Social The opportunities and challenges
of a residence life curriculum.

@paulgordonbrown
www.paulgordonbrown.com
paulgordonbrown@gmail.com

Social media in student affairs
work… What are you afraid of?

“fear” has always accompanied new
technology

it’s making us “less social”

but really it’s just establishing
new norms and behaviors

anything in EXCESS is likely
bad.

social media is a TOOL

STOP BEING AFRAID

you might “STEP IN IT”
yes,

“It’s not a question of
if you will make a mistake, it’s a question of when and how you will capitalize on turning digital lemons into digital lemonade. Learn to be FLAWsome.” - Erik Qualman

strategy social media is a

? What are your outcomes
let this drive your social media usage

Outcomes 1. Develop relationships with
your students 2. Develop community 3. Model appropriate online behavior ! 4. Customer service 5. Marketing and information sharing 6. Reading student culture/discourse

Pick your platforms Twitter: I’m
eating a #donut. Facebook: I like donuts. Foursquare: This is where I eat donuts. Instagram: Here’s a vintage photo of my donut. YouTube: Here I am eating a donut. LinkedIn: My skills include donut eating. Pintrest: Here’s a donut recipe. Spotify: Now listening to “Donuts.” Google+: I’m a Google employee who eats donuts.

social media is NOT required
EVERY time

Examples

University of Houston

Outcomes 1. Develop pride in
the institution 2. Develop community and common purpose ! These outcomes aren’t just reinforced for the students and staff who directly contribute to the effort.

#BennyOnTheMove

Outcomes 1. Develop pride in
the institution 2. Engage alumni and create cross-generational connections 3. Enhance sense of globalism, promote study abroad

Boston College

Outcomes 1. Point out hurtful
comments and problematic behavior. 2. Describe the negative effects of hurtful comments on target groups. 3. Modify their own behavior. ! 4. Create a more welcoming campus climate. 5. Encourage student action.

Outcomes 1. Discuss and compare
different educational styles provided by the faculty. 2. Compose more constructive feedback. ! 3. Humanize faculty. 4. Encourage faculty-student interaction.

Other • Create a Facebook
group for a floor, an LLP, or a seminar • Decide on common hashtags to use • Hold a photo contest alongside an event • Share strategies videos or artifacts

Can you measure it? Views
only measure awareness… maybe. ! This may be especially true in your ongoing as opposed to targeted efforts. ! Think about engagement instead.

some things to think about

it takes TIME

Be consistent Be dedicated

social media
cements relationships

glue it acts like a

Think about how you can
use social media to lift up others. It’s not just a broadcasting tool.

Social The opportunities and challenges
of a residential curriculum.

@paulgordonbrown
www.paulgordonbrown.com
paulgordonbrown@gmail.com