How social media impacts higher education

It's not surprising to anyone that 92 percent of teens use social media every day. But, the fact that 80 percent say it influences their college decision shows that there is a tremendous opportunity to impact students in ways we couldn't a decade ago. 

Social media enables students to begin their college careers with a larger social network, according to DeAndrea, Ellison, LaRose, Steinfield and Fiore (2012). Additionally, DeAndrea, et al. (2012) said social media creates university satisfaction and affiliation, reduces uncertainty and shapes expectations.  

Social media also can play a significant role in student services, which could impact things such as retention.

While Armador and Armador (2014) examined the use of Facebook for academic advising, I think their research can be applied to multiple social media channels for those in student service. They found that social media could:

• Lessen time and staff availability constraints
• Allow advisers to work with students in a long-distance manner
• Enable advisers to create and build relationships with students
• Allow the adviser to view student social media accounts for more personal information
• Enables advisers to reach students more quickly, as they often respond via social media quicker than email

From recruitment to student engagement to alumni relations, it's important to balance your strategy for social media success. This means:

1. Listening to student conversations to gain insights into the areas in which students perceive or experience problems.
2. Creating content that allows students to see what they can do at your university.
3. Looking for opportunities to engage in a conversation with students.
4.  Answering questions, complaints and comments swiftly. 
5. Providing support through social media, where students may feel most comfortable, when possible.
6. Knowing policies and the law, including FERPA, freedom of speech, copyright, academic freedom, etc. 
7. Understanding what you (or your boss) wants to achieve using social media and what audiences are your biggest priority.
8. Encouraging collaboration across the university — whether it's sharing ideas, cross-promoting content or managing a channel. 

Social media will continue to evolve, as will the channels students use to communicate and engage with their universities.

In what ways have you seen social media impact higher education? How do you think university social media will evolve in the next few years?

References

Amador, P., & Amador, J. (2014). Academic advising via Facebook: Examining student help seeking. The Internet and Higher Education, 21, 9-16.

DeAndrea, D. C., Ellison, N. B., LaRose, R., Steinfield, C., & Fiore, A. (2012). Serious social media: On the use of social media for improving students' adjustment to college. The Internet and higher education, 15(1), 15-23.

Lenhart, A. (2015, April 8). Teens, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015. https://cmich.ly/1O18hMH

Rideout, V. (2015). The common sense census: Media use by tweens and teens. Common Sense Media. Available at https://cmich.ly/cscteenmedia.

Rogers, G. (2016) Mobilizing Admissions: The 2016 Social Admissions Report [Webinar]. Retrieved from https://cmich.ly/cheggsar