todd m. sweet

Ezra Update: Q&A with Andrew Gossen on social media

What’s the biggest challenge in social media for alumni relations?

Social media threw a monkey wrench into a machine that served American higher education well for a long time. Alumni used to depend on the alumni office because it had the alumni database, and no large-scale interaction was possible without it.

Now, in a Web 2.0 world, alumni have the tools to organize themselves and engage each other in the name of and about their alma mater without assistance or permission from anyone. Alumni relations offices are struggling to adjust to a reality in which they’ve lost their monopoly on information, communication and control. The only way to adjust in a productive and strategic way is to completely surrender any illusion of control as a starting point.

How Universities Can Win Big with Location-Based Apps

Location-based apps aren’t just for badges and discounts. Geolocation can have a real effect on education at the University level by building relationships with prospective students and families, engaging students with their course materials, and strengthening alumni bonds.

Universities are always looking for ways to strengthen ties within their communities and many higher education institutions have already implemented social media plans to help them carry out that end. Location-based services are the next step in creating meaningful relationships with prospective students, the current student body, and alums.

This is a great overview of the potential benefits of LB-apps in higher ed, but I don’t think a significant investment can be justified right now.  Location based services remain a niche segment, unlike Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

YouTube Launches Auto-Captions For All Videos

This is a significant development for online accessibility.  How to make digital content available for the broadest audience possible is a huge issue in higher education.

Alumni Networks and Twitter: An Update (PDF)

Good research from Andrew Shaindlin and Elizabeth Allen on the use of Twitter by alumni associations.  Be sure to scan the Resources section for links to other good sources of information on the topic.

Matrix: Impacts to Alumni Organizations In A World of Social Networks

Very good analysis by Jeremiah Owyang of the threats/opportunities presented by social media to those of us in higher education. Be sure to read the comments as well.