University and college marketing and communications departments are still belaboring the debate as to when and how to get involved in social media. What about legal ramifications? Our content will be available for others to use, how will we maintain control? We already have a Web site… why do we need more? We give all our students e-mail addresses and get in touch with them through that. They are tech-savvy. That means they use e-mail. Social networks are for sharing pictures and for fun. They are not the place for a university to engage in the serious business of course selection, event notification, emergency messages or alumni interaction.

Right?

Wrong.

It used to be true that schools controlled how students interacted with the institution because they controlled all the channels. As a recent report from Educause points out, most universities and colleges controlled internet connections, phone lines, e-mail accounts and in many cases the actual devices used to connect.

That is no longer the case. Students bring their own laptops, have their own cell phones, already have their own e-mail address and have access to wireless internet. That means their modes of interaction are for the most part already established by the time they reach university. They will grant the university limited access to already-establish channels of communication, and usually on a need-to-know basis. It is no longer viable for a university to expect the student to come to them.

The university must go to the student.

What does this mean? It means you have to engage students in communication forums they are already familiar with. And it means you have to understand each channel so that you convey the right information through the right channel.

For example: don’t call their landline in their dorm. They haven’t even set that up. Text message them to their cell phone. And don’t text them that you are offering Yoga 101 next fall. Text them that class is canceled tonight due to a snow storm. The Yoga class message should go out through Facebook, with a link to see a schedule and sign up that allows them to do so without even leaving the Facebook interface.

Getting involved in social media isn’t just about setting up a page and some pictures, it’s about providing value and enhanced communications to students, strengthening their relationship with the institution and fostering a relationship that can be continued well after graduation. You have to think creatively about the kinds of information and assistance you can bring to the student rather than asking them to come to you. And you have to understand how different channels of communication work so that you can choose the right message for the right platform.