(More here: http://paulgordonbrown.com/category/spotlights/spotlight-socialmedia-use-in-highered/)
Semi-weekly, I try to highlight innovative and interesting uses of social media in the higher education and student affairs space. The following is a review of all those highlighted in 2014.
7. University of Houston &
Northwestern’s Athletic
Scholarship Surprise Video
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8. Cornell University’s
Admissions Blogs
The use of first-person student blogs
on admissions websites isn’t new, but
Cornell University has given broad
latitude to its student bloggers to
share their uncensored experiences.
From the blog landing page, one has
links to student blogs on independent
platforms including Tumblr, Instagram,
WordPress, and others. It’s a
Ye2ar 0in R1ev4iew Click to View
refreshing take on student admissions
blogs that break out of the usual
university template.
www.paulgordonbrown.com
9. University of Michigan
Snapchat
Snapchat is an odd social network/
chat app to be using for engagement
with your students, but a couple of
institutions are trying it out. Most
recently, the University of Michigan
joined the University of Houston
Click to View
beginning efforts in this uncharted
territory. With Snapchat being one of
the most popular apps for students in
the 18-24 year old demographic, it
makes sense.
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10. Loyola University Maryland
Facebook Cover Photos
Loyola University of Maryland started
this very simple effort to promote their
institution and develop a sense of
community and belonging amongst
their students. By creating pre-formatted
Facebook cover photos,
Click to View
they are making it easier than ever for
students to show their pride. Check
out their landing page. Images are
updated yearly for incoming classes
and provide a range of options.
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11. Mississippi State University’s
Social Study Abroad
The study abroad space is ripe for
social media efforts. With students
dispersed across the globe,
communication is easier through
social media. Additionally, with these
once-in-a-liftime opportunities come
some great photos and stories. Media
that can aid in getting other students
Click to View
excited about a study abroad
experience. Mississippi State
University held photo and blogging
contests form 2009-2011 to get their
students sharing about their
experiences. They also game-ified
them through voting to add an element
of competition. It includes a “Bulldog
Ye2ar 0in Radar” map of where students are.
www.paulgordonbrown.R1ev4iew com
12. Northeastern University’s
Online Tours
This isn’t a social media example, per
se, but it is a great example of
deploying digital technologies to offer
opportunities for guests and
prospective students. Northeastern
University utilizes a platform from
YouVisit to power it’s virtual video
Ye2ar 0in R1ev4iew Click to View
tours. They’re engaging and feature a
real tour guide.
www.paulgordonbrown.com
13. University of Houston’s
Engagement Efforts
The University of Houston is a leading
institution in engaging with their
students on social media. Check out
the page they label “Why Follow UH?”
which gives a number of great
examples of how they’re engaging
Ye2ar 0in R1ev4iew Click to View
their students. www.paulgordonbrown.com
14. Oregon State University’s
Benny on the Move
Oregon State University encouraged
students and alumni to post pictures
of a cut out of their famous "Benny the
Beaver" mascot in various locations
and tag them on Flickr with the
hashtag #BennyOnTheMove. It's a
great way to spread pride, a little bit of
joy, and increase brad recognition. Of
Click to View
course, although OSU used Flickr, you
could also replicate campaigns on
Instagram and other social networks.
It might also be a great idea to send
your study abroad students off with a
mascot to showcase your school's
international efforts.
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15. Harvard University’s
Social Media Directory
More and more institutions are
beginning to create “social media
directories” or landing pages that
catalog all of the different social media
presences of their departments and
offices. Harvard takes this one step
further with their creation of a
multimedia landing page that
Click to View
incorporates video, audio, photos,
iTunesU podcasts and audio all into
one page. It creates a hub for all sorts
of content that can be shared and
reused on webpages and accounts.
An excellent opportunity for
collaboration across the institution to
cross-promote each other’s work.
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16. Yale University’s
Admissions video…
Followed by
Harvard’s response…
In 2010, Yale University produced this
highly slick and fun admissions video
to highlight the many features of its
campus. They used the highly
shareable strategy of creating a
“musical” about their college.
Ye2ar www.0in paulgordonbrown.R1ev4iew com
17. Yale University’s
Admissions video…
Followed by
Harvard’s response…
In 2010, Yale University produced this
highly slick and fun admissions video
to highlight the many features of its
campus. They used the highly
shareable strategy of creating a
“musical” about their college.
Ye2ar www.0in paulgordonbrown.R1ev4iew com
18. Examples of Social Media
use in Higher Education and
Student Affairs
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New spotlights every Monday.
19. Paul Gordon Brown
@paulgordonbrown
www.paulgordonbrown.com
paulgordonbrown@gmail.com