A valedictorian recently gave a speech at her graduation. Instead of it being a day of accomplishment, it became a day of dissension. If prospective students feel this way about education, how does higher education expect these students to move on to higher education?
Hat Tip to @sethodell for the link.
Unless you haven’t seen the news lately, Yale’s admissions video, That’s Why I Chose Yale had hit the mainstream.
Most of us in Higher Ed have been growing aware of the use of video and how it aids in the admissions process.
We all have been diligently adding videos to our websites, blogs, twitter and Facebook pages.
If on the oft chance we get lucky, the institution gets a article or a mention in a local media outlet.
Regardless, this is a clear message to colleges not only across the land, but worldwide that content has to be engaging in order to attract the applicants of today and tomorrow to colleges.
Can I just say that this is not a complete list. With school already starting for some folks and the rest soon to follow, I figured I would follow up on my list from last year and release my 2009 version of recommended reading. Granted I wasn’t able to attend every session, I think know that this list will continue to grow with your comments.
In no particular order: (Disclosure: I am an Amazon affiliate):
by Jennifer Grappone
by John Davis
by Chris Anderson
by George Keller
by John P. Kotter
by Charlene Li
by Joe Pulizzi
A few days ago, I talked to a former colleague who is currently enrolled in a doctorate program. She told me as part of her requirements, that she would have to maintain a blog. This propelled me back to when I was teaching and I made my undergrad students maintain blogs.
Before one makes their students create a blog for educational purposes, there are some things that need to be addressed:
1. What is the purpose of the blog? Is it to chronicle a process, to record information or for research?
2. What happens to the information after the fact? Is it going to be turned into a paper, dissertation, and/or book?
3. Who “owns” the information? Is it the college’s or the student’s?
Pondering these questions, one can have a clear vision of what and how to proceed with their education based blog.
When I saw a text messaging ad on the subway, I thought:
a. if anyone would remember to text it when they emerged above ground?
b. What kind of responses are they getting.
A local college is giving a go at this. Of course this could turn into 20 questions about if they are doing it for an experiment or are qualified leads are actually coming through.
I realize that I am in a bubble here in Gotham, So if anyone else is using mobile ads/text messaging in their ads and they have had interesting results, please let me know via the comments.
Ok, now that I’ve had time to recuperate and time to review and absorb nearly everything all eduweb2008, I have time to put in my 2 dollars (hey, that’s inflation for ya.)
In the session How to Accelerate your Search Marketing Campaigns in Education by Jennifer Brady, University of Massachusetts & Dave Reske, NowSpeed Inc, I was able to take away tips and immediately implement them on some client campaigns.
In another session, ( I forget each one, or was it all of them that blended into the same message) I am foraging ahread and also implementing new initiatives for my clients across the board, (not just for those in education.)
Stay tuned to learn more about the next stop in the nextSTEPH road tour.
“Stories not stats. People not programs”
“Ignore the competitors and listen to your gut.”
Technorati Tags: eduweb2008, recruiting, admissions, education, higher+education