The Strategic Implementation of Social Media for the Office of Multicultural affairs

University of Kansas Norma Salcedo Tracy Gavin Alysha Dockum

What is Social Media?

“Social media is a concentration of internet website services and practices that support collaboration, community building, participation, and sharing” Social Media shares information through: - Text - Audio - Images - Podcasts (Junco, Heibergert & Lokin, 2009)

World of Social Media Sites

Brian Solis, co-founder of the Social Media Club, recently introduced “The Conversation Prism.” The graphical prism illustrates the wide variety of social media tools available today.

(Ruben, 2008)

Growth

Since the introduction of Social media networks in 1994, they have continued to grow as a place where people can come together to share ideas (Everything Public Relations, 2011)

General Benefits

-Studies have found a positive correlation between the use of social networking and college student engagement. (Junco, Heirbergert & Lokin, 2009).

-In 2007 the Higher Education Research Institute reported that 94% of first year students use social media websites (Junco, Heirbergert & Lokin, 2009).

-It is a free resource, and the resource theory says “ If adequate resources are brought together in one place, student learning and development will occur”(Astin 1999).

- “Millennials strive for continuous connectivity via their social networks” (Monoco 2010).

Large Scale Impact “Social media helped fuel the recent nation wide demonstrations in Cairo, Egypt by giving the people the tools to mass communicate with their fellow citizens” -USA Today College

Examining the sociological effects of social media http://t.co/O6FE0Po

If Social Media can connect an entire nation, what can it do for Higher Education?

Social Media On Campus

After pondering the University of Kansas division of student affairs, one office stood out as having the most to gain from social media .

KU’s Office of Multicultural Affairs

OMA’s Mission

To collaborate with instructional and non instructional departments in academic preparation, recruitment, retention, and programming for students of color.

To assist all students who are committed to the acceptance, appreciation, and understanding of diversity and multicultural issues.

To articulate a strong sense of campus community among all students.

To promote the academic mission of KU.

To assist students of color in successfully participating in every level of the University experience and becoming successful graduates.

(Office of Multicultural Affairs, 2011)

OMA’s Current Initiatives

Hawk Link Program designed to assist first year students in navigating their first year by utilizing existing programs at KU. – an academic based retention program Academic Resources – Corporate Career Connections, Transitions (sophomore component of hawk link, Academic Courses, Students Obtaining Academic Resources (SOAR) Diversity Education Programs Education Team, Heritage Month Celebrations, Multicultural Awareness Training, Tunnel of Oppression – Colors of KU, Diversity Peer OMA Events and Programs – Chancellor’s Reception, OMA Graduation Banquet, MLK Luminaria Walk and Speaker 5 Student Organizations – Asian American Student Union, Black Student Union, First Nations Student Association, Hispanic American Leadership Organization, National Pan-Hellenic Council Financial Resources - 53 Different options

OMA’s Current Use of Social Media

Website - Old Links - Student Organizations pages last updated in 2007 Video - Inaccessible technology - QuickTime - It is only found on the website

Proposal for Implementing Social Media into the Activities of the Office of Multicultural Affairs

Purpose: to increase student awareness of OMA resources, and departmental initiatives through social media technology.

Step 1: Strategy and Support Step 2: Define Management Step 3: Assessment

(Cabellon, 2010)

Step1: Strategy and Support

Define Audience and Message -Who do you want your message to go to, and what do you want to say?

Choose your Social Media technology -Which form is going to work best for the message, audience, and department?

Brand your department -What do you want your image to be?

Marketing Strategies -How will your audience find out about your online presence?

(Cabellon, 2010)

Step1: Strategy and Support Recommendations

Social Media choice: -Twitter • Recommended for university departments Message: -Initiative promotion • Hawk link deadlines • • Easier to maintain Can be programmed to automatically tweet (Junco, Heibergert & Lokin, 2009) • • Student organization meetings Program information (Cabellon, 2010) Marketing strategies -create incentives for following • Free t-shirt for following -link on website -Student news paper ad -Add it to all hand outs & freebies (Philips, 2009) Branding -Carry over images and colors from the OMA website to the twitter page (Cabellon, 2010) Audience: -Current KU Students -Perspective students -Possibly Alumni (Cabellon, 2010)

Step 2: Management

Choose who will develop and maintain the departments social media. Decide how often you will utilize the social media.

