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WCA 2007 Conference, Brisbane, July 2007 1

ABOUT FACE(BOOK): EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION RESPONSES TO ONLINE SOCIAL

NETWORKING

Dr. Tamara Wandel

University of Evansville

Evansville, IN, USA

Abstract

Over the years university administrators have developed a number of ways to involve students in campus life.

One such mechanism many colleges and universities have historically utilized is a printed facebook, a

booklet containing photographs and information about incoming students, in order to help students navigate in

a new environment. In the last five years, public web sites such as MySpace, Friendster, and Facebook have

redefined and expanded online social networking (OSN) to enable students to communicate with friends,

initiate friendships, join groups, and locate people with similar interests. In addition, they are emerging as an

innovative approach to recruit and retain the student body, to promote university activities and events, and to

strengthen ties to the university. This study analyzes how university administrators are responding to OSN

and integrating OSN into their communication strategy as they conduct university business. Implications are

discussed regarding university administrators interested in using OSN sites to communicate with students,

potential students, alumni, and other key stakeholders at the university.

Introduction

Our cluttered technological and media environment affects almost all of us on a daily basis, yet no where has

the impact of new media innovation been more evident than on college campuses where the Millenials,

individuals born between 1981 and 2000, remain unaware of what life before the Internet entailed. In

addition to courses being taught completely online or supplemented with web-based applications, universities

and colleges have adapted pedagogy to benefit todays learnersa techno-savvy generation who expect to be

connected to professors and peers at all times (Baird & Fisher, 2006). Perhaps the most astounding

technological development on campuses in the last five years involves the innovation of online social network

sites, public Web sites specifically developed to promote socialization. Sites such as MySpace, Friendster,

and Facebookconsidered the premiere site at the college levelenable students to communicate with

friends, initiate friendships, join groups, and locate people with similar interests. They differ from other

online networking opportunities, such as instant messaging, chatrooms, and electronic blackboards, found on

WCA: Communication in the 21st Century: Exploring Roots; Expanding Visions


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campuses in that the sites are apublic online gathering point rather than a closed site constructed in

relationship to a course or a particular program of study.

Online social networking sites are increasingly important factors in communicating with current and future

students. In a 2007 study by the PEW Internet and American Life Project, more than half of all online teens

use OSN. This national study of youths ages 12-17 reports 55 percent use OSN sites, and 48 percent visit the

sites daily or more often. Most (91 percent) report these sites as a way to stay in touch with friends they see

face to face. Thus, while OSN sites have been criticized for allowing hormones to flair with racy

photographs, sexy dialogue, and incriminating evidence of alcohol consumption and illegal drug use (eg.,

Shropshire, 2006; Young, 2006), university faculty and administrators are attending these sites in increasing

numbers to better communicate with their students.

Over the years university administrators have developed a number of ways to involve students in campus life.

One such mechanism many colleges and universities have historically utilized is a printed a facebook, a

booklet containing photographs and information about incoming students, in order to help students learn about

their peers and identify potential friends as they navigate in a new environment. Online social networking

sites, though, have not only served a similar function, but also they are emerging as an innovative approach to

recruitment and retention of the student body, promotion of activities and events, and strengthening ties to the

university.

In this study we analyze how university administrators are responding to OSN and integrating OSN into their

communication strategy as they conduct university business. Specifically we posed four research questions:

RQ1: How are student affairs professionals integrating online social networking into their

communication practices?

RQ2: What programmatic activities are student affairs professionals creating or coordinating in

response to online social networks?

RQ3: What benefits have students affairs discovered when using online social networking?

RQ4: What concerns do student affairs professions identify in connection to using online social

networks to conduct university business?

We conclude the article by discussing implications OSN has for university administrators interested in using

OSN sites to communicate with students, potential students, alumni, and other key stakeholders at the

university. In addition, we describe how OSN sites could be a key factor in organizations as they create,

adapt and respond to multiple stakeholders in an increasingly global and multicultural society.



