Opening Letter

As a graphic designer, mentor, friend, and gentle soul, Ira Yarbrough has left
an impeccable legacy on CATS.

Having respect for each and 

every component of CATS, Ira offered his friendship, time, and wisdom to Directors and a plethora of former student 

workers. Unknowingly, Ira’s time and efforts have helped cultivate leaders and define what CATS is today. Ira has set an atmosphere conducive to hopefulness and creativity within each of our 

departments. 

So in honor of such a legacy, we dedicate this newsletter to Ira. Ira, your wisdom, warmth, and kindness will always be 

remembered. 

We aspire to continually use Ira’s legacy as a basis of motivation and 

diligence within our organization.

We love you Ira, 

You will never be forgotten.

Sincerely,

The Center for Academic Technology Support 

IHEC and CATS Multimedia Collab for The Motivational Intervention

David Closson filming on set in WEIU's green room.

Over the summer, CATS Multimedia and IHEC (Illinois Higher Education Center) had the chance to 

collaborate on The Motivational Interventions for College Drinkers  DVD. This project composed of an introduction, first section, and second section. The premise of this project is an interaction between a college counselor and a student seeking help with his drinking habit. 

The directors of this project, Cameron Craig and Pete Grant,  were grateful to receive their second grant-based project together.  Excited about the collaboration, Craig and Grant turned this project into a integrative learning project.  Altogether, there was a team of two graduate assistants from CATS, David Mitchell and Kyle Workman, one student worker, Rebecca Hunt, and students from Tempestas et Caelum Productions, Kole Rushmore and Drenen Martin.

Approached in May 2015 by David Closson, Assistant Director of IHEC, Grant and Craig were eager to allow this project to be completely produced by the students. Previous collaborations with the Multimedia team left Closson very eager and ready to work with CATS again.

Including both video production and captioning, this project allowed the students to have a real experience as 

videographers and captioners; they worked very closely with clients and allowed them to interact with them more. Their main objective, according to Grant, was to satisfy the request of the client. 

Grant believes that doing this project magnifies the talent of the students and helps build their technical skills as well as relationships with faculty on EIU’s campus. He believes for students, the IHEC project was an opportunity to flourish and grow as leaders.

Peter Grant on set training David Mitchell

A month after production had commenced, the project had been completed in entirety. Utilizing Canon XF300s, WEIU’s green room, and various post-production software enhanced the knowledge needed for future clients. 

Even though this project only included the captioning team and multimedia (videography) team, Grant hopes to include other departments in CATS to help with future projects. 

In light of it all, Grant and Craig continually aspire to provide 

students with opportunities to expand on captioning skills, 

videography skills, and graphic design skills. In the future, they want to obtain more grants to provide more networking and growth opportunities for the students.

Grant also states that this project made him knowledgeable about the grant-writing process, along with things to look for when searching for grants.

For more information regarding this story, contact: Pagrant@eiu.edu or cdcraig@eiu.edu

New Learning Module Implemented into Multistep Problems on D2L

Aiming to enhance the way students have learned multistep problems, Dr. John V. Cabage, an assistant professor in the school of technology, has developed a method he believes will accomplish this goal. Using randomized variable problems (each student receiving a different homework problem), he believes that he has a 

cheat-proof and a highly interactive way for students to learn mathematical problems. 

Despite the constraints, he aspires for this program to help students collaborate more frequently and gain a greater knowledge of the content. 

Used within D2L, the multistep problems are provided for each corresponding chapter alongside to an instructional video that provides guidance on how to approach the problem.  

With the successful implementation of the multistep mathematical problems, Dr. Cabage intends to incorporate another idea into D2L: LTI. An LTI, short for learning tools interoperability, will take information from outside programming and put into a format for D2L to recognize. Then, he would link the outside program with the multistep problem. He would then be able to put it into PHP, C++, or any other various programming or scripting languages that he would choose for D2L.  With the intention of moving the LTI forward, he hopes to have a graduate assistant to assist with the production of this idea. 

