Is Social Media the New Tool for University recruitment?

I think Missouri State have come a long way in recognizing the need or importance of using social media applications to advance the mission of the university. The university recently hired an Audion engineer, who was also given the added responsibility of developing Social Media to advance the cause of Missouri State.

However, after hearing from this guy in class about what he has done with social media applications since his tenure here, I came away with the impression that, as much as he is qualified in what he was originally hired to do, his knowledge and training on the use of social media does not match up to the demands of the school. This is evident by the fact that after three or four months that this guy has been at post, almost of the social media applications on the school's website are still in the inital stage of development. This guy should have a whole division under that should be responsibility for developing the University's social media applications.

I don't know if the univeristy authorities recognize the urgency of the situtation here. Social media is here to stay. Just like the internet itself, it is going to be the engine of communication in the second half of the 21st century. I have heard that some universities are now using social media as the tool for enrollment.

As a matter of urgency, the university should come out with a clear cut goal and budget to develop this sector of its PR activities. We should begin to employ these social media to recruit new students and enhance further the mission statement of the school. Just read this article by Nicholas Cifuentes, and you will know what I am talking about.