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Review of Literature

Despite early studies suggesting computer-mediated communication (CMC) would create a poor

communication environment (see Short, et al 1976; Sproull & Kiesler, 1986, 1991; and Lea 1992), scholars

recognize that the Internet has the ability to foster local and global connections in a way that has become vital

in everyday life. As Hiller and Franz (2004) note, electronic resources, like CMC, add, complement, and

initiate interaction and support the development of social capital in connectedness (p. 732). Joseph Walther

in particular reconceptualizes the effectiveness and approaches of computer-mediated communication in

interpersonal relationships (1996). While previous norms and expectations positioned face to face (FtF)

contact as essential to developing strong personal relationships, (see Gambarro ,1990; Granovetter, 1973,

1982; Marsden & Campbell, 1984 and others as cited by Haythorthwaite, 2000, p. 196), Walther claims that

FtF contact may not be a factor as users of CMC look for social, not personal cues to inform interpretations of

communication. Walther explains that the difference in FtF and CMC social relationships is not the amount

of information exchange but 1) the rapid rate of the exchange and 2) the social (versus task) oriented nature of

CMC where participants anticipate more information although it is accumulated over the course of more and

frequents exchanges rather than long interactions. Walther bolsters his arguments about CMCs effectiveness

by also noting CMCs convenience, caused by asynchrony, and the users ability to control CMC to achieve

or manage impressions. He calls this combination the hyperpersonal effect, socially desirable

communication that takes place in electronic form, and with ability to surpass what we experience FtF.

Since Walther, others have built upon the body of research that examines social aspects of computer-mediated

communication. Many scholars have focused on the ability of CMC to transcend time and space to support a

virtual connection in relation to physical communities (Hiller & Franz, 2004; Blanchard & Horan, 1998;

Hampton & Wellman, 1999; Wellman, 1999) or as a tool for maintaining or initiating personal relationships

(McQuillen, 2003; Wright, 2004; Mesch & Talmud, 2006). Few studies have explored the social aspects of

CMC in relationship to education settings. Most studies combining CMC with learning communities do so in

connection to classroom applications or climate with a network open only to students enrolled in a specific

course (eg, Lane & Shelton, 2001; Shedletsy & Aitken, 2001; Athus, 1997). Baird & Fisher (2006), for

example, illustrate the use of discussion boards, a closed site, to construct new knowledge and establish

human connections. Others have examined the role of and motivation to use instant messaging to enhance

learning or the development of social networks (Leung, 2001; Flanagin 2005). Haythornthwaite (2000)

suggests that distance education students using online networking in the classroom are happier and healthier,

as well as more integrated into the course community.



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Few studies about these public OSN sites and their use appear in scholarly publications. Most scholarly

interest has occurred in the context of interpersonal communication and the impact of creating profiles or

taken the form of content analysis. Watson, Smith, and Driver (2006), for example, examine the content of

Facebook to see if accusations regarding inappropriate content are warranted. Although they use a small

sample, they conclude that such accusations are largely unfounded. By examining the central photos located

on the public profiles of 150 Facebook users across the nation1, they determined only 12 percent of the photos

contained alcohol consumption or suggestive or sexual activity; only one photo contained nudity and none

illustrated illegal use of drugs.

To date no scholarly studies examine the ways organizations such as colleges and universities are responding

to the increased use of OSN among students or as a tool to achieve organizational goals. Popular and

professional publications, in contrast, have published numerous reports about OSN sites and their role in

organizations. Adam Lashinsky, writing inFortune magazine, calls Facebook, the site started in 2004 by

Harvard dropout Mark Zuckerman, the website for in-the-know college and more recently, high school

student (2005, p.2).2 AndAdvertising Age contributing authors Steve Rubel and Abbey Klaassen suggest

that OSN sites have changed the landscape of business by opening new avenues for advertising and

marketing. Many educators, though, remain cautious about OSN sites in terms of internet jurisdiction

(Corrigan, 2006), cyberstalking and sexual predators (Shropshire, 2006), privacy (Shropshire, 2006), security

risks (Santovec, 2006), and school disruptions, as well as distractions from education (Corrigan, 2006; Young,

2006).

