Twitter has UWT tweeting

Many believe that Twitter is just another addition to the ever-expanding pantheon of digital nomenclature. Just take a look at the name itself. Twitter. It's trite and superficial. "Twitterers" or "tweeters" send and receive short messages, called "tweets," on Twitter's Web site, with instant messaging software, or with mobile phones. Beyond the site's dippy name, the idea that within the parameters of a mere 140 characters - set by what can fit in a text message on a phone- something remotely intelligent can be shared seems unlikely. It's tempting to be skeptical about the usefulness of a cacophony of short-burst communication. The most frequently heard complaint about Twitter is a predicable one: "I don't need to know someone is eating a pizza right now." That's a legitimate grievance. Yet Twitter skeptics shouldn't be surprised to learn that the service has amazing potential to dish up a heaping plate of delicious information. The service is painting a clear, up-to-the-second picture of an increasingly connected, busy world. A host of UW Tacoma departments and organizations have noticed just that. Yes, Twitter-mania is spreading across campus like the plague. UWTnews, UWTCIVITAS, uwt4me, the list of UWT-related Twitter accounts is lengthy. So far Twitter's proven to be a great thing. Last Spring, UW Tacoma admissions advisers Curtis Black and Melody Ferguson joined the Twitter bandwagon. They see the site as an opportunity to add another level to how they recruit the next class of UW Tacoma students. "We thought it would be a good place for people to look for information," Black said. "Plus, it's free, and anything free is always encouraged." A central goal of admissions advisers is to get prospective students to visit the campus and, ultimately, to fill out admissions applications. Creating awareness is a crucial step in this process. Black set up two Twitter accounts for UW Tacoma, one for interested freshmen and another for potential transfer students. Twitter has proven to be more popular among the older, transfer students. Black noticed that not many young people are using the service yet. "We follow high schools, community colleges, other four year colleges, local blogs that talk about UWT, you name it," said Black. "If anyone talks about us, we make sure to retweet it."

Hannah Craswell, Campus Crusade for Christ's Computer Administrator, took on the job of updating the club's Twitter account when it was formed last September. Like other clubs on campus, CRU saw the site as a great opportunity to spread awareness about the club. "We noticed that everyone else was doing it," said Craswell of Twitter. "We also thought it'd be a great way to post upcoming CRU events." Student Involvement's making use of its Twitter account to encourage students to get involved. Bernie Liang, Associate Director of Student Involvement, made the account after attending a conference on community service and service learning last summer. He mentioned that Shaunna Causey, Communications Director of the Seattle Chapter of Social Media Club, spoke about the benefits of using Twitter. "She was very convincing," Liang said. He made Student Involvement's Twitter page shortly thereafter. Now, months into using the service, Liang is beginning to notice its benefits. "Twitter's making it easier to check in with students, especially beyond those who are always involved," Liang said. UWT departments and organizations post a variety of information. From events happening on campus, to changes in bus schedules, they're covering a wide playing field. In response to the recent earthquake in Haiti, Student Involvement expressed condolences for the people of Haiti, and encouraged followers to donate. "We try not to tweet just about UWT, we like to tweet about more random information related to the school, or UW in general," Black said. Sometimes messages spread beyond the admissions advisers' posts. Black mentioned a post he made last spring about an offer: prospective students who went on a campus tour during spring break got a free treat from Hello Cupcake. "Exit 133.com [a Tacoma-based blog] saw the promotion and blogged about it," said Black. "Then King 5 News saw the blog and brought up the cupcake promotion on its newscast." Beyond the throbbing networked information and news, there is the possibility of practical magic. "A student had been denied by us and then complained about it on Twitter," Black said. "That prompted us to look at the matter. It turns out we made a mistake, so the student was admitted. We had Twitter to thank for that." While this occurrence was unique, public relations facilitators agree that Twitter has created an interesting form of communication. In the past, advisers had to depend on press releases to the media about their campus visits and events - with no guarantee they would be used. Now, in addition to press releases, blog posts like Twitter help to create interest and go directly to the target audience. Short, Sweet and Swift Letting users share information is Twitter's specialty. But Facebook can do the same and more. What singles out Twitter? The thing that makes Twitter so appealing is the very fact that messages must be kept short and to the point. A few keystrokes, hit send, and you're done. The expressive limit of a kind of narrative developed from text messages, with less space to digress or explain than this sentence, has significant upsides. "Even though at this point CRU has more fans on Facebook, I think Twitter is more direct and efficient at getting information out there," Craswell said. "Being limited to short tweets makes updating our account quick. It's also easier to get followers' attention when they don't have to read through a long post to get what it's about." Liang had similar things to say about Twitter. "It's a quick and easy way to let students know what's happening on campus, and it's much more fast-paced than Facebook." Compared to Facebook, Twitter is more active. It's a constant messaging forum. Sometimes Black and Ferguson post several messages a day. With immediate feedback, they're able to understand what messages are important to admissions' followers. If a message receives several responses, they know it's a success. Forming Community Twitter's helping educational institutions in the area connect with each other. A sort of "twitter community" is forming between them. Last summer, UWT Admissions hosted a "tweet-up," a cheesy variant on meet-up, for local colleges and universities active on Twitter at the Swiss. "It was a chance to put faces to Twitter accounts," Black said. On a lighthearted note, Hendrix the Husky's eyebrows recently gained attention on Twitter, after someone from Tacoma Community College pointed out that he has a unibrow. UWT and TCC exchanged comments over the subject, encouraging some friendly competition between the two schools. Hear the latest from UWT on Twitter. Here's a list of several departments and organizations on campus using Twitter to make connections and create awareness: -@IT_UWT -@UWTtransfer -@uwt4me -@UWTCIVITAS -@UWTInvolvement -@UWTnews -@HuskyPromise -@UWTLedger