Campus Recreation: Social Media Strategic Plan

1. Campus Recreation: Social Media Strategic Plan Oklahoma State University Allison Vatzlavick Michael DuPont Sam Holden Abigail Minch

2. Agenda • Icebreaker Activity • Definition of social media • Review and importance of current literature • Higher education and social media • Review of Campus Recreation mission statement and principles • Holistic applications of social media • Timeline for implementation • Potential risks and difficulties

3. Which social media sites do you already use? Please share with the group

4. Activity debrief • As you can see, there are a number of social media websites that we already use as individuals. • Today we will explore the ways that Campus Recreation will use these same websites to meet departmental goals and better engage our students. • First, let’s take a closer look at social media…

5. Social Media • Boyd & Ellison (2007) define social network sites as web-based services that allow individuals to: • construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system. • articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection. • view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system.

6. Social Media Starfish Along with Boyd and Ellison (2007), the social media starfish serves as a model for recognizing and categorizing social media outlets for the Campus Recreation department.

7. Why it’s important to students… • Students feel connected to their community of friends and acquaintances, even at great distances. • It is an easy way to a communicate. • Their profile on social media sites visually represents their identity. • Social media allows them to keep current on news and other important information. • Students today often seek out information online first.

8. What the literature says… • Social learning theory is adapting socially appropriate behavior by imitation of others; Piaget, Dewey and Bandura all observed the power of peer learning versus a single source of information (Bingham, 2010). • Optimum cognitive development is contingent on the full social interaction of the learner; Social media provides the opportunity to take social interaction to deeper levels, and utilize useful educational technologies (Baird & Fisher, 2005).

9. Social media and student development • Sanford (1962) developed an effective plan for student development: challenge and support. • Using social media, Campus Recreation can provide additional support to students • Through increased peer interaction and larger support networks. • By publicizing resources available to students. • Social media can also facilitate challenges • By motivating students to achieve more through competition • By encouraging students to try new things

10. Social media and student development, cont. • Chickering (1993) developed seven vectors of psychosocial development to help understand college students. Three of those seven vectors influenced the social media strategic plan : • Developing competence • Moving through autonomy to interdependence • Developing mature interpersonal relationships

11. Developing competence • Students will increase their knowledge of wellness, resources, and safety through programs initiated on social media websites. • The Campus Recreation staff will develop interpersonal skills through the mastering of new and growing technologies that current students use. • Learning new technologies will ensure that longer tenured staff will remain competent in their field. • Staff will be able to recognize student behavior by learning their technology language and interests.

12. Moving through autonomy to interdependence • Students will become more aware of their own abilities, allowing them to take on more responsibility for themselves and their bodies. • Students will become aware of and understand their connectedness with other students through our social media.

13. Developing mature interpersonal relationships • Social media develops connections beyond interdependence and individuals will become a member of a community. • The recreation center facilitates social interaction and relationships through shared space, team activities, group fitness programs, and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle.

14. Social media in student services Using social media to meet students’ needs

15. Mission statement • To provide the highest quality facilities and experiences for the OSU community. Our priority is to promote educational development for all students by meeting their diverse recreational needs. Our secondary role is to offer leisure services for other eligible participants.

16. How can social media help us? • Effective communication with students • Meeting students on their level • Provide accessible and free information • Cost effective • Free advertisement through social media profiles • Can reach a large audience with less energy • Development of Services • Continuous interaction and feedback from users • Distance learning for students unable to go to facilities

17. Social Media sites FacebookMadeIt Twitter Word Press Youtube LinkedIn Foursquare Grooveshark Flickr Delicious Justin.tv

19. Facebook • Facebook is a social networking site that allows users to connect with other users by sharing photos, and personal information, as well as by posting on other user profile pages. This site is one of the most highly recognized and utilized social networking sites with more than 500 million active viewers (Facebook). • Ways to incorporate Facebook… • Link all other social media sites to the campus recreation Facebook page. • Create event requests for upcoming intramural events, classes, etc. • Post discussions on different campus recreation services and allow students to post feedback.

20. Twitter

21. Twitter • Twitter is a micromedia site that allows users to connect with each other by posting a “tweet.” Real time “tweets” of friends, family, other professionals, and even celebrities will appear on your screen if you are “following” those individuals. • Ways to incorporate Twitter… • Post questions about facilities, events, and staff, allowing for users to “tweet” in response. • “Follow” other campus recreation professionals to bring in new ideas and pieces of advice.

23. YouTube • Youtube is a video sharing social media site. It is one of the most popular, and most widely used video sharing sites on the internet. Youtube allows places for comments after watching videos as well. In addition, Youtube is linked to Facebook, so your videos can be “Liked.” • Ways to incorporate Youtube… • Provide instructional exercise and dieting videos that can be accessed from home. • Promote intramural sports through highlight videos of previous years.