Dr. Cabage feels this project is unique because it is an idea that is new to the School of Technology’s learning management system; furthermore, he also believes that this program will allow students to learn from their mistakes because it would be easier to track the mistakes in calculations for particular problems. 

In addition to locating mistakes, he hopes this program will aid in the student learning at a more realistic pace. Of course, the pace would be highly dependent on the student’s timeliness and work ethic. 

Along with the recent implementation of the multistep mathematical problems beginning in June 2015, he intends to see results within a year. 

For information regarding this story, please contact: jvcabage@eiu.edu

Technology and Biology Go Hand-in-Hand

For Dr. Gary Bulla, Professor and Associate Chair of the Biology department, research has never been about reaching an end-point but obtaining as much knowledge as possible. His most recent research project, titled The Genomic Analysis of Liver Function, has proven this idea to be true. Lasting over four years, Dr. Bulla, with the help of graduate assistants and student workers, has worked diligently to understand what makes the liver function.  

Focusing from a microscopic perspective, he and his research team of four intend to get a broader understanding of the breakdown and processes of a failing liver. To perform such an experiment, Dr. Bulla utilizes liver cells from Rats to analyze the breakdown process. Specifically, he looks for mass irregulated genes and put them into non-liver cells.  From this he then coaxes them to make the non-liver cells into liver cells. 

The machine used to observe such abnormalities in genes plays a vital role in the actual observation of the genes. With the micro rays, the team incubates the micro rays and them washes them off with a media. After, they place micro rays inside of the machine and observe the fluorescents that shine off the dots and provide the team with a read out of the processes.

Though making it this far was no-straight shot. During these four years of research with micro rays, Dr. Bulla has went through a series of three different types of microforms. Progressively, the readout has become more accurate and innate for him to read. 

Dr. Bulla goes on to say, “Its amazing what you can do, what never thought was possible.” An experiment that once seemed both scientifically and financially impossible is now tangible for both students and professors of Eastern Illinois University. Dr. Bulla mentioned that within the last ten years, the type of scientific technology has allowed to more access to students. Not only that, but the technology has developed in a manner which provides more accurate results and allows the duration of experiments to be shortened significantly.

Everyone can agree the molecular reason why the liver does not function is the question at hand, but he focuses the experiments on the students. His main objective is to provide the students with experience which will further help them in their scientific careers. 

Down the line, Dr. Bulla hopes to work with new equipment to better understand RNA strands and continually provide research opportunities to both graduate and undergraduate students. 

For more information concerning this story, please contact: gabulla@eiu.edu. 

Reflections of Ira By Michael Babcock

 I had the privilege of sharing an office with Ira for eight years. We shared a lot. We shared stories, thoughts and feelings about everything from the disheveled squirrel outside our office window to confidences I have only shared with a handful of good friends in my life.  

Ira had a pleasant calm about him, a warmth and ease. He had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh. If i were to do the math (and i just did), I probably spent close to 20,000 hours with Ira. I would guess we spent about 10,000 of those laughing, hard. It’s how we started most of our days. Over coffee, we shared stories about life, art, love, children, parents, and occasionally even work. We laughed about all of it.

Ira had the respect and admiration of the entire office. He was the foundation of CATS and the glue that held it together. He was a mentor, a friend, and a refuge on stressful days. No matter what the circumstance, everyone wanted to hear his perspective. He always gave an honest opinion and presented it with tact and respect. He understood and valued the thoughts and perspectives of everyone around him, whether he agreed with them or not. I would guess Ira’s advice was sought after by everyone in CATS at one point or another.  

Sunday Morning Smile, 2001, mixed media.
Acquired by Booth Library. 

Ira was a hard worker who always had the best interests   and future of CATS in mind. This newsletter was his creation and an example of his desire for CATS to succeed in serving the EIU community. With every individual CATS hired, Ira was looking ahead. He had a real gift for understanding the dynamics of an office. Several of us are here right now because Ira saw something in us. I am absolutely certain i wouldn’t have the good fortune of working here if it weren’t for him.  

