Part five of a multi-part series on how local colleges and universities are utilizing Facebook...
Park University, with its home base in Parkville, part of Kansas City's Northland community, is a unique institution in that it has a main campus hosting traditional students, but also has multiple satellite campuses not only in other parts of the Kansas City metro, but on military bases across the country, as well as an extensive online course and degree offering. In addition, Park Universityis known for its international population, with students attending the University from countries all over the world.
With all of these campus components to juggle, it is no wonder that Park University is heavily invested in communicating with its constituents via social media, both Facebook and Twitter.
In fact, although Park University was already on the list of campuses to highlight as part of this series, two tuned-in campus administrators had learned, via Twitter, of these articles about how local colleges are utilizing social media and made contact to inquire if their campus initiatives would be included. Absolutely!
Following a college or university on Twitter or "liking" pages of interest on their Facebook accounts provides immeasurable access to the campus and its day to day interactions with everyone who comes into contact with that particular institution. The information made available through social media far outshadows the prepared and much edited web content or viewbook material that prospective students only had opportunity to see previously. Be part of the social media revolution and take advantage of its ability to enhance the college search and selection process.
Here is a sampling (with links) of Park University utilizing both Facebook AND Twitter to reach out to the vast population of prospective students (locally and abroad), current students, alumni, athletics fans, and donors:
FACEBOOK
Additional Park University pages on Facebook include those for many other military bases across the country at which Park offers degree programs, as well as individual sports teams and, of course, student clubs and organizations.
TWITTER
Park University Professor Steven Youngblood (currently working on a peace and journalism project in Uganda)
Several Park University students, specifically from the Communications Arts Department, are also active on Twitter.
A special thank you to Erik Bergrud, Senior Director for Community and Government Relations in the Office of University Advancement and to Steve Wilson, Park University Sports Information Director, for reaching out about inclusion in this series.