University Business - April 2009 - (Page 4)

EDITOR’S NOTE Being Sociable ver the last six mOnths Or sO the University Business offices have become home to a new lexicon. the UB editors talk about “tweeting” and whom they are following or who is following them, and the “@” key is getting a workout. “Friend” has become a verb. i’m referring, of course, to the social media phenomenon, currently dominated by such services as twitter, Facebook, and ning. We’ve become fans of them here, finding them useful for quick often as their cell phones, American University (D.C), communication, staying in touch with colleagues, and the University of Maryland at College Park, and others for promotion. twitter, for example, has proven to be an began using the service to send important notices. Why? effective way to find sources for stories. ask a question Because e-mail has become passé. to the general “twitterverse” and you’ll receive answers We’ll be taking a closer look at the emergence of sofrom many people. i have to admit cial media in higher education it’s kind of fun when my twitter in upcoming issues of University Students check their client lights up with a response Business. it will also be one of Facebook pages about as or comment from a celebrity like the major themes at the eduGuy Kawasaki, ana marie Cox, or Comm Conference in Orlando often as their cell phones. adam savage. this June. in a session called and because your twitter posts “the University long tail,” can feed directly into your Facebook page, which we also presenter Brad J. Ward will explain how to integrate somaintain, the two often go hand-in-hand. cial media into your current strategy and offer practical now, here’s the thing: Just as the critics say, much of advice and tips on how to get started. in another session the content of these social networks is inane. But that is called “social media Campaigns: the new Face of marto be expected as people try them out to see what they can keting,” Diane mcDonald, associate director of marketdo. as with many technologies that have come before, so- ing at Texas A&M University, will discuss how tamU cial media applications start with a high level of novelty. employs a social media campaign for enrollment and their value may not be apparent at first, but users will awareness and how other schools can benefit from this eventually figure out what they can do with the technol- marketing approach. ogy and how it can benefit others. the end result may i want to know whether you or your institution have not even resemble the current format, but it’s a start. joined the social media movement. Whether it’s Facehigher education is dipping its toe in the social media book, twitter, ning, or one of the other popular services, pool, too. in a recent (admittedly nonscientific) poll by tell me what you are doing. Write me at the address the social media site DiOsa, 87 percent of respondents below, or send a message through the University Business said their institution had a Facebook page. Facebook page at http://budurl.com/p62d, or via twitter that makes good sense because Facebook, created by @tgoral. and while you’re at it, check out the eduComm and for college students but now open to anyone, last institute on Facebook at http://budurl.com/4eg3. month topped myspace as the largest social network on the internet with nearly 69 million users. according to some sources, up to 85 percent of college students have a Facebook page. after they realized that students check their Facebook pages about as Write to Tim Goral at tgoral@universitybusiness.com. O 4 | April 2009 universitybusiness.com http://budurl.com/p62d http://budurl.com/4eg3 http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - April 2009

University Business - April 2009
Contents
Editor's Note
Company Index
Advisory Board
College Index
Behind the News
Sense of Place
Viewpoint
Internet Technology
Financial Aid
The Main Event
Software Serves
Managing the Experience
Independent Outlook
What's New
End Note

University Business - April 2009