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Social media networks connect the U to you
For years, University of Iowa students have been swapping messages, pictures, and postings about what’s going on in their lives through Facebook, the popular social media outlet that connects people with friends and others who work, study, and live around them, or with people who share their interests. And then there’s Twitter, a way to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: what are you doing? But students aren’t the only members of the University of Iowa community linked by social media. Several University of Iowa departments have turned to social media sites as outreach tools for communication with students, alumni, and others interested in the University. The UI Alumni Association created Facebook pages and groups for itself, Iowa Alumni Magazine, and the student group S.T.A.T. (Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow). In addition, alumni can join the UIAA at LinkedIn (a networking site for professionals), subscribe to RSS feeds, become part of its official online community, and follow UIAA on Twitter. “In minutes, we can send UIAA members and alumni the up-to-date information they want about our educational programming, upcoming events, alumni achievements, and other topics of interest,” says Graciela “Tita” Coffman, UIAA vice president and chief operating officer. “It’s available for them to read at their convenience—on the road, at home, even on their cell phones—and to use to send us their valued feedback. And with 65 percent of our alumni living outside the state of Iowa, distance is no longer a factor in their relationship with their alma mater and their alumni association.”
Facebook and Twitter have exploded in popularity in recent months—among people of all ages. In addition to its popularity, social media technology is easy and relatively cheap to use. While Coffman doesn’t see these electronic media totally replacing print communications, she recognizes their complementary value. “They augment our existing avenues for connecting with our members and alumni,” she says. “As alumni already use these avenues to connect with their friends, it’s obvious that we need to be visible in the online places they are visiting. Social media are part of our world now—and in the future.” The Office of University Relations has set up a UI Facebook fan page and UI Twitter account as places to share information, publicize events, and highlight remarkable UI people and their research. It appears several hundred alumni, students, UI faculty and staff, and Hawkeye fans are following these pages. University Relations is promoting these pages on its News Services web site, the daily news digest, and the @Iowa newsletter for alumni and friends. University News Services, a department within University Relations, has used Facebook in the past two years to recruit volunteers for the University’s State Fair exhibit and share information with those volunteers. Tom Snee, associate editor in University News Services, has created Twitter accounts to post news about the College of Law and Tippie College of Business, and has made several connections to journalists via Twitter. Other staff members use Twitter and other social media sites to monitor University news and network with public relations and media professionals. Several UI departments are using social media to communicate and encourage dialogue with students, such as the Office of Admissions. More than 1,000 students admitted for the fall semester have become fans of a Facebook page created by the Office of Admissions, which is using the page to help prospective students connect with the University and one another.
Students have posted information about their hometowns, summer orientation dates, possible majors, and first choices for residence halls. They've also used the page to “friend” other incoming students using Facebook. The responses came after the Office of Admissions sent the admitted students an e-mail in late March inviting them to become fans of the page. Michael Barron, director of admissions and assistant provost for enrollment services, said the goal of the Facebook pages is to help students make connections with one another before they arrive on campus, and to provide a forum for answering answer questions about the admissions process in a format that is familiar to students. Questions posted in a Facebook discussion group have included how to get Hawkeye football tickets, what housing options there are at the University, and how to join clubs, organizations, and sports teams. IMU Marketing and Design has established a presence for the Iowa Memorial Union on Twitter, Facebook, and flickr (a photo-sharing site) in an attempt to connect with students who use those social networking platforms in their day-to-day lives. “These social media channels provide the added benefit of two-way communication,” says Dan Sweeney, a design artist in IMU Marketing and Design. “We’re actively looking for new and interesting ways to engage with friends and followers on these networks—from weekly contests to a simple question about their thoughts on a recent event in the building.” The Office of Student Life is planning to use Twitter to communicate with student leaders. The “tweets” (messages on Twitter) will also be collected on a section of their web site, filling a “content management gap” as well as using a new medium to keep them up-to-date, added Ben Lewis, an applications developer in IMU Marketing. The Pomerantz Career Center has had a Facebook page for more than a year, and just this semester has begun to use Twitter, says Angi McKie, director of marketing and public relations. Career Center intern Tegan Zimmerman updates these pages regularly to add timely and relevant information about upcoming events, career tips, links to videos on its web site, and other relevant information. “We have been able to get some mileage out of Twitter, especially for providing more up-to-the minute information,” McKie says. by George McCrory Stay connected to The University of Iowa!Check out these University of Iowa–affiliated social media sites: UI Alumni Association: University Relations: Office of Admissions: www.facebook.com/pages/manage/promo_guidelines.php#/pages/Iowa-City-IA/University-of-Iowa-Admissions-Office/21565096704 Iowa Memorial Union: Pomerantz Career Center:
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