Social networking Web sites are not just for students anymore.

Faculty and staff are using social media sites for personal and professional use, and now they can receive training through the university.

Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter provide efficient ways to get information out. St. Edward’s University hosted the first training workshop Oct. 21 to teach staff how to use Facebook for marketing efforts. They will be meeting again in the future to make plans on how to organize a Facebook page in order to provide clear and concise information to their audience.

“I use Facebook for my personal use, but I also do have students contact me through Facebook through e-mail for classroom purposes,” professor and director for the Center for Ethics and Leadership Jack Green Musselman said. “It is more likely to e-mail a student on Facebook and receive a response quicker than it is to e-mail a student on the St. Edward’s e-mail.”

St. Edwards’ offices that have already begun to use Facebook include the Undergraduate Admission Office, Student Life, the Help Desk, Athletics and the Alumni Office.

The Undergraduate Admission Office’s Facebook page provides prospective students with helpful information for applying to the university. It also displays photographs and videos for prospective students.

The Alumni Facebook page, for instance, promotes events, such as Homecoming and class reunions, and connects St. Edward’s Alumni via Facebook.

Student organizations like Student Government also have their own pages, with students and advisors responsible for updating the content.

Many students already use Facebook to promote events. Freshman Kyle Nigro, chair of the Resident Event Planners for Basil Moreau Hall, has created a Facebook event to advertise an upcoming Halloween block-party in the residence complex. He plans on using the site for a variety of events this year.

“The benefit of using Facebook is that so many more people will see it on Facebook than any sign posted up on a wall or bulletin board,” Nigro said.

Within the next several months, the university intends

The university has even already reserved an account on Twitter in hopes to tweet about the latest news and alerts on campus.

St. Edward’s is looking forward to a new website by winter of 2010, which will have links to several media sources for students and faculty to utilize.

So far, there are a few restrictions and regulations when it comes to the university’s social networking in order to protect private information and the safety of St. Edwards’ students.

Such rules also are included in the University handbook and code of conduct.

“We are in the process of analyzing and expanding or specifying a new media policy,” Director of E-Marketing Carmella Manges said.

Several other universities have already started initiating social networking sites to their faculty and students.

American University recently launched a social media only website that provides their students with easy access to the university’s social network.

Despite the efficiency of this technology, there are issues of compliance.

“People are concerned for direct communication, so we are trying to keep St. Edward’s contemporary in technology,” Manges said.

 

[email protected]