Others tout OSN sites as an important method to engage students. Floridas Rollins College, Pennsylvanias

Mansfield University, and the University of Alabama are taking advantage of OSN in order to communicate

with students about academic matters (Santovec, 2006). For example, when students at Rollins registers for

classes, they also create a list of interests and hobbies; student life coordinators then construct Facebook sites

to link those students with similar interests. The University of Alabama has further extended its networking

initiatives to parents of first-year students with the development of myBama Family Connection (Santovec,

2006). Faculty, too, are taking an interest in Facebook. Faculty members at Capital University in Columbus,

Ohio, have created an OSN site for students interested in planning and developing an internship experience

(S. Croft, personal communication, October 6, 2006). Others have located supplemental material or

illustrators for concepts by scanning Facebook to identify movies, television shows, and music popular with

1 Watson, Smith and Driver randomly selected three profiles from graduate or undergraduate Facebook users at a major public

university from each of the 50 states.2 Until the Fall of 2006 restricted its site to individuals with email accounts ending in edu were able to create and exchangeprofiles. In September 2006 Facebook opened registration to all internet users.



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students. As Roger Casey, dean of faculty at Rollins College explains, The reality is that this type of virtual

community-building is the way most of our students have come to get connected to and associate with their

new friends . We need to take this tool and use it in positive ways to create they type of community that we

really want to see (as cited in Santovec, 2006).

While OSN might have originally become popular with teens as a world not mediated by adultsa world not

visited or even in some cases understood by their parentsOSN are being increasingly attended to by

adults in general and educators in particular because of their potential to communicate with and engage

students. Online social networking sites could be one of the most effective ways to engage todays students

and to strengthen their bonds to the university in a way that improves enrollment, increases retention, and

establishes a the foundation for strong and committed alumni relations.

Methodology

This study was exploratory and descriptive in nature. The investigation employed a single survey instrument

to ascertain information related to the administrative awareness, use, perceived benefits, perceived

concerns, and participation rates of online social networking Web sites at colleges and universities. This

research design specifically and intentionally targeted student affairs professionals as the primary

respondent cohort. The online survey instrument was distributed to 7,300 members of the American

College Personnel Association (ACPA) and a total of 1,042 responses were returned (a 14.3% response

rate). Permission to access this list was granted by ACPA.

All respondents self-identified as student affairs personnel. No effort was made to limit the number of

responses from any one institution, nor were the responses weighted in any manner other than

proportional. Overall, 90.5% of respondents were employed in a student affairs capacity at their

institution. The researchers have cleansed and stratified these data in an effort to isolate feedback to

specific respondent cohorts (student affairs, academic affairs, business affairs, and other personnel). The

aggregated responses have also been presented to provide additional context.

This investigation yielded data from a variety of college and university professionals across the nation. All

responses were anonymous, confidential, and participation in this study was voluntary; thus, volunteer bias



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had the potential to distort the results of this research. All constituent groups were surveyed during the Spring

2007 semester. The findings from this inquiry are being stratified by respondent cohort and institution type

(public or private) and will be analyzed and compared in an effort to determine the level of congruity existing

responses. Cross-tabulations and cluster analyses will be utilized to provide greater specificity in, and

clarification of, the findings. The difference in, and relationships between, cohort responses to each survey

question will be carefully examined.

A preliminary analysis of the data collected was performed using statistical analysis software, Statistical

Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistical profiles consisting of frequency distributions,

cross-tabulations, cluster analyses, and rankings are being calculated. Frequency distributions in aggregate

and by respondent/institutional type will be run with no consideration given to the specific institution to which

each individual respondent belonged. Data specific to each research question will be compiled. Summary

tables of aggregated responses are exhibited here for several categories.

Results

Demographics self-identified include 97% of respondents falling in the administrators/staff members

category, and 3% identifying themselves as faculty. These individuals were from both public (60%) and

private (40%) institutions.

Facebook was the dominant forum used by respondents (97%), followed by My Space (23%) and You Tube

(5%). Only 1% of survey respondents formally monitored OSN sites as part of official school policy, but over

half (51.5%) of all respondents stated their college or university casually monitored sites.

