E-mail is for old people

According to this article, traditional-age college students have all but abandoned campus e-email for instant messaging and text messaging leaving college officials wondering how to reach them. Though many students say they still check their e-mail accounts, others complain that campus email is less than user-friendly. They also say they consider official messages for the college little more than Spam. College and universities have responded by creating MySpace and Facebook accounts. They are also resorting to podcasts, RSS feeds and Web video clips to keep students informed.

As a community college advisor, I can see the value of using new technologies to reach students. I didn't feel that way at first, but I must agree it is important to keep up with technology or risk losing students. At my institution we have had similar conversations about offering new student orientation and informational workshops via podcast and vodcast. We have also discussed a Facebook page. There is no one correct answer, but it is reasonable to communicate as widely as possible given the urgency of the announcement.

Carnevale, D. (2006, October 6). E-mail is for old people, The Chronicle of Higher Education, p. A27-29.