Category: History

Dorm vs. Residence Hall: A Silly Debate Nearly 100 Years Old

In most professions, there are certain words or phrases that are used to mark oneself as a member, someone who is “in.”  Many student affairs professionals doggedly avoid referring to on-campus housing units as “dorms,” even going so far as to take offense at the term and trying to correct those who use the hated… Continue reading Dorm vs. Residence Hall: A Silly Debate Nearly 100 Years Old

Ongoing Research Into Student Affairs Technology History

I’ve written a few times about historical research I’ve done looking into how U.S. student affairs professionals have used and viewed technology throughout the 20th century.  Although I don’t know where my current job search will take me, I feel a responsibility to bring some closure to this research and then ensure it is somehow… Continue reading Ongoing Research Into Student Affairs Technology History

EFF Publishes a Bit of ResNet History

The EFF, one of my favorite organizations, has announced a report describing a security vulnerability in Impulse Point’s SafeConnect product. I don’t have any new insight to add regarding the security flaw or SafeConnect. But the announcement is a quick read with a nice little history of Network Access Control (NAC) technology and its important… Continue reading EFF Publishes a Bit of ResNet History

Framework for Understanding Historical View of Housing Technology

(This is largely a note for myself.  I had an epiphany while showering this morning and I don’t want to forget it!) I haven’t touched it for a while but for a few years I’ve been working on historical research focused on entertainment and communications technologies in American college and university residence halls. As is… Continue reading Framework for Understanding Historical View of Housing Technology

Response to Student Affairs On-Line Letter to the Editor

In the current issue of Student Affairs On-Line, Frank Christ wrote a Letter to the Editor responding to my Summer 2008 article “Exploding a Myth: Student Affairs’ Historical Relationship with Technology.”  I’m writing my response here rather than printing it in Student Affairs On-Line as (a) such a response would take many months to be… Continue reading Response to Student Affairs On-Line Letter to the Editor

Responding to and Expanding on “Exploding a Myth” StudentAffairs.com article

In the current issue of Student Affairs Online, I have an article titled “Exploding a Myth: Student Affairs’ Historical Relationship with Technology.” The contents and premise of the article should not be a surprise to anyone who is reading this blog. I’m very appreciative to Stu Brown, StudentAffairs.com’s head honcho, for inviting me to publish… Continue reading Responding to and Expanding on “Exploding a Myth” StudentAffairs.com article

Collecting Historical Evidence

I’m doing at least three things with this blog post: Participating in the NASPA Tech Tools program that asks participants to try out Flickr by creating an account and uploading a photo. Discussing my current research. Providing some hard-to-find information about the use of a digital camera and a copy stand to copy historical documents.… Continue reading Collecting Historical Evidence

Resident Students’ Communications and Entertainment Technologies: From Communal to Personal (And Back Again?)

My biggest project during my first semester at Indiana University’s Higher Education and Student Affairs PhD program was a research project focusing on the history of student-used communications and entertainment technologies in the IU residence halls throughout the 20th century. I relied almost exclusively on archived historical materials, including memos to and from various administrators,… Continue reading Resident Students’ Communications and Entertainment Technologies: From Communal to Personal (And Back Again?)