social Media Can Build Community
By kENNEtH ELmORE
I begin my day on social media at 4:45 a.m. I wake
up, have my first of many cups of coffee, and dive into
blogs, twitter, and other forms of online community. I find that
my students have often posted much of their content during
the few hours that I have been sleeping, and most of it is only a
few hours old. I read their musings about their lives on campus,
their thoughts on issues important to them, their rants, their
desires, their dreams, and their complaints.
Despite the fear of many of my colleagues that social media
may dilute students’ command of the written language, it
inspires me that they are spending their free time writing,
engaging others in the written word, and looking to create
wordplay. my public relations colleagues sponsored a round-table discussion recently at
which Universal Hub founder and
Boston-based journalist Adam
Gaffin quipped that twitter was
helping create an excellent generation of headline writers. I tend
to agree that twitter is reinvigorating the art and enjoyment of
playing with words.
By 5: 15 a.m., I have a
sense of what my day
will look like and where the
more “traditional” means of com-
munication with my office may
be directed. What will parents
be worrying about this morning
when they call? What concerns
will be expressed in the e-mails
read by my student employees?
What will walk-in students be
eager to speak about? these
threads are revealed by an early
review of social media and pre-
emptive steps to address the
pending concerns.
those steps may include writ-
ing a blog post for my website
to get ahead of an issue, be it
responsible alcohol use, civil
engagement, or the latest student-run website with privacy con-
cerns. I may respond to a few twitter replies if an issue seems
limited to a specific set of students. In other instances, I could
change my schedule and hold an impromptu open lunch at a
dining hall, advertising it on Facebook to reach students. I will
enlist residence hall directors to communicate through flyers,
e-mails, and resident assistants, but many of the attendees will
learn about the lunch through social media.
During the day, my time on social media may be limited due
to meetings, but I always have the tools accessible in the event
that I need to communicate an important message. For example, a few weeks ago a student was hit by a car crossing one
of our busiest intersections. thankfully, she was not critically
injured. Still, the rumor mill had started. twitter and Facebook
lit up with students reporting that she was in grave condition,
ratcheting up the fervor of students who had not been on the
scene. Carefully dancing around privacy concerns, and once
our police department confirmed her status, I sent a message
assuring students that she would be okay. this one message,
without great detail, was enough to keep the rumor mill at bay.
While I have help in maintaining what I have been told is an
ambitious social media strategy,
I try to do as much as possible.
When other staff members reach
out to students on my behalf
through social media, they do
it from their own accounts, not
mine. Social media has placed
a new emphasis on authentic-
ity. Students know when you
are not yourself, when someone
has forced your hand. If being
authentic means that you are
not on twitter as often, that
is acceptable. People will see
and respect that decision: they
will sense your rhythm. It is
important to continue to do the
listening on a regular basis, and
make sure someone is respond-
ing. In the long run, the listening
is important.
I have always had an intense
interest in new vehicles that
allow everyone’s voice to be
heard. Within the field of higher
education, social media gives
students a chance to engage
with everyone—their classmates,
administrators, and faculty mem-
bers—on a level not previously available to them. At Boston
University, social media has led to a greater sense of collabora-
tion, a different style of discourse, and more student partici-
pation in the discussion. Social media is not the only tool for
building the vibrant learning community I desire as a student
affairs administrator, but it has been one of the most useful.
Kenneth Elmore is dean of students at Boston University.
