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
Monday, November 30, 2009
Beat update Dec. 1
1. From the Spokesman Review: "Unburied Treasure: 1896 mansion is theater owner's latest project" by Mike Prager. This story is about a woman who restores historic buildings.
2. From the Daily Evergreen: "Children's Center open house showcases renovations" by Kaleigh Clement.
2. From the Daily Evergreen: "Children's Center open house showcases renovations" by Kaleigh Clement.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Beat update Nov. 17
1. From USA Today: "Solar panel maker Suntech plans Phoenix-area plant" by Terry Tang.
2. From the Daily Evergreen: "Green careers are an option at WSU" by Sarah Linker.
2. From the Daily Evergreen: "Green careers are an option at WSU" by Sarah Linker.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Beat update Nov. 10
1. From the Daily Evergreen: "Council delays College Hill decision."
2. Also from the Daily Evergreen: "Yard of the Year awarded to house with the best lawn."
2. Also from the Daily Evergreen: "Yard of the Year awarded to house with the best lawn."
Monday, November 9, 2009
Trend story
*WSU will save money on waste disposal by implementing new compostable materials in Dining Services, a trend that has been spreading through universities across the state of Washington.
Compostable food packaging will save WSU big bucks
Dining Services at WSU recently decided to partner with Cedar Grove Packaging/Compostaware -- providing students, faculty and staff with compostable dinnerware and food containers that can easily go from the dining table to the WSU compost facility.
Gary Henrich, a food service broker from Kenco Sales Inc. who helped WSU in their partnership with Cedar Grove Packaging, said there is a big cost associated with hauling garbage out of WSU. Having waste thrown into garbage cans and then being hauled away, he said, is really a huge cost for the university. The cost of hauling waste in areas in Seattle, like at the University of Washington, is around $150 a ton.
“It might cost a little more for the product, but you end up saving it because you don’t have to pay a garbage bill,” Henrich said.
Across the state of Washington, many universities have turned to using Cedar Grove approved packaging in their dining areas. Henrich said both the University of Washington and the University of Puget Sound implemented the use of products marked by Cedar Grove as compostable about 18 months ago and both seem to be having success.
Cedar Grove Packaging does not make or sell compostable products. Henrich said the company marks more than 1,000 different products with a signature brown stripe as being compostable. Standards for compostable material differ greatly from country to country. In the U.S., Henrich said material is considered compostable if it is 60 percent composted in 180 days. However, in Europe material is considered compostable if it is 90 percent composted in 90 days.
“With the U.S. standard, what happens to that other 40 percent that isn’t composted?” Henrich asked. “It’s what blows around in your parking lot.”
Henrich said Cedar Grove is aiming to move more towards the European standard of what is considered compostable. He said Cedar Grove would like to see products that can compost 100 percent in 45 days.
Jan Persha from Food Services of America said another benefit of the compostable products marked by Cedar Grove is that they are manufactured in the U.S. She said a lot of the other compostable products that are sold nationally are manufactured overseas.
“All these items (from Cedar Grove) are compostable and since the campus (WSU) has its own composting facility, it’s a perfect match,” Persha said.
Shawn Hoch, associate director of culinary operations and executive chef at the WSU Dining Centers, said the university has been using compostable dishware for 10 years and compostable silverware and cups for the past three years. He said prices of Compostaware with the Cedar Grove logo and compostable materials in general have fallen drastically in the last 18 months, and he expects Cedar Grove to continue to reduce their prices as volume continues to increase.
“Many large U.S. manufactures are finally jumping on the bandwagon, which will ultimately create more competition and drive down prices,” Hoch said.
Some well-known manufactures that use the Cedar Grove logo include Chinet, Reynolds and Fabrickell.
Hoch said the last time the university did a side-by-side comparison of estimated usage based off of last year, the savings with Cedar Grove Packaging was about $4,000. He said though there have been product changes since that comparison, overall almost every item evaluated was cheaper with Compostaware.
Most products do not drive prices up. Henrich said products such as Chinet plates with the Cedar Grove logo are really the same as regular Chinet plates because they are already considered compostable, so there is no price difference. He said anything made with corn resin, however, costs about 30 percent more than a product made with regular petroleum resin.
Hoch said that he is seeing sustainability within the food industry continue to grow. He said he is seeing more manufactures taking notice and that every year he sees dozens of food companies and suppliers with new “green” products.
“As for WSU compostable WSU dining, the recycling center has been doing it for years, are just getting better at it,” Hoch said. “We are diverting waste from landfills, which reduces cost and by composting we are helping to regenerate soil by adding nutrient-rich compost. Most of all we are being leaders in the food service industry.”
