Category: higher education

Just what I need: another blog to feed

Yes, I’ve unleashed another blog on the world. But this one is work-related, and my hope is that it will engage the students, alumni, faculty and staff of our university in an online discussion about a topic that is important to our future.

Name change conversations is the name of the blog, and we’ve launched it to better facilitate the discussion we’re having on our campus about whether to change our name. This site is designed to complement a white paper that outlines the rationale for a name change and to provide students, alumni, etc., with a constructive outlet for discussing the issues.

From the inaugural post:

Welcome to “name change conversations,” a weblog designed to inform the UMR community about Chancellor John F. Carney III’s proposal to change the university’s name to one that better describes its mission as a technological research university. While this is a university website, and is being managed by the UMR director of communications, its purpose is to foster a conversation about the proposal. In other words, we want this blog to be:

  • a source for useful information about the proposed name change.
  • a forum discussion about the issues being raised by the proposal.
  • an avenue for providing up-to-the-minute information about the proposal.

Let’s hope this foray into blogworld serves its purpose.

Social networking: a legitimate marketing tool?

Here’s something I was working on before the CASE conference. I’ll get back to CASE stuff starting with the next post. – AC

Bob Sevier of the higher ed marketing firm Stamats wants to know how universities are using social networking as a marketing platform. In the latest issue of Stamats QuickTakes newsletter, he explains that he’s working on a column about social networking for University Business, but he’s “having trouble separating the marketing wheat from the marketing chaff. If you are interested in joining the discussion (and perhaps being quoted in an upcoming column), please take a look at the following questions and e-mail me your responses.”

The questions:

  • How is your institution using social networking to build relationships with either prospective or current students?
  • Has social networking proven to be a helpful tool for you?
  • What site(s) are you using?
  • If you feel social networking has been helpful, what data do you have to support that conclusion?
  • What problems/surprises have you run into as part of your use of social networking?
  • Do you envision social networking becoming a long-term component of your recruiting/marketing plan?

Bob’s email: bob DOT sevier AT stamats DOT com.