earn Money to Purchase Items for Classroom Giveaways!

Readers,

Yes, this is another FREEBIE Friday! Today's freebie is actually more of a money maker for you. Every time I have empty ink cartridges at home, I carry them to the local office supply store for recycling. In return, I receive a gift card in the mail, which I use to purchase materials for my students and giveaways for conferences.

Here is a list of other programs through which you can get paid to recycle! Use the money for your classes! :) Thanks About.com: Frugal Living!

Office Depot

Take your empty ink and toner cartridges to Office Depot for recycling, and you'll earn $2 in Worklife Rewards for each one. Limit 20 cartridges per month.

Staples

Recycle your empty ink and toner cartridges at Staples, and you'll get $2 in Staples Rewards for each one. Limit 10 per month.

Target

Pull out those reusable bags before you head to Target. Each one you use (in place of a Target bag), will get you five cents off of your purchase.

Am I missing some recycling programs? Please let me know! :)

Sincerely, 

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Survey Opportunity - Instructional Communication and How Instructors Use Facebook to Communicate With Their Students

Readers,

One of my dear friends, Dr. Lora Helvie-Mason, is conducting a great study focused on instructional communication and how instructors use Facebook to communicate with their students. If you have a spare moment, please help her by completing her survey. To participate in this study, participants must (a) have a Facebook account (b) be a college-level educator. Please participate by answering (10-15 minute) online survey questions about Facebook use. This study has been approved by the Southern University at New Orleans IRB. - Click here to take survey

Please forward this survey link (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2CM2RBW) to others who fit the criteria above.

Thank you so much!

Dr. Lora Helvie-Mason
Assistant Professor of Communication Studies
Southern University at New Orleans

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

I am a Millennial Professor and I Embrace the 24 Hour Professor Syndrome

Readers,


Whenever I arrive back to the office from a long conference, I am always overwhelmed by the numerous items that I have to accomplish before leaving the office. I have to make online and offline lists (via Google Tasks) as I think about the items I learned from the conference and people I have to contact across campus. 


However, as I persist through the items on these lists, I experience a feeling of accomplishment. By the time I leave the office, usually after 5pm, I accomplish most of the items on the list. Then, I drive home only to answer students' e-mails and sift through my 300 daily e-mails on Gmail. 


This is the life of a millennial professor. I have to keep everything organized and I have to squeeze in time for my family as well. As I answer e-mail at home, I watch movies with my husband and I take my iPad with me as I garden and shop. Yes, I admit, I answer my students' e-mail messages as I eat lunch at La Madeleine on Saturday, browse books at Barnes and Noble, and pursue racks at Goodwill in search of great items for Environmental Communication Week. 


I embrace the fact that I am a 24 hour professor. A few years ago, I tried to avoid falling into the "24 hour professor" trap (i.e. - Does Graduate School Provide Millennial Professors for the Professional Environment), but now I am happy to embrace the fact that I am professionally connected to my students and my career. 


Sincerely,


Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.