I’m not sure everyone knew how talented of an artist he was. He had been, and 

continued to be, a successful and prolific painter. His 

portfolio speaks volumes of his work ethic and his view of the world. His landscapes tend to focus on the warmth and beauty that surround us. Through color and light, he brought out all that was good. I think he was able to see that sort of potential with all those around him. 

Ira was truly an asset to EIU, and I feel blessed to have had him as a colleague, a mentor -- and most of all, 

a great friend.     

For information regarding this story, please contact: mwbabcock@eiu.edu

Tempestas and CATS Multimedia Rejoin for Expedition Taiwan

This past summer, CATS Multimedia and Tempestas et Caelum production team once again collaborated for 

Expedition Taiwan. The expedition lasted 15 days and was lead by Mr. Cameron Craig, documentarian and 

instructor within the Geology-Geography department. The intention for this trip was to document and capture intimate moments in hopes of exposing raw, true experiences while in Taiwan.

Mr. Craig and Tempestas Production Team

Before leaving from Charleston, the team loaded up DSLRs, tablets, smartphones, and a GoPro to capture all that they could about the 

landscape. Unsure of what Taiwan had to offer, the team was ready to once again make a footprint on new land. 

Once in Taiwan, the team documented their daily experiences.  Mr. Craig added, “The one thing I made them do is keep a diary on Facebook. So not only were they experiencing Taiwan, but they were also teaching people back at home. And the responses we got were so amazing.”  

Nathan Page, a student worker in Multimedia, stated he utilized both the Canon 60D DSLR and his personal tablet to document his adventures. Adding to this, he also used Adobe Photoshop to edit photos used for the Tempestas Facebook page.  His colleague and Graduate Assistant, Scott Wilkinson, used his cellular device and Adobe Premiere Pro to 

produce short videos, which he posted to Facebook. 

While using Adobe Software greatly aided in the production of Photos and Videos captured, the team looks forward to using more technology to help capture more “vivid” experiences.

Capturing this trip was merely one component of the expedition; the other was the growth and appreciation of Taiwanese culture.  One of the hurdles for the team was the language barrier. In the midst of learning a new culture, learning the native language was essential. Scott Wilkinson stated that to help with learning, he utilized a Google Translate App but also relied on hand gestures and prior knowledge to understand the  Mandarin language. 

Tapei, Taiwan-May 2015- by Nate Page

Wilkinson also added, “When talking with the natives, it helped me learn. Other times, I used my Google Translate App.”

Craig also mentioned that the trips not only heightened interest and exposure to the Tempestas Facebook page but to Eastern Illinois University as well. In his opinion, the video blogs, posts, and photos showcased another aspect of students at EIU. It provided parents and Facebook users access to the activism of the university around the world.  

In the future, Craig aspires to continue traveling with the Tempestas Production team and collaborate with the CATS 

Multimedia team. 

The Tempestas et Caelum’s Facebook page can be found at (https://www.facebook.com/tempestasfilms).

or more information regarding this story please contact: cdcraig@eiu.edu

Web Office Gives EIU Homepage a Facelift

The Fall 2015 semester brings with it a new look for Eastern Illinois University’s website as the Web Office launches the latest iteration of its homepage.

“A redesign is necessary to keep things modern and continue to meet the ever-changing expectations of our prospective students,” explains Ryan Gibson, CATS director of web services. The university website’s last

 redesign came in 2012.

“We’re also using all the most recent analytics data to make sure our site is best serving the needs of all users,” says Gibson, referring to research on users’ habits and tendencies when accessing Eastern’s web space.

Jamie Kemp, graphic designer in the Web Office, said the biggest goal for this redesign was to make the site responsive, meaning it will have the same quality and appearance across all different screen sizes.

“We wanted the user to have the same EIU web experience regardless of whether they are exploring our site on an iPhone or a 27-inch HD display,” says Kemp. “With so many other websites becoming responsive and so many web users becoming accustomed to the mobile site being identical to the full site, it was imperative that we bring Eastern up to date.“

“We also wanted to take our homepage and build on the concept to create a space to really sell 

Eastern Illinois University to potential students. Now, the homepage will have a good amount of initial 

information for that potential student who hasn’t been previously introduced to EIU.”

