Online Reporting Story

Departments and colleges at WSU use networking sites to promote and recruit


Whether they are used to promote world-class research, recruit eager college-bound kids to different majors or to simply share information within the WSU community, social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are growing in popularity around the WSU campus.

Barbara Petura, associate vice president for University Relations, said the use of social networking for internal and external communication is a growing national trend and that WSU is a big part of that trend. Petura said the university has a Facebook page specifically for future students, a growing WSU YouTube channel and quite a few influential bloggers including President Elson S. Floyd and dean of the College of Education Phyllis Erdman.

Petura said there has also been a large increase in WSU units using Twitter. She said the WSU units communicating with Twitter has increased from 17 on May 27, 2009 to 65 as of today. The Pullman campus Twitter account - WSUPullman - currently has 901 followers.

"Students, faculty, staff, Cougar fans and others expect to find WSU active in social media so they can join if they choose to, and the university is on most of the major platforms," Petura said. "That is an element of success."

The College of Veterinary Medicine at WSU has had some success with its use of networking sites. Darin Watkins, communication coordinator for the veterinary college, said they currently have a Facebook fan page and use Twitter to get information out about the college. Watkins said some of the tweets posted on their Twitter account have really helped get the word out about events and research at the veterinary college.

Watkins said two of the biggest success stories from their Twitter account would have to be the story of the triplet bull calves born at the college last March and the story of an injured beaver that was at the college. He said a CNN reporter picked up on their tweet about the triplet calves and posted it on the CNN Web site, and a Shanghai newspaper put the story about the injured beaver on its front page because of a tweet.

Watkins said the veterinary college also uses social networking sites to recruit students and to promote online programs such as their Pet Memorial Program.

"(In the future) we are hoping to be able to better use these avenues to reach out the alumni and friends," Watkins said. "In the years to come, support from our college will rely greatly on private support and these pathways allow us to reach out to people individually."

The WSU College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) has also joined the trend of using networking sites to recruit students and showcase research. Kate MIlraith, assistant director of recruitment and rentention, said CAHNRS Facebook page has seen a lot of growth, and it currently has 146 fans. She said the Facebook page also seems to be gaining more fans every month.

MIlraith said CAHNRS uses its Facebook page the recruit students to majors, inform fans about what research is being done and to advertise college events.

"Our hope is not only do we keep our current students, alumni and friends informed about and involved in things that are happening in the college, but also that prospective students will see how dynamic the college is and all the educational opportunities that are available," MIlraith said.

SOURCES

Barbara Petura: (509) 335-1980
petura@wsu.edu

Darin Watkins: (509) 335-4456
dwatkins@vetmed.wsu.edu

Kate MIlraith: (509) 335-5469
katem@wsu.edu