To stay ahead, higher education leaders must constantly be aware of the latest trends and policies taking over the industry — and social media is often the perfect place to find this. Everything from general tips on improving an institution's online presence to getting inspiration for innovation on the campus.
Here we present ten twitter accounts all higher education leaders ought to follow, so that fresh ideas and quick industry news will rise to the top of their feeds.
Walter Kimbrough @HipHopPrez
Kimbrough, now the 7th president of Dillard University in New Orleans, has mastered the art of branding, as he his known throughout the industry as the "Hip Hop President." He's one of the youngest college presidents in the nation, with a reputation for not only loving hip hop music, but also having the ability to relate to younger students. He uses twitter as part of his branding being a relatable professional in the industry.
HBCU Enrollment Numbers Continue To Grow Another Year https://t.co/q9Te3L7wPZ
— Walter M. Kimbrough (@HipHopPrez) October 26, 2017
Santa J. Ono @ubcprez
Ono is now the 15th President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of British Columbia and formerly the 28th president of the University of Cincinnati and is taking over social media, with over 15,000 followers. He's worth looking into for his ability to converse with students online — his feed is full of frequent interactions with campus members. In fact, he was called a “rock star” among college and university presidents using social media in the book “#FollowtheLeader” by Daniel Zaiontz. He's responsible for coining the term ##HottestCollegeinAmerica on Twitter throughout his time at UC and UBC.
R. Bowen Loftin @bowtieger
Loftin is the former chancellor of the University of Missouri; he stepped down last year following controversial events on the institution's campus. But, he still makes his presence known. Now the director of research at the Tiger Institute for Health Innovation, his feed is still dominated by interactions with students and is a testament to how leaders maintain their presence in the industry.
Ed advocacy groups and researchers to guide practices around student success
NASPA — Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education@NASPAtweets
This organization is dedicated to offering student affairs professional tips on best practices for handling an increasingly diverse pool of students and instances of campus controversy. The group has around 15,000 members in all 50 states, 25 countries, and 8 U.S. territories and uses these connections to active research and share information. Through training, professional development opportunities and policy advocacy, NASPA offers guidance on how institutions can be sure to advance equity and inclusion throughout management.
Georgetown University Center on Education & the Workforce @GeorgetownCEW
This research center frequently puts out reports on how higher education institutions are advancing students into the workplace, as well data on the types of degrees students are most often receiving. In addition to that, the center is very good at tweeting out about recent trends in the industry, along with helpful data to demonstrate how they are evolving.
65% of BA holders in #STEM earn more than a non-#STEM master’s degree holders. https://t.co/Vcuy3Qg4XC
— Georgetown CEW (@GeorgetownCEW) November 2, 2017
Leaders with IT and cybersecurity expertise to share
Ray Schroeder @rayschroeder
Schroeder is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Online Learning at the University of Illinois, Springfield. He's also the founding director of the UPCEA National Council for Online Education. Schroeder is dedicated to tweeting daily about news that's happening in the industry and sharing his expertise with other IT professionals; in fact, on his personal site, he says he tweets at least once daily — often sharing links to some of his blogs.
Stephen Landry @landryst
Stephen Landry is the CIO of Seton Hall University's Department of Information Technology. Landry is known as one of the more social CIOs, frequently sharing updates on major conferences, as well as his tips on best practices for higher education leaders in the IT space.
Institutions must treat #infosec as an investment, mitigating all risks is insanely expensive. At #EDUCAUSE Top 10 Issues at #EDU17. #CIO pic.twitter.com/VpNEQIRcBz
— Stephen Landry (@landryst) November 2, 2017
For tips from thought leaders and news with unique perspectives:
Linda Darling-Hammond @LDH_ed
Hammond is a professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and was even considered as a candidate for President Obama's Secretary of Education before Arne Duncan took the role. As Hammond is clearly recognized for her ideas, her twitter feed is riddled with innovative practices for industry leaders. Seeing what she deems tweet-worthy may help other thought-leaders stay on top of what's trending at home and internationally.
Some nations support early learning well. Let's learn from them: https://t.co/SXFpfZ3pF1
— LindaDarling-Hammond (@LDH_ed) July 22, 2017
Aaron Porter @AaronPorter
Porter is an education consultant and the Associate Director of Governance at The Leadership Foundation, an organization committed to helping leaders in the higher education industry improve their managerial skills and governing practices. With international experience on institutions in the UK, Porter's twitter feed overs a lens into innovations that are happening outside the U.S.
Jeff Selingo @jselingo
Selingois the author of the most recently published College Unbound, which helps students understand the job market post-graduation. He's also the former editor of the Chronicle of Higher Education and is now a regular columnist for publications like The Washington Post. His pieces offer administrators a look into what their primary customers may be considering throughout the college experience, such as how they might measure success; in addition to this, he writes on the structures of institutions, the costs of college and working with industry to build out the workforce, among other topics.
Fascinating comments on @erichoov @nytedlife piece. On this, latest @NACAC survey, "work" last in factors considered pic.twitter.com/VHzRy42PkV
— Jeff Selingo (@jselingo) November 1, 2017