Along those same lines, increased prominence of “call-to-action” links for applying now and 

scheduling a campus visit were an area of emphasis.  

Screenshot of trending section on EIU's new homepage

“I wanted those buttons to be one of the first things a new student would see when coming to the site,” says Kemp. “We also wanted to make the 

homepage a little more interactive for the viewer; we wanted to have a space for visitors to get a ‘first taste’ of Eastern through the Explore EIU section of the 

homepage. 

“We have also created a slide-out section that will give users a sense of personal customization by showing them their recently visited pages and recent searches.”

Secondary pages will also see revamping in an effort to make the most sought-after information readily 

available and easiest to find for users.

“In the university web world, the more ways you have of finding something, the better your user experience will be,” says Kemp. She adds that not everything will change; prominent homepage links to the A-to-Z Index, PAWS and Panthermail will remain.

“Both our click statistics from last year and our beta testing this year showed there is a large percentage of EIU website users who rely on those links,” said Kemp. “There are some boundaries that should be pushed when designing or updating a website, but at other times, you have to recognize those things that still work and why it’s important to keep them.”

Kemp mentioned beta testing; in the days leading up to the new website’s launch, 

prospective students, current students, and faculty members were brought in to give the new site a “dry run” with Web Specialist III Jay Grabiec  moderating the proceedings. Grabiec asked each participant to complete various tasks on the website, and their 

interaction with the new layout was observed and recorded for the purposes of fine-tuning. 

Jay Grabeic with student during beta-testing for the website

 “So much of Eastern’s potential student base has grown up using the InternTet; it has become imperative to catch their attention with the website. For many, their first impression of Eastern will be made online. It’s not just about having a nice flyer in a high school counselor’s office anymore. It’s about connecting with them on a digital and personal level and giving them a real reason to visit out campus. 

“They may not be able to tell you why a website is bad -- only that it IS bad -- but that is more than enough to turn someone away before they’ve even started exploring. We, at the very least, have to provide them with the same quality they experience through the rest of their web lives in order to stay competitive as a university.”

At the end of the process, Kemp is happy with how the new site has turned out.

“There were a few compromises I’ve had to make along the way, but in the end most of my ‘compromises’ ended up working out better for the overall design and user experience. I think more than anything we have done a better job of telling Eastern’s story and conveying why someone would want to call Eastern Illinois University home.” 

For more information regarding this story, please contact: wdwhite@eiu.edu or jlkemp@eiu.edu

Michael Babcock: A Man With a Vision by Dustin White

There’s no such thing as “downtime” for CATS videographer Michael Babcock; his work is always in demand, and the past few months have been no exception. 

“Over the last two years, we’ve averaged over a video per week out of this office,” said Babcock, whose 

award-winning work is featured all over EIU’s website and is also used for

 recruiting purposes when prospective students are on

 campus for visits.

Babcock captures footage of band students at
Mattoon Middle School

Throughout the summer, one of Babcock’s projects has been to film nearly 50 short interviews with faculty 

members from all four of EIU’s colleges to get their 

perspectives on being educators.

“The whole thought was to have short little glimpses into their personalities,” said Babcock of his faculty subjects, “to give a prospective student an idea of who they’ll someday have in a classroom.”

Babcock says the short pieces have an intentionally low production value in order to make them feel as candid and relaxed as possible. If they’re well-received and the university’s colleges and academic departments find them effective and useful, additional faculty members will be approached.

“This was kind of a test,” said Babcock. “If we feel like they work, we’ll do more of them when more faculty are around.”

In an effort to secure footage for several outcome pieces to be featured on EIU 360, Babcock also made a quick trip to Nashville along with student assistant Chris Boswell and Jay Grabiec, whose photos will also be used online and in recruiting pieces.

