Engaging International Students through Social Media

1. Engaging International Students through Social Media StudentAffairs.com Case Study Quiana McKenzie Leslie C. Schacht Tiffany Cohen Silas Pippitt Iowa State University

2. Proposal Overview • Social media strategy developed for the International Student and Scholars Office (ISSO) at Iowa State University • Social media defined as “social communication tools used for sharing and discussing information. Social media allow users to interact, share and converse with one another online: blogs, forums, social networks, online chat, wikis, newsfeeds, videos, etc. A social media outreach strategy is outreach using these tools” (Merrill, 2010, p. 1) • Strategy includes three components: • Development of Social Media Student Ambassadors • Use of five social media tools: Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, and Skype • Targeted social media approach for Chinese students

3. Background: Goals • International Student and Scholars Office (ISSO) • Mission Statement: Enhance the educational, cultural, and social experiences of international students and scholars at Iowa State University. Promote enhanced campus internationalization. Support the international work and goals of the university. • Social media strategy for the office will further goals of providing quality service(serving the needs of students, families, and the Ames community in a supportive and friendly manner) and providing a welcoming environment for international students (providing outreach and programming to create a more welcoming environment for international students and scholars on the ISU campus). (International Student and Scholars Office, 2011)

4. Background: Office Objectives • Objective 1: Advise international students and scholars on matters pertaining to immigration regulations, non-academic procedural matters, and issues of cross-cultural adjustment. • Objective 2: Promote enhanced communication and expanded partnerships with students, the campus and Ames community members. • Objective 3: Improve use of technology within the office to provide better service to studentsand scholars. All objectives can be achieved with the strategic use of social media by the International Students and Scholars Office (L. Seiler, personal communication, February 16, 2011)

5. Current ISSO Strategy • Student –driven approach to social media (undergraduate student assistants) • Students familiar with current trends among students and characteristics of social media tools • Official ISSO Facebook page and Twitter account: IowaStateISSO • Linked to ISSO webpage: http://www.isso.iastate.edu/ • Provides updates and important information to current and prospective international students • Includes pictures of international student life at Iowa State • Recently created Blogger account for exchange students to post their experiences: http://www.isuexchangestudents.blogspot.com/ (L. Seiler, personal communication, February 16, 2011)

6. Departmental Needs • Would like to engage more international students in social media strategy and encourage them to share their experiences and stories with other students (current and prospective) • Experiencing difficulty in reaching students in China: Facebook and Twitter as well as other social media tools blocked in the country (L. Seiler, personal communication, February 16, 2011) • Approximately half of Iowa State international students arefrom China (Iowa State University, 2010) • Seeking way to actively engage ISSO staff members in the use of social media

7. Engaging International Students • Development of Social Media Student Ambassadors • 10-12 international students (not limited to current undergraduate office assistants) who assist ISSO by answering and addressing concerns and questions of current and prospective students • Students expected to use ISSO social media outlets three to five hours a week • Give glimpse of current student life on campus through social media interactions: participation in campus organizations and events, information on campus resources; tips on what to bring to campus, etc. • Adds “authenticity to the information exchange”- student has relevant experience and similar background (Merrill, 2010, p. 5) • Connect with students across the globe during and outside of regular business hours

8. Engaging International Students • Social Media Student Ambassadors must: • Have completed at least one semester at Iowa State University • Be actively involved in a recognized student organization leadership council on campus or have completed or be currently enrolled in a leadership training program at Iowa State such as ILEAD or Cyclone Aides • Semester to year-long leadership development program that familiarizes student with campus resources, programs, university procedures, etc. • Participate in an orientation led by program co-advisors • Graduate student and currentstaff member: Co-advisors • Monitor social media tools for appropriate language and communication; Ambassadors to forward questions that they cannot answer to advisors • Develops and supervises schedule for ambassadors • Will check in with ambassadors biweekly to address program concerns and questions

9. Rationale for Ambassadors • Allows international students to build community with students from their home country and other countries around the world • Established students can share insights and perspectives that will assist new students with transition • “Such relationships provide… comfort, security and a means by which an international student could resolve and cope with problems associated with a foreign social environment” (Al-Sharideh and Goe, 1998, p. 722) • “Contacts among students from the same geographical region help new students experience a sense of belonging” (Klomegah, 2006) • Contact between established and newly-arrived or accepted international students can enhance social integration on campus (Prescott and Helsten, 2005) • Allows established international students to gain familiarity with how social media is used in the United States and to continue to develop English language skills

