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International Student Recruiting

Experiences using facebook to engage and recruit international students. (Discussion)

albrecht said – Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:51:24 -0000 ( Edit Link )

Hi everyone,

I just returned from a number of NAFSA Regional conferences where there was plenty of discussion happening regarding facebook and how schools can use this tool to connect with students. There seems to be plenty of interest in reaching students through social networking but the question is how to best and safely utilize this technology.

This is a discussion to share your experiences using facebook in the higher education setting, have you had any success in reaching new students? Has your administration had any concerns about the legal implications? I’m interested in hearing everyones thoughts.

Dan

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BillElliott said – Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:42:20 -0000 ( Flag Edit Mark / Unmark Best Link )

We use Facebook in several ways. One of the most effective uses is to keep in touch with our alumni. It makes it much easier to stay in touch, and in my recent trip to Turkey I was able to reconnect and meet with a former student of ours. It can be a big help if you use alumni to assist in recruiting.

FB also seems to be a good way to get in touch with students on time-sensitive issues. It’s a constant struggle to get students to use the university email address they are assigned. If I notice that a student’s I-20 is about to expire, frequently I can send them a quick FB message and I reach them much quicker than if I sent them an email and hope they check it.

Student activities are also much better organized when putting up announcements on FB. Our Association of International Students put on a food fair last week, and attendance and participation was phenomenal. They had a fairly accurate attendance count, and were able to plan who would bring what items. All of it was organized on a Facebook group.
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mariareich said – Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:33:24 -0000 ( Flag Edit Mark / Unmark Best Link )

Same here. It seems facebook is much more efficient when one is trying to reach students. They are on fb all the time anyway. I’m a student myself, so this is valid for me as well. There is something about facebook that makes students feel safe. Even important issues (like an expiring I-20 or a hold on one’s account) seem to weigh less on a student’s shoulders if the message comes on facebook and so it is more likely that they get back to you in time or at all… For student organizations, there is not even a sense in plain email lists anymore. Put it on facebook and your member numbers, attendance, etc. will go up in the sky!
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Shouldice said – Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:40:17 -0000 ( Flag Edit Mark / Unmark Best Link )

At Athabasca University we use Facebook in a few different ways. On any given day there are about 26 diverse face book groups about AU. None of them are administered by AU staff. I check them regularly to see what comments are being posted and which issues are gaining momentum with our students and prospects. Also our Registrar has added an “Ask The Registrar” thread to one of the groups. This gives prospects and students another way of reaching the office of the Registrar. Studies show that email is for old people and the im and sn is the way of the future. Though the future these days is moving in much faster cycles.
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