Meredith Van Zuiden | Assistant Arts + Life Editor
Social media has taken over many aspects of our lives, even the Admissions Office at BVU has adapted to current culture trends on these platforms. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are now imbedded into our daily routines and have impacted how we interact with others.
Deborah Willer has been the manager of BVU’s Admissions Office for the past eighteen years and witnessed the transition of no social media to multiple platforms.
“There was no Facebook when I started working in Admissions,” Willer said.
The introduction of social media into Admissions at BVU, added a dynamic tool that is utilized by the Admissions staff.
Willer shared her thoughts on the use of social media within the Admissions Office at BV. “When there’s a prospective student and we want to know more about him or her, doing a quick Facebook search can help answer those questions. Sometimes a little Facebook “creeping” pays off,” Willer said.
This is Jordan Kane’s first year working in Admissions as a counselor and she shared her thoughts on social media use in her daily routine at BVU.
“Yes, we look at social media. For example, one of my students was looking at a couple other colleges so it’s good to keep up to date on how their search is going,” Kane said.
When prospective students are immersed in their search for the perfect college, sometimes being connected through social media can help ease the process. Kane uses her Facebook page to update students on all of the events happening on campus. Also, by having current BVU students on her social media incoming freshman notice all of the accomplishments and fun times students have at BVU.
“We utilize social media for upcoming events, such as the scholarship showcase and athletic events occurring on campus. I send out emails to my accepted students, encouraging them to add me on Facebook and I can let them know about those events. We’re trying to get all of our accepted students entered in the Facebook group, BVU Entering Class of 2016 so they can figure out roommate situation as well,” Kane said.
Social media is constantly changing and adaptability is key while using this tool within the Admissions Office.
“I think Facebook is a dying breed most students now have Twitter and Instagram. A lot of the younger generation isn’t using Facebook and they’re now using different social media platforms. Adaptability and keeping up on current trends are extremely important,” Kane said.
