Are You Hooked Into Your University's Social Network?

Whether you are a current student, prospective student or an alum, I have one question for you:

Are You Hooked Into Your University’s Social Network?

If you asked me that question two years ago, I would have emphatically responded: “No, you’re joking right?”  Things are changing though. Universities are not the newest family on the social media block, but they are finally beginning to feel comfortable enough to come out and meet the neighbors. 

I was initially skeptical when I first heard about the University of Kentucky’s internal social network, but after some more thought, I think something like this might work if the University administrators are ready to step up to plate and make use of the immediacy and close connections tools like these were meant to provide.

In looking at what could be a promising trend in communication with current students and alumni, I have to bring it back home to my fellow Colonials. 

It took two years and the start of my term on the GW Black Alumni Association Board to reconnect with the University, but now that I’m there, I can see all the value provided by staying connected. 

Some argue that the main benefit of going to a well-known college is to make use of the network, and I really have to applaud GW for the effort that they are putting into connecting with current students and alumni to strengthen the school’s network. 

If you go to the alumni website, you see a smattering of useful but now fairly standard social media pieces – photo albums on Flickr, videos on YouTube, etc. – but you will also find some interesting online tools to help you get plugged into the University’s network.

One example is the University’s Regional Alumni Programs interactive map. Clicking on a Buff (GW’s Yellow- our colors are Buff and Blue) balloon will take you to more info on an Alumni chapter in that region. If you click on a state without one, you are offered steps on how to start a chapter and resources to get you going, including a list of regional alumni facebook groups recognized by the University. 

In addition to tools like these, I was pleased see that the GW is also attempting to connect via Twitter. University departments manage several accounts on the micro-blogging site, including @GWCareerCenter, @GWGeorge and @GWToday. 

Perhaps the piece I’m most impressed with is this wiki which shares info on blogs written by GW students and alumni. It’s not flashy in terms of layout and design, but you cannot go wrong with the utility of such a list. It is almost like a gift to everyone in the network that says: “I know you’re social and that you’re alumni, so let’s take this opportunity to connect with each other and promote interesting work.” 

I’ll end the GW praise here because it’s beyond clear that I appreciate these efforts to gather alumni together both online and offline to make great connections. Now that you’ve heard my perspective, it would great to learn about your thoughts and experiences, so I’ll ask once more: 

Are You Hooked Into Your University’s Social Network?