The team caught up with five successful Eastern alumni during that two-day, one-night trip, procuring enough material for at least as many videos. Babcock says the scheduling for such a quick trip is definitely a challenge but totally worthwhile.

“Logistics are tough when scheduling, but the end result is a ton of good content that can be useful in a variety of ways,” Babcock said, adding that the experience is particularly invaluable to Boswell as he sharpens his skills. A similar trip was taken to Chicago in Fall 2014, and Babcock says the hope is to head back north for a second time this semester.

Aside from Boswell, Babcock has received extensive help from Frank Lanham, an unpaid summer intern and a junior film major at the University of Notre Dame but hails from Charleston and is home for the summer months. In exchange for some credit hours, he has provided an extra pair of capable hands on many of Babcock’s 

summer projects.

“Frank picks things up really quickly,” said Babcock. “When I communicate an idea or concept, he understands immediately.”

Said Lanham, “For me, it’s been great to interact with the equipment here and get some time working with all the editing software – just logging time. I’m getting ready to take some more advanced production classes at Notre Dame, and this’ll give me a good head start.”

It remains to be seen, but Lanham may very well have lent a hand on some award-winning work. Babcock’s videos have been entered in many competitions over the past few years, bringing home some impressive hardware. Take the Case V Awards, for example: his video for the “An Appetite For Change” story on EIU 360 beat out 47 other entries from prestigious universities (like Harvard, for instance) from all across the nation. Here’s what the judges had to say about it:

“This video did a fantastic job of taking a subject and topic that wouldn’t normally be visual and made it so. We liked that the video bridged teaching and research effectively and made the research relevant. The story connected academics and the classroom to the research, and it connected the students to the teacher. The artistic opening shots (such as panning the mailbox) were beautiful. These subtle artistic effects throughout the video brought out an emotional reaction to the piece. Technically, this video was well-edited and produced, and had a compelling aesthetic style. It fell in line closest to good cinematography (different frame rates, matching to the music). This can be a difficult subject to capture on video, but they delivered the message perfectly.”

For Information regarding this story, please contact: wdwhite@eiu.edu

CATS Alumni Spotlight: Jamie Kemp

Coming from Springfield, Ill., Jamie Kemp has proven herself to be a valuable component of the Center for Academic Technology Support for quite some time.  Beginning her student worker position in 2009, Jamie worked for Michael Babcock. With Babcock, she engaged with the world of video editing  along with minor graphic design projects. Through the close relationship with Babcock, she then was introduced to Antoine Thomas, the former Training Specialist for the COL, the Center for Online Learning, where she began doing minor web design work.

Working for Thomas, Jamie gained a valuable relationship with former graphic designer Pete Taylor. She worked closely with Taylor, learning new skills and advice for future endeavors. She stated, “Through this task, I got the chance to learn from PeteTaylor about web designing, and because of that relationship, I was awarded the graphic designer position within the web office.”

Once in the web office, Kemp was able to get her hands dirty: from web designing for the Doudna, to web designing for the Whiteside Gardens, and finally, her most recent work, the home page for Eastern Illinois University’s website. In the web office, with the collaboration of University’s Marketing and Communication team, Jamie’s work has expanded to all of Eastern’s benefit. Doing minor work outside of CATS, Kemp has proclaimed herself exclusively a graphic designer for EIU.

Even with all the success, she says she would not have the fortune of being a great graphic designer without the help CATS.  At CATS, Kemp has learned the importance of the levels of communication. Once a graphic design major, keeping her work exclusively for her eyes was key, but she now works and collaborates with her team within the web office. Providing input on her designs, she claims it has helped make her a better graphic designer and still gladly accepts feedback.

She states “We collaborate as a team within the web office—I created the design and I hand it off to Ryan.”

In the future, Kemp intends to continually grow as an artist and ambitiously pursue projects that  challenge her creativity. 

Role of CATS in Cooperation with High School

One of the most satisfying projects that one can accomplish is when we face a new, exciting situation while stretching our skills to deliver quality work. Mr. Mark F. Johnson, assistant to the Dean for 

Academic Technology for the College of Sciences, talks about his experience of taking photos and filming in the chemistry lab at EIU. 

