About Facebook……
“Founded in February 2004, Facebook is a social utility that helps people communicate more efficiently with their friends, family and coworkers. The company develops technologies that facilitate the sharing of information through the social graph, the digital mapping of people’s real-world social connections. Anyone can sign up for Facebook and interact with the people they know in a trusted environment. Facebook is a part of millions of people’s lives and half of the users return daily. Facebook is a privately-held company and is headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif.”
Facebook and Advising by Brian C. Russell
The Significance of facebook?
* Estimated 93% of all U.S. College Students have an account
* #1 photo sharing site on the internet
* The odds are that your advisees use it (daily more than email!)
* 60% of college students log in daily (Prentiss, 2007)
Pros
* Communicating quickly
* “Humanizing” the advisor
* Building community
* Staying in touch with the millennial generation
“If we engage students on their terms, we can better affect the change in behavior we desire and strengthen their engagement.”
(Esposito, 2007)
Cons/Cautions/Criticisms
* Too intrusive?
* Blurs the lines of advisor/student relationship
* Should not substitute for 1:1, face to face interaction
* Others?
Using facebook to Your Advantage
* Retention by connection
“students are more concerned with advisor style, including the willingness to develop a relationship, than with specific advising style.” (Mottarella, Fritzsche & Cerabino, 2004)
* Behavior identification for struggling students
+ Alcohol use?
+ Homesickness?
+ Long distance relationships?
+ Time spent on facebook!
Inform, Organize, Educate, and Connect!
* Inform
o Direct messaging and wall postings
o Events postings/flyers
* Organize
o Groups – students and professionals
* Educate
o Online content and who sees it
* Connect
o Opportunities
o Enhancement
Popularity: 6% [?]
Tags: California, Facebook, Facebook Connect, Social Network, Student