SOURCE INFORMATION
Shawn Hoch-
Phone: 509-335-8488
E-mail: smhoch@wsu.edu
Jan Persha-
Phone: 509-483-7704
E-mail: jan_persha@fsafood.com
Gary Henrich-
Phone: 425-902-1822
E-mail: Ghenrich@teamkenco.com
Compostable food packaging will save WSU big bucks
Dining Services at WSU recently decided to partner with Cedar Grove Packaging/Compostaware -- providing students, faculty and staff with compostable dinnerware and food containers that can easily go from the dining table to the WSU compost facility.
Gary Henrich, a food service broker from Kenco Sales Inc. who helped WSU in their partnership with Cedar Grove Packaging, said there is a big cost associated with hauling garbage out of WSU. Having waste thrown into garbage cans and then being hauled away, he said, is really a huge cost for the university. The cost of hauling waste in areas in Seattle, like at the University of Washington, is around $150 a ton.
“It might cost a little more for the product, but you end up saving it because you don’t have to pay a garbage bill,” Henrich said.
Across the state of Washington, many universities have turned to using Cedar Grove approved packaging in their dining areas. Henrich said both the University of Washington and the University of Puget Sound implemented the use of products marked by Cedar Grove as compostable about 18 months ago and both seem to be having success.
Cedar Grove Packaging does not make or sell compostable products. Henrich said the company marks more than 1,000 different products with a signature brown stripe as being compostable. Standards for compostable material differ greatly from country to country. In the U.S., Henrich said material is considered compostable if it is 60 percent composted in 180 days. However, in Europe material is considered compostable if it is 90 percent composted in 90 days.
“With the U.S. standard, what happens to that other 40 percent that isn’t composted?” Henrich asked. “It’s what blows around in your parking lot.”
Henrich said Cedar Grove is aiming to move more towards the European standard of what is considered compostable. He said Cedar Grove would like to see products that can compost 100 percent in 45 days.
Jan Persha from Food Services of America said another benefit of the compostable products marked by Cedar Grove is that they are manufactured in the U.S. She said a lot of the other compostable products that are sold nationally are manufactured overseas.
“All these items (from Cedar Grove) are compostable and since the campus (WSU) has its own composting facility, it’s a perfect match,” Persha said.
Shawn Hoch, associate director of culinary operations and executive chef at the WSU Dining Centers, said the university has been using compostable dishware for 10 years and compostable silverware and cups for the past three years. He said prices of Compostaware with the Cedar Grove logo and compostable materials in general have fallen drastically in the last 18 months, and he expects Cedar Grove to continue to reduce their prices as volume continues to increase.
“Many large U.S. manufactures are finally jumping on the bandwagon, which will ultimately create more competition and drive down prices,” Hoch said.
Some well-known manufactures that use the Cedar Grove logo include Chinet, Reynolds and Fabrickell.
Hoch said the last time the university did a side-by-side comparison of estimated usage based off of last year, the savings with Cedar Grove Packaging was about $4,000. He said though there have been product changes since that comparison, overall almost every item evaluated was cheaper with Compostaware.
Most products do not drive prices up. Henrich said products such as Chinet plates with the Cedar Grove logo are really the same as regular Chinet plates because they are already considered compostable, so there is no price difference. He said anything made with corn resin, however, costs about 30 percent more than a product made with regular petroleum resin.
Hoch said that he is seeing sustainability within the food industry continue to grow. He said he is seeing more manufactures taking notice and that every year he sees dozens of food companies and suppliers with new “green” products.
“As for WSU compostable WSU dining, the recycling center has been doing it for years, are just getting better at it,” Hoch said. “We are diverting waste from landfills, which reduces cost and by composting we are helping to regenerate soil by adding nutrient-rich compost. Most of all we are being leaders in the food service industry.”
SOURCE INFORMATION
Shawn Hoch-
Phone: 509-335-8488
E-mail: smhoch@wsu.edu
Jan Persha-
Phone: 509-483-7704
E-mail: jan_persha@fsafood.com
Gary Henrich-
Phone: 425-902-1822
E-mail: Ghenrich@teamkenco.com
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Math fun (NOT)
1. Last year, the school spent $8,300 for office equipment. This year, it will spend 5 percent less. How much will it spend this year? $7,885 spent
2. The spelling and grammar test was taken by 217 students. Thirty-seven failed. What percent passed? 83 percent passed
3. We have a company. We make crap. Some people get paid more than others. * The CEO earns $150,000 a year. She has a nice office and thinks big ideas. * Two top managers earn $100,000 a year for attending meetings, writing memos, etc. * The company has three security guards. They bust heads and carry Tasers. They earn $40,000 a year. * Finally, we have designers/engineers. They do the actual work. We pay them $35,000 and put them in cubicles like zoo animals.