24. Four Square

25. Four Square • Four Square is a location social media site that uses GPS technology to tell others where you are. Four Square locations can be created for different sites and users can “Check-In” to that site using his/her phone. By participating in the “Check-In” process, users can earn benefits, view if other users are at the given location, and even become the mayor if the user obtains the most “Check-Ins.” • Ways to incorporate Four Square… • Offer incentives to students who “Check-In” a certain number of times. • See which students are using the facilities, and which facilities are being used most often. • Encourage students to leave tips, regarding exercise areas or exercise machines, for the students who follow them. • Publicize the mayor of certain machines or areas.

27. Flickr • Flickr is a photo sharing social media site where you can post and organize your photos. Photos of other users can be seen by adding them as a Flickr friend. • Ways to incorporate Flickr… • Show pictures of winning intramural sport teams. • Provide pictures of facilities including equipment and exercise areas. • Provide photos of staff members, including personal trainers.

29. Justin.tv • Justin.tv is a video social media site that provides live streaming video and real time chatting. • Ways to incorporate Justin.tv… • Live stream intramural sporting events allowing students to comment via real time chat. • Live stream fitness programs and classes allowing students to ask questions via real time chat.

31. Delicious • Delicious is a social bookmarking site that allows users to bookmark their favorite websites, and then share those bookmarked sites with their friends. • Ways to incorporate Delicious… • Share sites that provide diet and exercise tips and instructions. • Share research related to diet and exercise. • Provide links to expert advice and websites.

33. Made It • Made It is an event sharing social media site that allows users to post upcoming events, as well as search for other upcoming events in a given search area. Users can even purchase tickets to events through the Made It site. • Ways to incorporate Made It… • Post and promote upcoming intramural events. • Post and promote upcoming classes, workshops, and seminars. • Allow purchasing of tickets to events.

35. Word Press • Is an online blog social media site where users can share thoughts, ideas, reflections, advice, and recommendations. Word Press is more commonly used by corporations as opposed to other blog sites are used by a wider variety of users. • Ways to incorporate Word Press… • Provide running blogs written by the director, personal trainers, and others. • Provide running blog for alumni members to post comments.

37. LinkedIn • LinkedIn is a professional social media site where users can network and grow as a professional through their connection and online mentoring from other professionals. • Ways to incorporate LinkedIn… • Incorporate ideas shared by other campus recreation professionals. • Provide outside mentorship for new professionals.

39. Grooveshark • Grooveshark is a music social media site that allows users to create a playlist, and then listen to it. Grooveshark also has mobile applications so users can listen to playlists on their phones. • Ways to incorporate Grooveshark… • Offer playlists for students to use depending on the exercise activity they are participating in. • Encourage students to share favorite playlists.

40. Timeline for implementation Phase I Phase II Phase III

41. Phase I • Spring 2011 • Identify staff member to maintain sites and make updates. • Create profiles. • Communicate login and password information to people that will update sites. • Explore the capabilities of each site. • Consider new ways Campus Recreation can utilize the sites.

42. Phase II • Summer 2011 • Assessment • Review effectiveness of current usage. • Staff feedback • Student feedback • Identify any problems. • Explore solutions • Reconsider plan of action. • Advertise initiatives. • Let students and staff know about new programs through • Print ads. • Advertising through social media sites like Facebook, etc.

43. Phase III • 2011-2012 • Launch new initiatives identified during Phase II. • Continue to advertise to students, faculty, and staff. • Solicit feedback for future assessment during summer 2012.

44. More things to consider A few things to keep in mind as we progress

45. Tools needed for programs • Staff • As we continue to expand our use of social media sites, we may need to increase the number of staff members working with the sites. • Technology • Campus Recreation will need to keep up with trends in technology • Students may need equipment to fully use sites. • Staff may need equipment or software to fully use sites. • Subscriptions • Some social media sites may require subscriptions, or may require fees in the future. • Logins

46. Risk management • In addition to assessment of program effectiveness, assessment of risk management will help prevent future problems • Consider any possible risks/pitfalls • What might cause them • How we can prevent them • How we should deal with them if they occur

47. Staff commitment • Be flexible as the programs are implemented • Assessment will identify issues that need to be addressed. • Changes will be required. • Thank you for your continued support of the social media initiatives!

48. Questions? For additional information, please email us at campusrec@okstate.edu

49. References • Baird, D., & Fisher, M. (2005). NeoMillennial User Experience Design Strategies . Educational technology systems, 34(1), 5-32. Retrieved February 23, 2011, from baywood.metapress.com • Bingham, T., & Connor, M. (2010). The New Social Learning. USA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers & ASTD Press. • Boyd, D., & Ellison, N. (2008). Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13: 210–230. • Campus recreation (n.d.). Retrieved from http://campusrec.okstate.edu/mission.php. • Evans, N., Forney, D., & Guido-DiBrito, F. (1998). Student development in college: theory, research, and practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • Sanford, N. (1962). The American college: A psychological and social interpretation of the higher learning. New York: Wiley. • Solis, B. (2008). Conversation prism. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/briansolis/2735401175/.