(Cabellon, 2010)

Step 2: Management Recommendations

Who will develop and maintain the social media -graduate assistants or hourly undergraduate student staff • Should be supervised by a Senior Staff member • Should be familiar with the media type, it is easier to develop once it is commonly used in your daily life Utilization of the social media -Daily or Bi-daily tweets about upcoming events • keeps news current on feeds -Event promotional pushed on day of events

Step 3: Assessment

Choose specific time frame to assess Define what the successful use of social media means to your department Determine how to measure that success (Cabellon, 2010)

Step 3: Assessment Recommendations

Time frame -a full semester Definition of success: -Increase in online followers -Consistency of department use of social media - Increase in student use of resources - Increase in student participation Ways to measure that success - No. of followers - No. of tweets per day/month/week/event - Consistency of mentions (#hashtags) - Adding “how did you hear about us/this event” to questionnaires and sign in sheets - Measuring the usage of attendance and resource usage for potential increases

Potential Difficulties

Learning the Technology - There will be a transition period during which staff will need to learn how to use the different forms of social media.

- This should be alleviated by choosing one form initially, and having someone develop and manage it who uses it on a regular basis.

Staying Active - There will be a transition period during which the use of social media will be assimilated into the daily publicity functions of the department.

- This should be alleviated by having a set plan of how often you want the department to use the social media.

Finding Balance - There could be a point at which the department recognizes that there is an under use or over use of the social media type.

-This should be alleviated by using assessment tools.

Potential Payoffs

Meeting Students Where They Are -By using social media, the students will be receiving the information that OMA is trying to get out using in a venue that they check regularly.

Minimal Cost, Maximum Effect -The use of social media is free other than the time it takes to develop and maintain it.

-Social media is used by most of the student body. If it is marketed and used correctly the effect it could have is huge.

Competitive Communication Edge -Competitors are using social media (other schools, other organizations) -By having the information available students can make a more informed choice of activities.

References

A, Initials. (1999). Student involvement: a development theory for higher education. Journal of College student Development, 40(5), 518-529 Cabellon, E. (2010, June 08). A student affairs social media plan. Retrieved from http://edcabellon.com/tech/socialmediaplan/ Crain, R. (2011, January 11). Just how influential is your social-media program if it isn't helping sell product?. Retrieved from http://www.crain.com

Grospitch, E. Abell, K. (2011, Spring). Who knows you?. Perspectives: Upper Midwest Region-Association of College and University Housing Officers , 47(1), 18-19.

Everything public relations: the history of social media. (2011, February 11). Retrieved from http://everythingpublicrelations.com/2011/02/11/the-history-of-social-media-infographic/ Junco, R. (2010, October 25). Transcript of usa today chat on social media, multitasking, and learning. Retrieved from http://blog.reyjunco.com/transcript-of-usa-today-chat-on-social-media-multitasking-and-learning Ku office of multicultural affairs, . (2011). Retrieved from http://www.oma.ku.edu/ Monaco, S. (2010, June). Young Americans: social media and mass media. Retrieved from http://www.stephenmonaco.com/2010/06/millennials-mass-media-social-media/ Patel, J. (2011). Examining the sociological effects of social media. USA Today College, Retrieved from

http://www.usatodayeducate.com/staging/index.php/blog/social-media-might-be-making-us-narcissists-but-its-worth-it

Phillips, C. (2009, March 22). The millennial view of social media: why should I be your friend".

Reuben, R. . (2008, August 19). The use of social media in higher education for marketing and communications: a guide for professionals in higher education. Retrieved from http://doteduguru.com/id423-social-media-uses-higher-education-marketing-communication.html

Troop, D. (2010). Harrisburg U.'s social-media blackout is more of a brownout. The Chronicle of Higher Education, Retrieved from

http;//chronicle.com/article/ Harrisburg -Us-Social-Media/124510