MU joins Twitter

By Marie Gentile

November 11, 2008

Marquette recently joined Twitter, a free online micro-blogging site

Marquette uses Twitter to keep students and alumni updated on campus events, sports, achievements, etc.

The university currently has 103 followers on Twitter

Fans of Twitter—one of the newest additions to the social networking blogosphere that produced the likes of Facebook and MySpace -—can now stay updated on campus happenings through a Marquette-run Web page.

Created to answer the fundamental question, "What are you doing?," Twitter is a free online service that allows users to send brief updates about their thoughts and actions to friends. Users can send and receive updates via text message, instant message or the Twitter Web site.

Twitter currently has more than 3.3 million users, according to TwitDir, a directory service.

Marquette joined Twitter a few weeks ago as a means of bridging communication between students, alumni and the university, according to Communication Manager Tim Olsen.

Updated through the Office of Marketing and Communication, Marquette's Twitter site aims to keep current and potential students and alumni updated about things that might be of interest to them, Olsen said. Organizations, businesses and various media outlets are also followers of Marquette's Twitter page, which as of press time totaled 108.

Posts include updates about events around campus, student and alumni achievements, sports and more. Twitter requires that all posts be less than 140 characters, so most posts also include links to sites with more information.

"There are so many people who use Twitter, especially students," Olsen said. "This is just another way for us to communicate with them."

Mary Schless, a senior in the College of Communication, follows Marquette's Twitter page. Schless said members of the Marquette community could benefit by staying in touch through Twitter.

"I think that Twitter could improve communication between the university and students because it is an easy way to reach a lot of people at one time," Schless said.

Graduate student Dan Voell said he uses Twitter to stay updated on campus events, sports and student achievements. He said Twitter offers several advantages over other communication media.

"Twitter offers a great opportunity for Marquette to get information out to the student population in real time," Voell said. "Marquette can also use the search tool to keep an eye on what Twitter users are saying about Marquette."

Timothy Gorichanaz, a junior in the College of Communication, said Twitter has the potential to transform university communication.

"People are used to communicating with the university through authority people sitting at desks in offices, on the phone and through formal memoranda," Gorichanaz said. "Services like Twitter require an entirely different kind of communication—it's more personable, younger and more hip. With Marquette on Twitter, it's easier to imagine the university as a person."