September 12, 2006
Making Plans For MySpace
Any college that wants to court millennials can always jazz up its Web site with virtual tours or student blogs. But if an institution really wants to reach out to prospective students—and keep in touch with alumni—it ought to consider moving into MySpace, says Mike Richwalsky, manager of Web services at Allegheny College.
In an interview with Dan Karleen of Syndication for Higher Ed, Mr. Richwalsky describes Allegheny’s unusally detailed MySpace profile, which includes a calendar of campus events, frequently updated blog posts, and links to 770 students and alumni who have designated themselves as "friends" of the college.
The site was created "out of necessity," Mr. Richwalksy says: Campus officials worried that if they didn’t lock up the "alleghenycollege" login name, someone else would create an unofficial (and less flattering) profile for the college. —Brock Read
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I’m very proud to be an alumnus of Allegheny for reasons like this.
The innovation in that institution’s public affairs department is exciting and it’s a key cog in Allegheny’s recent successes. Students are realizing what a student-friendly community Allegheny offers mainly because the institution uses the technology today’s college students are most familiar with.
Mike Richwalsky and the rest of that staff should be commended for their refreshing approach to higher ed marketing.
— Craig Sep 12, 05:29 PM #
I’m glad that my alma mater is taking the lead in connecting students and alumni with those interested in Allegheny College through electronic means. Allegheny has always had an active person-to-person network, and it makes sense to meet students where they are now—cyberspace.
— Rosemary G. Feal Sep 13, 07:50 AM #
I applaud Allegheny College for having the courage to use MySpace.com to reach its students and alumni. MySpace is an integral part of the lives of students and represents a cost-effective method of outreach.
— Vincent S. Boyd Sep 13, 10:33 AM #
HEY HOES WHATS UP ME CHILLIN WITH MY PEOPLES
— AMBER Sep 13, 10:51 AM #
HEY I LOVE MY SPACE ITS GREAT HIT ME UP
— PLAYGRL19 Sep 13, 10:52 AM #
I work for Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. We also have a MySpace profile: www.myspace.com/champlaincollege. It took a while to get buy-in from everyone. One of the fears many had was that students might feel that the institution would be invading their personal space. But so far, that hasn’t been an issue at all—especially since individuals can control who are their friends—and students seem to like the idea of being connected to the school on their own turf. Another fear that some here at the college have is being associated with inappropriate content and photos that may surface in the college’s friends’ profiles. Personally, I don’t really feel that students or prospects will associate the college as a whole with certain individuals’ personal choices. But I wonder what others think about it…
— p.w. Sep 13, 11:51 AM #