2011 Virtual Case Study (VCS) Scenario
The use of social media, primarily Facebook and Twitter, for marketing and information dissemination has been gaining momentum within the past year. Its use in creating online communities has been well-documented. While the business world has embraced social media tools, higher education has been rather slow in harnessing its power.
Your team has been chosen to help remedy this situation at your institution. Your task, simply, is to choose a department within the Division of Student Affairs at your campus and develop a social media strategic plan. The finished product should be your presentation to the staff in the selected department. Your work should also be able to serve as a template for any other department within student affairs. You need to:
- Identify which department you want to work with
- Review the goals and mission of the department
- Identify which departmental goals are to be met with the use of social media
- Explain why social media is an appropriate tool to meet those particular goals
- Identify which departmental goals are to be met with the use of social media
- Explain why social media is an appropriate tool to meet those particular goals
- Present how social media can be integrated within the overall thrust of the department
- Identify potential difficulties you will face in implementing the plan
Case study entries were PowerPoint slides or pdf documents appropriate for a presentation. Participants were encouraged to (a) be judicious in the number of slides in their presentation, (b) utilize relevant student affairs literature, and (c) utilize outside sources, URLs, articles, etc. but not include input from individuals outside their team.
The judges used seven criteria to evaluate VCS entries:
- Innovation of approach
- Use of literature both within and outside student affairs
- Organization of presentation
- Rationalization for chosen responses
- Practicality of approach
- Usefulness of the information presented
- Educational value to Student Affairs