10. The Power of Social Media • “Social media tools, like Facebook, Twitter and blogs, are key to communicating with this generation of students” (National Association for College Admission Counseling, 2009) • Allow for exchange of information quickly across the world • Students use technology to “ seek out information about…institutions, form connections with peers, and determine potential fit” (Munoz and Strotmeyer, 2010) • Most international students choose a college without ever stepping foot on campus • Social media makes the university accessible in a variety of ways and include the student perspective, both positive and negative

11. Proposed Social Media Tools • Youtube • Ambassadors and staff can post informative videos on student life, immigration procedures, and other issues important to the success of international students • Current and prospective students will be encouraged to ask questions or comment to which ambassadors and staff will respond • Facebook and Twitter • Ambassadors and staff will post updates on campus life • Current and prospective students encouraged to “like” or “follow” the page for important information

12. Proposed Social Media Tools • Blogs • Ambassadors will share their experiences with current and prospective students- pictures, journal entries, etc • Campus and Ames community clubs and organizations encouraged to make guest posts (expand partnerships in the local community for international students) • Skype • Ambassadors will be available for face to face communication with current and prospective students by appointment- virtual office hours

13. Social Media in China • Approximately half of international students enrolled at Iowa State are from China • Restricted use of social media tools like Facebook, Skype and Twitter in China (Moore, 2010) • Targeted campaign for Chinese students • Renren.com- Chinese social media tool similar to Facebook • Sina.com- Chinese social media tool similar to Twitter • Youku.com- Chinese social media tool similar to Youtube • Popular among Chinese students in China (Y. Zou, personal communication, February 19, 2011) • Used in the same proposed manner as their English counterparts • Requires ambassadors who communicate fluently in Chinese

14. Engaging ISSO Staff • Develop and implement orientation program for Social Media Student Ambassadors • Emphasize office and University expectations and procedures • Graduate student and additional staff member to co-advise ambassadors and monitor social media tools for inappropriate behavior and language • Will also centralize social media strategy under two specific staff members • Staff encouraged to use tools to inform students of important developments within their assigned role in the office • Videos on filing taxes, immigration compliance, etc.

15. Potential Limitations • Social media hard to regulate • Colleges and universities have limited control over the conversation online (Lipka, 2009) • Ambassador program requires ISSO and Iowa State University to trust that students will communicate appropriately online • Lack of research on the use of social media by international students in their home countries and in the United States • Requires staff members who communicate fluently in other languages • Will need to monitor communications between students but hard if there is not a staff member who can read and write in other languages, particularly Chinese • Staff members not familiar with various social media tools • Requires staff orientation on the tools proposed for use by office including information and ideas on how they can be used actively by staff to provide outreach and information to students

16. Long-Term Considerations • Feedback from current international students on their social media use • Country-specific social media tools • What do international students need to know in order to be successful at Iowa State University? • Best practices of international student offices and programs at universities across the country • Assessment of social media strategy • How can ISSO and Iowa State University measure the effectiveness of communication with students through social media? • The role of ISSO in the transition of international students • To what extent does ISSO contribute to the successful transition of international students at Iowa State? How can it be measured?

17. References Al-Sharideh, K.A. & Goe, W.R. (1998). Ethnic communities within the university: An examination of factors influencing the personal adjustment of international students. Research in Higher Education, 39 (6), p. 699-725. Retrieved from http://www.springerlink.com/content/0361-0365 International Students and Scholars Office (2004). ISSO mission and organization. Retrieved from http://www.isso.iastate.edu/ Iowa State University. (2011). Iowa State University fact book 2010-2011. Retrieved from http://www.ir.iastate.edu/FB11/PDF/FB2011ALL.pdf Klomegag, R.Y. (2006). Social factors relating to alienation experienced by international students in the United States. College Student Journal, 40 (2), p. 303-315. Lipka.S. (2009 May 1). Colleges using technology to recruit students try to hang on to the conversation. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://www.chroniclecareers.com/article/Colleges-Using-Technology-to/117193/

18. References Merrill, Nicole (2010). Social media in international student recruiting and outreach survey. Retrieved from http://globalcampus.com/external/Survey_GC_Final.pdf Moore, M. (2010, December 30). China makes skype illegal. The Telegraph. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/internet/8231444/China-makes-Skype-illegal.html Munoz, F.M. & Strotmeyer, K.C. (2010). Demystifying social media. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 47 (1), 123-127. DOI:10.2202/1949-6605.6132 National Association for College Admission Counseling. (2009). Report finds use of social networking tools on the rise in college admissions offices [ Press Release]. Retrieved from http://www.nacacnet.org/AboutNACAC/PressRoom/2009/Pages/SocialNetworking.aspx Prescott,A. & Hellsten, M. (2005). Hanging together even with non-native speakers: The international student transition experience. Internationalizing Higher Education, 16, p. 75-95. DOI: 10.1007/1-4020-3784-8_5