The "Chemistry: The Central Science" textbook
Customized Edition for EIU

The project began in July 2014 following an idea by Daniel J. Sheeran, associate professor and General Chemistry Coordinator. Sheeran asked Johnson to record a few high school lab experiments, 

something that couldn’t be done in a high school due to safety concerns. However, using a chemistry lab at EIU equipped with the necessary safety 

measures, the team was able to safely document the experiments to show to high school students.

“It was for the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE); they wanted this for all the high schools,” says Johnson. “They are going to add in teachers’ 

interviews… we were shooting just the experiment part.”

One of the photographs taken by Johnson has since been published on the cover of EIU’s custom 

chemistry textbook Chemistry: The Central Science. The photograph displays the reaction of potassium when dropped into water. This reaction is visually explosive due to the chemical reaction of potassium causing water molecules to become unstable, 

releasing hydrogen extraordinarily quickly. Because of results of the chemical reactions, videotaping and photography were difficult; however, Johnson worked around these difficulties during the experiments. Photos of this and other experiments, such as the observation of the reaction of wire and acid, can be found at the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/eiucos/sets/72157657121391508

Johnson used various technology resources to produce different results, some of which was provided by CATS Multimedia: a Canon 60D DSLR with a Canon 70-200mm f2.8 lens and Canon 5D MkIII with a Sigma 120-300mm f2.8 lens were utilized for videography and photography respectively.

Johnson is eager to do these kinds of projects more, seeing them as opportunities to promote EIU.  He is already working with members of the Multimedia team on a documentary, and he would like to shoot more videos and photos with different experiments in chemistry and physics.

For more information regarding this story, please contact: mfjohnson@eiu.edu

Student Disability Services Intends to Change Learning Techniques with Captioning

With the aid of CATS Multimedia, Student Disability Services has cultivated what they intend to be a universal design that helps meet all the needs of students. Through captioning classroom videos, movies, lectures, and other various visual materials, they are able to accomplish a goal that 

predominately serves few but provides assistance to all.

According to Kathy Waggoner, the Director of Student Disability Services, the captioning service that CATS 

Multimedia provides is essential and greatly valued on this campus. Even though there are a noted four to five students with documented hearing impairments, she believes the service provided will help those students who haven’t yet identified with being disabled.

Waggoner also added, “Captioning provides a service that fulfills a need to all learners; for instance, some 

people do much better when they read information instead of hearing it. It’s for different learning styles, 

second-language English speakers, and many more.“ 

Broadening the definition of learning and accessibility on campus, she believes this is progressing the campus in a positive direction. 

Heather Santos, Alternate Media Technology Specialist, added that this change would provide an atmosphere conducive to learning more efficiently on campus. 

Prior to captioning, the student disability services provided lapels for professors and headphones specifically for students with hearing impairments. These students would then receive live feed coming from the professor’s lapel.  While this is still utilized, captioning remains as the preference in helping those with disabilities in the classroom. It provides a more discrete, easier way to catch every word. It also allows those without a disability ease when listening to difficult dialect or topics. 

Kyle Workman, the caption coordinator graduate assistant for CATS, stated, “Students with disabilities and the university as a whole both have a need for captioning services. Our university is comprised of students and faculty from all over the world; captioning support allows content to be accessible for all types of learners and individuals who may not have had the accessibility they needed or wanted without the support of CATS.”

With the help of CATS, student disability services wants to continue to provide the necessary resources for students with disabilities as well as those without.

For Information regarding this story, please contact: klwaggoner@eiu.edu or hnsantos@eiu.edu

A Collaboration to Bring Campaigns to Life for Illinois Premier Boys' State

“Advertisement for this organization [was] key.”

Over the summer, Gabriel Grant, an instructor in the school of technology and coordinator for Digital Printing Laboratory, had some assistance while filming the campaigns used for the Illinois Premier Boys’ state. With the helping hand of CATS Multimedia, the young men were able to learn 

post-production editing and how to utilize video equipment. 