The primary purpose of this study is to garner understanding of college and university reaction and response

to OSN sites by assessing current organizational use and practices. RQ1 sought to determine how student

affairs professionals are participating in OSN sites on a professional level. The preliminary results suggest the

most popular use of sites (83.3%) is for publicizing student organizations, for example a biology club or

international organization. Planning campus programs (56.5%) was second. Respondents were able to choose

more than one university/college use.

TABLE 1

University Use of OSN sites Column

N%



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Publicizing student organizations 83.3%

Planning campus programs 56.5%

Announcing upcoming events &

deadlines/university calendar

51.6%

Publicizing non-university/non-sanctionedevents

19%

Providing information to current students

regarding academics

12.4%

Recruitment of new students 9.9%

Alumni relations 7.1%

Retention efforts 6.3%

Distributing information to faculty,

administrators and staff

1.3%

Fundraising 0.8%RQ2 helped uncover what programmatic activities student professionals have created or coordinated in

response to OSN. The results indicate that almost half (47.4%) of colleges and universities do not offer

workshops for students and the majority (84.3%) do not offer faculty workshops.

TABLE 2

Workshops Developed in

Response to OSNListed by

Topic

Workshops

for Students

Column

N%

Workshops

for Faculty

Column

N%Safety 43.4% 12.5%

Potential employers/careers 39.2% N/A

Privacy 36.4% 10.7%

Social etiquette 20.4% 4.9%

Intellectual discourse 5.4% 5.2%

Student networking 5.0% N/A

University-sponsored student

organizations/official business

3.9% 3.7%

Technical issues 2.0% 4.7%

RQ3 and RQ4 were designed to offer insight into institutional-perceived benefits and concerns, respectively,

of OSN from an organizational standpoint.

TABLE 3

Perceived Benefits of OSN sites Column

N%

Improved student awareness of campus

events

87.2%

Improved communication with students 70.6%Cost effective means of distributing 63.3%



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information

Increased networking among students 47.4%

Improved community outreach 39.3%

Increased awareness of student social

trends and habits

36.5%

Increased awareness of student concerns by

faculty/administrators

21.4%

Improved recruitment results 18.0%

Better retention of students 7.8%

TABLE 4

Perceived Concerns of OSN sites Column

N%

Privacy issues 84.6%Student safety 78.1%

Liability issues concerning alcohol or drug

use

69.5%

Legal responsibility 54.4%

Freedom of speech issues 43.0%

Difficulty regulating the posting of

information

41.1%

Postings may create social disruptions on

campus

35.2%

Student access (or lack of) to computers 8.9%

Discussion

Almost 40% of survey respondents work at universities or colleges that have created groups on OSN sites. A

large segment of administrators and staff validate OSN sites as a useful tool in connecting with students and

reaching out to the university/college community. This study spotlights the importance of OSN sites to higher

education institutions as a tool to communicate with and engage students in organizational issues. With over

half of respondents monitoring sites on a casual basis, student affairs professionals show clear intent to use the

site to learn more about student interests and concerns.

Calculations for cross-tabulations have begun, and initial Chi-Square tests show interesting data emerging

from the three categories of self-identified student affairs staff, resident life staff, and career services staff. For

instance, resident life staff members comprise the strongest segment of student affair professionals registered

on an OSN site.



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Data indicate that higher education institutions are only minimally using the sites for retention and recruitment

purposes. However, the open-ended study responses will be coded for themes of strategic, coordinated efforts

on a recruitment/retention front. An additional survey of students to determine actual usage patterns on

specific issues would enhance this study and serve as a significant contribution to the field.

In this study we have presented preliminary data about the practices and implications OSN has for university

administrators interested in using OSN sites as a tool to conduct university business. Higher education is

beginning a paradigm shift away from an expectation of student retrieval of information from traditional

communication forms. Instead, administrators and staff are utilizing a known student-driven portal to reach

multiple stakeholders in an increasingly global and multicultural society.



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