Using Facebook to Enhance Future and First Year Student Involvement

Beth Oakley, M EdDirector, Educational Development Centre

University of Windsor

University of WindsorWindsor, Ontario CANADA

• 4 year public

• Approximate total student enrolment = 15,725 (grad and undergrad)

• 13,000 full time, 2725 part time

• Incoming first year students 2800 (fall 08)

Beginning

• First explored in the spring of ‘07

• Initial reputational concerns about being a University on Facebook

• Consulted with the Dean to seek approval

• Originated as a way to increase student to attendance at Windsor Welcome Week (fall orientation)

First Year

• Launched “New at the U of W ‘07” in summer ‘07(slow start, only about 300 students signed up)

• Thought: “maybe Facebook isn’t going to be that big of a deal” haha!– New at U ‘07 currently has 547 members, 172

discussion topics, 1200 wall posts – students continue to engage on this site

although the students are in 2nd year now

Contributors

• Staff, orientation, recruitment, residence services, student government

• Student Volunteers (provided with training on Facebook)

• Faculty

• Posed discussion questions and answered

• Invited to events

“Monitoring/Censoring”

• Because it’s an open forum, liberal discussion is welcome

• Posting of videos only by “administrators”

• Assign reliable volunteers to monitor (just in case there are issues to address)

• Try to delete commercial advertisements (ie. rooms for rent by landlords)

2nd Year• New at the University of Windsor 2008

– (currently first year students)

– 1551 members (peaked at 1660)

– 172 discussion topics

– 1200+ wall posts

– Participation continues throughout the year

– Became a good discussion forum during the recent faculty strike

– Allowed students to share photos of Welcome Week (monitored moderately to ensure appropriate)

3rd Year

• New at UWindsor 2009– Launched in November to line up with the

start of recruitment– Currently 228 members and growing daily– 10 discussion topics– Notify students of residence avail, regional

receptions, orientation programs, student programs and services

Ways to Use Through the Year• Recruitment

• Acceptance

• Videos of the campus

• Meeting others:– Where are you from?, what program are you

in? What’s there to do in Windsor?

Ways to Use Through the Year

• Getting to know their room mates

• Knowing details about orientation programming

• Photos and fun stuff

• Staying connected throughout first year and beyond

• Commuter connections

Other uses

• Post current events

• Recruit for volunteer programs

• Post videos of previous welcome week to create excitement with incoming students

• Form alumni connections if they stay in the group after graduation

• Make announcements for anything university related

Forum

• Sell used textbooks

• Discuss classes

• Discuss campus issues

• Room mate search

• Volunteer recruitment

• Post social events, student club events, campaigning for student government, first aid courses, etc

Watch out for…• Unauthorized peddlers

• Sleazy video posts –control the settings

• Protecting your own profile– Keep it closed, some students may want to

“friend” you –consider if or how you know them

• Use an alternate group photo other than your University logo– This also helps students to identify their

unique group from year to year

Consider

• How much do you want to censor?– Time consuming if so– Needs to be a genuine forum for students– Should ensure your presence is minimal– You could have 4 groups at once – You won’t really know who is a genuine

student and who else might be on (parents)• Good way to engage incoming students and

inform them about your programs

Final Remarks

• Students love having access in this way

• Helps Universities to engage students before they even arrive

• Another way we can support and engage our students

• Provides them with important information