What started out as a physical paper book passed around to Harvard students to become familiar with one another is now one of the largest social networking sites in America, and Aaron Ragan-Fore — the University’s Office of Admissions web communications editor — is taking full advantage of the social networking site Facebook to reach out to people interested in the University, which is something it couldn’t have done just a few short years ago.
Ragan-Fore said one of the of the reasons he was hired was to connect with the younger generation through social media and to curb any generation gap there might be.
“I make an effort to keep my finger on that pulse and to make sure we are anticipating what the next technological advancement is,” he said.
The University is using Facebook to inform people about current events and to communicate with current, incoming and transfer students who post questions or concerns about the admissions process on the page.
The University’s Admissions Office Facebook page, which was launched in the fall of 2008, didn’t exist when current journalism student Danielle Sweet was searching for colleges, but she said it would have been helpful.
“I think it is an effective tool to reach out to incoming students,” she said.
The page is used to communicate with people who are interested in the University. Wall posts cover a wide range of subjects, including admission requirements, deadlines and answers to questions about the University’s admissions process and policy. It is also used to promote the college by “highlighting the research, teaching and creativity that arises from the staff, faculty and students at the University,” Ragan-Fore said.
“The Facebook page and our social media accounts comprise a dynamic and interactive tool for communicating with prospective and current UO students, as well as their families,” Ragan-Fore said.
To post something on the University’s Facebook page, Facebook users must become a fan of the page. Those who are fans will get status updates from the admissions office on their news feeds.
Depending on the week, the volume of comments and questions posted from people varies, Ragan-Fore said.
“This week, the page has generated eight interactions, from applicants asking questions to users simply ‘liking’ links and posts,” he said.
On a site that has 50 million users who spend an average of 19 minutes logged in each day, eight interactions is relatively low.
“I don’t know if they are doing a good enough job at promoting it to students,” University senior Kimberly Espinoza said. “If people know about it, then it is useful, but if they are not promoting it, then it won’t be all that helpful.”
To generate traffic for its social networking sites, which includes MySpace and Twitter, the University has posted links to the sites from the admissions main page, Ragan-Fore said.
“We also link to our social media through e-newsletters and by cross-platform posting, such as encouraging our Twitter followers to ‘fan’ the Facebook page,” he said.
Social media sites are also proving a useful way for the University to reach out to international students.
“Using Facebook to communicate with interested international students is very helpful. Tapping into (social media) is a great way to get the word out about the University of Oregon,” said Robert Hardin, assistant director of admissions and international recruitment.
Ragan-Fore, who edits the Facebook page, said he spends anywhere from two to four hours each week answering questions from the three social networking sites the University maintains. Almost every question is answered within 24 hours, and many of the comments receive responses.
Lately, Ragan-Fore is more than an informant on the page — he’s also a cheerleader. On Dec. 17, a fan of the page wrote that he was accepted into the University for fall 2010.
Ragan-Fore responded the following morning with a congratulatory message and some pertinent information about applying for housing and completing the FAFSA. Although Ragan-Fore is occasionally stumped by a question, there is rarely a time that one goes unanswered.
“Questions I can’t personally answer are fielded by UO admissions counselors or by our colleagues in other departments such as financial aid or housing,” Ragan-Fore said.
While social networking is ever-growing in popularity, Ragan-Fore said, the University is not relying on it completely.
“My department still mails paper view books and other hard copy materials to prospective (students), and still sends recruiters to high schools and college fairs,” he said.
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