Now that many of us are "blogging," "twittering," or "on Facebook," one major question remains: is social media an effective tool for promoting our institutions and engaging our audiences?  It's simply too soon to know--at least for now. So what do we do in the meantime--if anything? If you're willing to take the plunge, you may want to jump into the social media pool (perhaps just with your toes at first) and test the waters and see what works--and then re-evaluate your strategies once the currents have calmed down. (Is it me or does anyone else need a Dramamine? J)

To learn how other schools are using social media, check out the article "Colleges Using Technology to Recruit Students Try to Hang On to the Conversation," which appeared in the May 1st edition of the Chronicle. Here's just a sample of what others are up to:

·         Assumption College features a stream of students' Twitter-style one-liners that are refreshed on its Web site

·         SUNY New Paltz uses Facebook as an active forum for prospective students to pose questions

·         Texas A&M University uses Facebook as a way for sports fans to post messages and promote school spirit

·         University of New Mexico maintains a Flickr pool of campus images, fed by photos from users' linked accounts

Last one in the social media pool is a rotten egg. (Sorry I couldn't help myself.J)