A Blog is Born
Welcome to ODU's first presidential blog.
It seems only fitting that my first foray into the blogosphere will be a conversation about Old Dominion University and the era of "new media."
New media is a small phrase that means a lot of things. But for ODU, it means opportunity: the opportunity to communicate directly with our multiple constituencies, including students, prospective students, alumni, parents and others, via Internet sites like YouTube and MySpace.
Recently, ODU received national media coverage for being the first university in Virginia to launch an official YouTube channel. But beyond the initial novelty and recognition, some might wonder what value there is to establishing a presence on new media platforms. The value is in our ability to eliminate the barrier of geographical distance between our audience and us, provide opportunities for interactive communication and, quite simply, tell the ODU story.
New media platforms go beyond the traditional, two-dimensional brochure or viewbook and allow us to tell our story in-depth to more people. These platforms have become the modern version of "word-of-mouth." When Internet users find something they like online, they inevitably share it with other users, and the information spreads like wildfire. This ability to disseminate our information on a massive scale goes far beyond what we could achieve with a mass mailing of brochures and other printed marketing materials.
When the YouTube video-sharing site arrived on the scene in 2005, none of us could have envisioned how it would explode into an Internet phenomenon. You can still find the funny animal videos and amateur clips that made YouTube famous, but now you can also view corporate commercials and music videos by the biggest stars. Looking to buy a new car? On YouTube, you can get a good look at just about every make and model before ever setting foot on a dealership lot.
Needless to say, institutions of higher education are not selling cars. But they are competing for top students, funding and recognition. As a result, they must also strategically position themselves using these online platforms.
New media is obviously an important tool for marketing ODU to the wider world, but it also serves the equally important purpose of building our campus community. By visiting our YouTube channel and other ODU new media sites that will soon go live, we can see what is happening now at the university. We can learn about ongoing research projects at VMASC, enjoy highlights of the ONFilm Festival, follow the progress of construction and improvements across campus, and even watch football coach Bobby Wilder try to find a few new recruits while doing a guest-speaking stint at the Fall Career Fair luncheon.
Of course, new media is not the only method we are using to tell the ODU story. I believe we must use all of the tools we have available, both traditional and high-tech, to let the wider world know who we are and to continue to build the sense of pride and ownership that we feel right here on campus.