This list of steps provides a broad overview of how to get started with Chatter. 

Step 1: Goals

• Identify your goals for Chatter. 
  • Do you want all of your communication to run through this platform or just pieces of it? 
  • Do you want students to read information or engage more deeply by asking questions? 
  • How will you measure success?

Step 2: Chatter Team

• Decide who will have primary responsibility for communication through Chatter.
  • Is it one person or a team?
  • Will they be expected to work outside of normal business hours?
  • Will they have support from other staff/faculty/student workers/student volunteers?

Step 3: Timeline

• Develop a timeline for the recruitment of the chatter team, development of communication plan, and implementation. Be sure to include important dates throughout the summer.

Step 4: Communication Plan

• Create a communication plan to identify key topics that will be discussed on Chatter and important dates that will be relevant to communication spikes throughout the summer. The more detailed this is, the easier it will be to implement during the summer.

Step 5: Set up Chatter groups

• Identify how many Chatter groups you will need, who will create the shells and who will be responsible for monitoring chatter within them.

Step 6: Add students to Chatter

• Instructions for adding students to Chatter groups will be coming soon.

Ann LaFave (CALS) and Rebecca Schimenti (ILR)