While the young men were training and practicing patriotism, engagement in civic process, and learning leadership skills, Mr. Grant took it upon himself to aid the young men in making their campaigns and ideas come alive. Typically, it remained 

traditional to publish newspapers, but with financial hurdles, a new, creative idea was brought to life. Grant says, “I don’t think their reactions can captured on ink and paper; their reactions need to be captured visually.” 

Providing shotgun microphones and lighting equipment, Grant was in a position to bring life to this idea. Tasked with limited time, Mr. Grant was unable to thoroughly teach post-production editing to the young men; he turned to CATS Multimedia team for assistance in training, along with administering the green screen backdrop used.

Provided with a graduate assistant, Mr. Scott Wilkinson, Mr. Grant aided the young men in learning Adobe Premiere Pro in a condensed time period (three to four days). With the assistance of Mr. Wilkinson, the young men were able to learn how to use a non-linear editing software, which left them with more refined editing skills and knowledge of SLR cameras.

Adding the final touches on the project, Grant explains he was happy to provide the young men with “higher quality” equipment and felt that this experience would help them in the near future. Each of the videos completed were broadcasted via YouTube and were published on a nightly basis. 

Grant added that the videos were a great advertisement tool for Illinois Boys Premier, and the parents were ecstatic about seeing all that went on in the organization.

In the summer of 2016, Grant plans to work with Illinois Girls’ State Premier to provide similar results.  He also plans to utilize the services of CATS once again. 

More information on the Illinois Boys’ State Premier can be found on their website (http://illinoisboysstate.org) 

For more information regarding this story please contact: gjgrant@eiu.edu

The Proliferation of Social Media Platforms within the FCS department

From the birth of the centennial celebration to the emergence of Pinterest within classrooms, there has been a drastic change in the manner of communication to promote various ideas and content on and off campus.

Dr. Michelle (Mikki) Sherwood

“What I notice is that through our Pinterest post, a gateway is opened that allows people to explore Eastern Illinois University” says Dr. Michelle Sherwood, an Interim assistant chair and professor within the Family and Consumer Science department. Through the utilization of Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Linkedin, Dr. Sherwood has created a virtual community comprised of multiple groups: faculty, alumni, students, former professors, and residents of Charleston. With the help of these social media platforms, the FCS department has delved into a virtual world, which allows everyone to connect and observe what is taking place on campus.

From the Spring of 2014, the start of the centennial celebration for the FCS department, there emerged the beginning of the departments’ Facebook page.  Dr. Sherwood states, “One of our components was we wanted to do one hundred hours of community service for the university and the community; we wanted to celebrate one hundred years of FCS.  So, what happened was it really got people moving.“  Involvement grew from this movement within the community and with the students; many of the events held on campus would soon be showcased on Facebook along with an abundance of photos. 

The department’s utilization of social media platforms grew with hundreds of hits on Facebook; however, the FCS department did not start using social media platforms avidly until the fall of 2014. As activity of these accounts grew, so did the content; the FCS department expanded their pages from just events to postings from instructors, alumni postings, job openings, recognition of students, and a plethora of information concerning those within the FCS department. 

While the load can be heavy, everyone with a relation to the FCS department has a responsibility to a different task. Sherwood states, “We have an alumni in Chicago who runs our Linkedin page, our graduate coordinator runs our MS and FCS graduate page, and I do Pinterest. So we assign different responsibilities to different individuals according to their occupation and relation with the department.“

She has also mentioned that their motives for running the pages were based on the excitement of the students.  She goes on to say what makes the FCS department’s social media initiatives exclusive is their ability to feature the students; through the use of social media platforms, the department is able to pay recognition  to those who do great things within the school of Family and Consumer Sciences. 

Dr. Sherwood eagerly hopes to maintain a healthy involvement with the social media pages and anticipates stronger connections with current, former, and prospective students. 

For more information regarding this story, please contact: mlsherwood@eiu.edu