A recent article on the ways Google is transforming the hospitality and recreation industry caught my eye and made me reflect on trends inside and outside Penn State in this respect.  As the article notes consumers will be able to combine searching and booking their hotel directly in Google, rather than having to leave the search to book. And, hotels can position their resort through paid ads, rather than cost per click.  The author describes the impacts of this upending hospitality and recreation.

The connection to Penn State is our upcoming transformation of teaching, learning, advising and more through new information systems. Students will soon be able to use mobile technologies to skim information about courses and majors, review course syllabi online (HHD has permitted students to do this for years), and make a decision at a click.

The advantages of this are obvious–students can get information quickly using technologies they prefer. Students can make decisions about courses, change of major, and more rapidly and from wherever they are located.  Universities and education are finally catching up to the leading edge of some of the services fields in these aspects of customer service.

The disadvantages may be more hidden.  I know that some advisers, faculty and administrators (and I would include me) worry about students self-advising and making rash decisions without having fully contemplating the costs and consequences.  Once a decision is made, its impact on academic progress, financial aid, and other important issues may be difficult to reverse.

So, the pressure will be on students to use these new tools wisely.  Before clicking, students are going to have to research on their own these consequences, or they are going to have to make the time for a good, advising conversation to make sure the choice is the right one.

And, this type of pressure is one that’s not just confined to universities or hotels.  More and more in the services fields, including health care, consumers (i.e., patients and families) are asked to make critical financial and quality of care decisions.  While many are developing the tools to support those decisions with information, we still have a long way to go to make most consumers feel comfortable that they made a good, informed decision after they clicked their option.

Economist Hal Varian once gave this wise career advice: “Be an expensive complement to something that is getting cheaper.” With search, data, and decisions getting cheaper in hospitality, recreation, education, and health care, those students who can complement those with information, guidance, advice, and similar skills may be on the right track for a great career.

Few topics have generated as much discussion and debate between faculty and students recently than the idea of trigger warnings.  Recently, the faculty at American University voted their opposition to trigger warnings. I wonder what HHD students and faculty are thinking.

My initial thoughts are similar to those of President Obama. I believe one of the basic purposes of a college education is to get students to think about things they have not considered and to challenge every thought students thought they knew.  If you haven’t started down the path of an examined life and questioned all those things you thought were true, the faculty and university have not really done their job.

So, to the extent that trigger warnings could create a climate that leads faculty and students to avoid discussing difficulty subjects, I have grave concerns that they undermine education’s fundamental role.  Subjects that are difficulty to discuss are often where the greatest need for dialogue exists. In health policy classes that I’ve taught, it’s not unusual to consider abortion policy and Planned Parenthood, whether organs and tissues should be for sale, or the ethical issues in end of life care.

On the other hand, a basic warning to students about courses that consider these issues or about classes that will raise issues known to cause trauma to people seems a small price to pay to allow a student to make an informed choices about participating. Some faculty have defended the practice and written about how it can be done effectively.

Yet, on the other hand (can you see why President LBJ always wished for a one-handed economist?), I also read articles on how trigger warnings may actually harm student mental health or see faculty outline some good reasons why they will not use trigger warnings. Since faculty can’t really predict what is triggering, do they have to be constantly thinking about every phrase? Is that really likely to lead to the best educational environment for all students?

When I have so many different thoughts in my mind, I generally think others do, too. And in HHD we often cover controversial subjects, so I am sure that students and faculty in HHD are thinking about these issues.  So, share your thoughts in the comments–do HHD faculty and students need to have a conversation about trigger warnings?

1. GO! You can’t win if you aren’t there.
   • If you are a first year student, GO to check things out and identify companies to research.
   • If you are a sophomore, GO to see if you can get an early internship
   • If you are a junior, GO to nail that internship down and begin planning companies to research for jobs
   • If you are a senior, GO to get that job search going.  The typical search is a the equivalent of a 3 credit class that lasts 6-12 months.
2. Ignore the tech/non-tech distinction. It’s an artificial line with huge grey areas. Tech companies hire liberal arts grads. Non-tech companies need tech and STEM employees. Go both days. NEVER assume a company is not interested in students like you.  Talk with as many as you can.
3. Do a broad search on the companies visiting to identify potential employers to visit and make a list.  By a broad search, I mean use simple terms like “health”, “tourism”, “education”.  A big net will make sure you do not miss companies.  Is General Electric a health care company? Yes, it is: http://www3.gehealthcare.com/en/about_us/ge_healthcare_careers
4. Research companies ahead of time.  Spend Fri-Sun looking at the websites of the companies on your list. Read their 5 most recent press releases. Look at their careers page. Come up with 3 good questions you can ask about their industry, future, job opportunities. Make a note card for each employer.
5. Prepare your elevator speech.  Have a 1-2 minute intro that tells someone who you are, what you are studying, and what relevant experience you have (focused on your accomplishments). Finish with a solid question that shows you’ve looked into the company.
6. Dress for success. Check out what you plan to wear with your friends.  Make sure it’s both professional and comfortable–you can’t succeed if you feel awful.  Wear it for a few hours over the weekend to make sure you can work it.
7. Never assume the game is not on. True story–student is in BJC bathroom chatting on phone with a friend, bad mouthing an employer’s table they had visited. Said they had an interview, but were not really interested in the employer. Toilet flush. Stall door open. Out walks person wearing shirt with employer’s name on the breast pocket. Guess who had an interview cancelled.
8. Be yourself.  Faking it never pays off in the long run.  Even if you get the job/internship you’re not the person they thought you were and you can’t maintain the false role forever.  Find the employers that fit who you are, rather than trying to fit into their mold.
9. Take a break.  Schedule breaks during the day, so you don’t burn out. If there’s an employer you really are interested in, plan your visit when you’ll be refreshed and ready.
10. Relax. You got this.

One area where HHD faculty and students sometimes clash is on the use of laptops and other technology in class. A recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education highlighted why some faculty ask students to leave their laptops (and other devices) at home.  I wonder what HHD students think?

I have mixed feelings on the issue. I still usually take pen and pad to meetings, because I find I’m more focused and retain more from the meetings if I do that.  On the other hand, I find I end up doing double work, sometimes, because then I have to re-type my notes into a file or email to follow-up on tasks or communication from the meeting.  Of course, I also find that when I take my laptop, I often get distracted and don’t end up with the notes I needed to take to have good follow-up!

In the classroom, I do a lot of active learning.  It can be hard to get students to engage and discuss class material, if everyone is surfing the web (even if they are looking up things relevant to the topic).  While I don’t make an issue, since I think students need to be comfortable with their own style of productivity and engagement, there have definitely been times when i felt I needed to ban laptops.

I’d love to hear from students on this.  Should HHD faculty ban laptops? Share your thoughts here in the comments or send them to me through Twitter @DennisG_Shea with #PSUHHD.  We’ll discuss this question on my weekly Twitter Office Hours (Tweet-OHs) from 9-10 PM on Wednesday, Sept. 2