the Cento

In the past couple of years, multiple Centre College departments have increased their use of social media, allowing them to better connect with both prospective students and the Centre College community.

Many online sources such as Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter have been incorporated into Centre’s continuous effort to create a more interactive relationship with these groups.

“There was a void for two-way interaction,” said Adam Brown, who became Centre’s first Digital Recruitment Specialist two years ago.

“The ultimate goal is to engage students beyond saying ‘Here is a letter. Here is a view book. See you soon.’ It’s a way for them to stay connected through the distance,” Brown said.

Although the exact effects of the increased use of social media are difficult to pin down, Brown reported that student applications have steadily increased by ten percent each year since his arrival, but said this is almost certainly a result of making Centre’s application process a strictly online affair.

Another positive sign is that the Centre College Facebook page has grown to nearly 4400 ‘Likes,’ well over double the current student population, and that comments on the page are overwhelmingly positive.

Recently, the admissions office developed a blog dedicated to congratulating the accepted applicants of the class of 2015.

This effort is intended to not only create a wider awareness of Centre College, but also to keep Centre in the minds of those already accepted who have yet to make an attendance decision.

“It creates a personal connection between students that are considering Centre, solidifies us as a school that is legitimately interested in them and welcomes them before they send a reply. It shows them that there is a community waiting for them,” Brown said.

Another recent change is the My Centre Life blog’s move to Tumblr. The change allows the bloggers greater freedom in terms of content. Comment options give a greater interactive element to the blogs as well.

“Allowing the bloggers more freedom creates a more authentic experience for the readers. If they have a bad experience, they can write about it. No college is perfect, but when you mix those negative sentiments with the positive ones it gives the College’s published reputation more credibility,” Brown said.

The Golden Ticket Contest was also very successful in encouraging involvement. The contest asked for submissions of photos containing the word “Centre” taken from prospective student’s communities.

Of the fifty submissions, nine were chosen to receive five hundred dollar prizes to be put towards books, and one submission was selected to receive the same prize with the addition of an iPad.

Despite these additions to the admission experience, Brown recognizes that the Centre College website is the main source for information. “In terms of Internet communication, I view my position as a strong supporting role,” Brown said.

Another development this year has been through video media, such as the recent clip showing the application evaluation process. Brown notes that there is both an upside and a downside to this type of media.

“Humorous videos can perhaps cheapen the experience a little because it does not coincide with the traditional concept of collegiate prestige,” said Brown, who also stated that important communication, such as acceptance of admission, does not happen via social media.

The benefits of social media are, however, worth the potential risks.

“The video exists because of the information it offers. It sticks because it holds value (in this case, humor) beyond its purpose. If people glean information that they would not have received on their own but are happy to receive, that is an advantage,” Brown said.

“The quality of what we produce represents the quality of what we represent and of the education as a whole.”

The communications office is the department most involved with Centre College’s main Facebook page. Here, various web stories, advertisements and other links are posted for those who have liked the page.

“It has helped us build a better connection with current students, alumni and friends,” coordinator of media information Abby Malik said. “Our Facebook page is the one area where everyone gets to be together.”

Both Facebook and Twitter have helped to give various publications, such as The Washington Post, access to Centre news. In turn, this exposes Centre to a wider audience.

Another advantage of utilizing social media is the low-cost risk.

“Social media is one of those things that is nice because it’s free. It gives room for mistakes,” Malik said.

Another benefit of social media is the opportunity for instant feedback. Being able to not only give information but also respond to comments has allowed the Centre administration to better address concerns raised by the Centre community. Even negative feedback is valuable.

“It is a good thing they tell us their disappointment because it means they still hold the college as valuable,” assistant director of annual giving James Barnard said. “We can offer an explanation, whereas before we would never ever hear about it.”

Representatives from Centre offices meet regularly to discuss how they are using social media within their departments so that they can coordinate efforts. Unofficially, they call themselves “The Baker’s Dozen,” though the group has changed from its original size.

“Everyone is doing a lot of different things, but we have organized it so that we are all working together. The more it is organized, the better we can reach other people,” Malik said.

The Flame Run is an example of how Centre had progressed to its utilization of online social media.

Beginning on paper, the Flame Run is now an online interactive blog for alumni. The blog features updates on alumni affairs, previews and reviews of events, interviews and various other content, most with a tongue-in-cheek delivery. One feature, “The Run Around,” provides alternative headlines for Centre news stories. “It has been a great way to have extra engagement with alumni that we did not have the opportunity to do before. It is much more informal,” Barnard said.

It seems that a continual growth of social media can be expected. “We are looking to do more in the future,” Malik said.