UPUA uses social media to keep student population informed
The University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) is making great use of the ever-present influence of social media. With the practical and effective utilization of Twitter, Facebook, Google+, blogging, and YouTube, these campus leaders are sharing information to the Penn State population in the most convenient ways possible.
The UPUA Facebook page
Social media has become a dominant source of news, information, networking, and socializing that has morphed its way into everyone’s daily lives. The fact that UPUA is utilizing the most popular forms of social media only shows their adeptness at understanding today's students. It was only natural to turn to popular sources of social media to share their information, any updates, and blogs with Penn State students.
The members of UPUA have been branching out to multiple forms of social media to reach the student body of Penn State. “As UPUA Press Secretary, I utilize Twitter, Facebook, and have frequent posts on Onward State. This semester I hope to have an Assembly Member of the Week series to run on YouTube,” stated Maggie Quinn, a junior public relations major.
There are various students within UPUA who contribute individual posts on social media websites and complete different tasks among these online outlets. For instance, John Zang, academic affairs chairman of UPUA, a junior international politics major, has his hand in multiple social media sources for UPUA. “I create and manage Facebook events and I broadcast UPUA and Academic Affairs news over two Twitter accounts,” stated Zang.
The members of UPUA have been branching out to multiple forms of social media to reach the student body of Penn State. “As UPUA Press Secretary, I utilize Twitter, Facebook, and have frequent posts on Onward State. This semester I hope to have an Assembly Member of the Week series to run on YouTube,” stated Maggie Quinn, a junior public relations major.
There are various students within UPUA who contribute individual posts on social media websites and complete different tasks among these online outlets. For instance, John Zang, academic affairs chairman of UPUA, a junior international politics major, has his hand in multiple social media sources for UPUA. “I create and manage Facebook events and I broadcast UPUA and Academic Affairs news over two Twitter accounts,” stated Zang.
This type of personal touch on Twitter and Facebook is really aimed to reach the peers of the individuals making the posts on the social media sites. It is evident that the student influence on these websites is undoubtedly effective.
Students and faculty are noticing the impact that UPUA’s tweeting, Facebook-ing, and blogging has made on this campus. “I have received positive feedback from student media organizations, my council, other liberal arts students, professors and administrators about my use of social media,” stated Zang.
UPUA has constituents who interact with relevant services and sites on campus. For example, Tonia Damiano, a junior finance major, is an off-campus representative who is in charge of the student book exchange. “The promotion of www.bookexchange.psu.edu was largely affected by social media. Posting statuses on Facebook and posting in Facebook groups like ‘Penn State University Class of 2013’ got the book exchange some positive feedback,” stated Damiano.
"I have received positive feedback from student media organizations, my council, other liberal arts students, professors and administrators about my use of social media." - John Zang
The members of UPUA seem to agree that the action of “retweeting” is extremely crucial in regards to their Twitter postings. Students can use their personal Twitter accounts to “retweet” messages posted by UPUA so that the word spreads to people who may not follow UPUA. Both Quinn and Damiano mentioned that retweeting UPUA’s post is a commonality among Penn State students, including the UPUA representatives themselves.
Using social media really assists UPUA in spreading the word. “Anything UPUA-official, like events, is created by the official UPUA page, but I managed events that the Academic Affairs Committee puts on and I invited friends to other events,” noted Zang. “Google+ is a place of conversation and I can easily inform the concentrated audience there. Blogging is a very liberal arts-oriented pursuit that I do to provide public accounts of things that UPUA, AAC or I as the Liberal Arts representative (and Liberal Arts student senator) are up to.”
Utilizing social media resources is of key importance at a campus that is so extensive population-wise. “With a University Park student body of over 43,000 students, it is often difficult to reach even a small percentage of the student body,” stated Quinn. “Social media allows for students to share UPUA's content with each other instead of UPUA trying to target each individual.”
Using social media really assists UPUA in spreading the word. “Anything UPUA-official, like events, is created by the official UPUA page, but I managed events that the Academic Affairs Committee puts on and I invited friends to other events,” noted Zang. “Google+ is a place of conversation and I can easily inform the concentrated audience there. Blogging is a very liberal arts-oriented pursuit that I do to provide public accounts of things that UPUA, AAC or I as the Liberal Arts representative (and Liberal Arts student senator) are up to.”
Utilizing social media resources is of key importance at a campus that is so extensive population-wise. “With a University Park student body of over 43,000 students, it is often difficult to reach even a small percentage of the student body,” stated Quinn. “Social media allows for students to share UPUA's content with each other instead of UPUA trying to target each individual.”
The employment of social media allows students to not only be informed, but to also be an interactive part of UPUA. “In the UPUA context, I usually tweet during UPUA meetings. I talk about my opinions of legislation, ask questions soliciting constituent opinion, and I chat with other representatives. On Facebook and Twitter, I will promote UPUA events and services,” stated Eli Glazier, a senior international politics major, the student life and diversity internal development off-campus representative.
Social media allows for students to share UPUA's content with each other instead of UPUA trying to target each individual.” - Maggie Quinn
All in all, the use of this cyber interaction allows students quick and easy access to UPUA information on their phones and computers; devices that most students own. “Overall, I think the collective efforts of both the UPUA leaders individually, as well as the ability of UPUA to communicate, thought the official Twitter, Facebook, etc. are dually effective means of maintaining a dialogue between the rest of the student body and UPUA,” added Zang.
It is clear that the students who make up UPUA know how to interact with students via social media. This definitely serves to be beneficial for the Penn State community because of the ease at attaining information from Twitter, Facebook, Google+, blogs, YouTube, etc. UPUA’s utilization of these different forms of social media really serves to make an impact on such a large student population here at Penn State.
By Sarah Stoolman, TLT communications intern