Mean salary? $67,500 Median salary? $40,000
Which is more accurate?
4. Desperate for revenue, the government decides to increase the tax on beer. The tax on food is 5 percent. But if you buy beer, you pay an extra percent, or a total of 6 percent. Supporters of the tax say this is only a 1 percentage increase; critics say this is a 20 percent increase. Who is right? Both right depending on how it is phrased. 5. a. The city’s budget was cut from $2 million to $1.5 million. What was the percent decrease? 25 percent
b. The city’s budget increased from $1.5 million to $2 million. What was the percent increase?
33 percent percent
6. Last year, your property tax bill was $1,152. This year, it rose to $1,275. What’s the percent increase? 11 percent
7. We want to look at home sales in October.
* House 1 costs $225,000. * House 2 costs $207,000. * House 3 costs $129,000. * House 4 costs $192,000. * House 5 costs $3.2 million.What’s the mean price? $790,600 What’s the median? $207,000
8. You and your four roommates have ordered a 16-slice pizza. Because you skipped lunch, it is agreed that you should have a 1/4 share of the total. The roommates divide the remainder equally. How much does each one get? 3 pieces
9. Let’s say someone wants to establish a University District. To gain support, he/she needs to establish that safety is a problem in the area. Assume the following:
* Pullman had 183 assaults last year. Spokane had 502. * Spokane has 200,000 people. Pullman has 25,000. Is the average person more likely to be assaulted in Spokane or Pullman? What's the per capita assault rate in each city? Pullman...73 per 10,000 people...25 people per 10,000 people
10. House prices increased 40 percent this year to a median price of $210,000. What was the median house price last year? $150,000
2. The spelling and grammar test was taken by 217 students. Thirty-seven failed. What percent passed? 83 percent passed
3. We have a company. We make crap. Some people get paid more than others. * The CEO earns $150,000 a year. She has a nice office and thinks big ideas. * Two top managers earn $100,000 a year for attending meetings, writing memos, etc. * The company has three security guards. They bust heads and carry Tasers. They earn $40,000 a year. * Finally, we have designers/engineers. They do the actual work. We pay them $35,000 and put them in cubicles like zoo animals.
Mean salary? $67,500 Median salary? $40,000
Which is more accurate?
4. Desperate for revenue, the government decides to increase the tax on beer. The tax on food is 5 percent. But if you buy beer, you pay an extra percent, or a total of 6 percent. Supporters of the tax say this is only a 1 percentage increase; critics say this is a 20 percent increase. Who is right? Both right depending on how it is phrased. 5. a. The city’s budget was cut from $2 million to $1.5 million. What was the percent decrease? 25 percent
b. The city’s budget increased from $1.5 million to $2 million. What was the percent increase?
33 percent percent
6. Last year, your property tax bill was $1,152. This year, it rose to $1,275. What’s the percent increase? 11 percent
7. We want to look at home sales in October.
* House 1 costs $225,000. * House 2 costs $207,000. * House 3 costs $129,000. * House 4 costs $192,000. * House 5 costs $3.2 million.What’s the mean price? $790,600 What’s the median? $207,000
8. You and your four roommates have ordered a 16-slice pizza. Because you skipped lunch, it is agreed that you should have a 1/4 share of the total. The roommates divide the remainder equally. How much does each one get? 3 pieces
9. Let’s say someone wants to establish a University District. To gain support, he/she needs to establish that safety is a problem in the area. Assume the following:
* Pullman had 183 assaults last year. Spokane had 502. * Spokane has 200,000 people. Pullman has 25,000. Is the average person more likely to be assaulted in Spokane or Pullman? What's the per capita assault rate in each city? Pullman...73 per 10,000 people...25 people per 10,000 people
10. House prices increased 40 percent this year to a median price of $210,000. What was the median house price last year? $150,000
Monday, November 2, 2009
Beat Update Nov. 3
1. From the Spokesman Review: "Science learning center in the works." This story is about a nonprofit organization in North Idaho that plans to build a 20,000-square-foot science center in Rathdrum to promote science and technology.
2. From the Daily Evergreen: "Sterk hosts chat on stadium project." This story was about Jim Sterk's discussion and forum concerning the Phase III of the Martin Stadium renovation.
3. From the Spokesman Review: "SNAP offers help with heating bills."
2. From the Daily Evergreen: "Sterk hosts chat on stadium project." This story was about Jim Sterk's discussion and forum concerning the Phase III of the Martin Stadium renovation.
3. From the Spokesman Review: "SNAP offers help with heating bills."
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