Managing Social Media Professor Robert Craik Provost and CEO Heriot-Watt University Malaysia February 2013

Heriot-Watt University Malaysia, Putrajaya

Heriot-Watt University Malaysia  Full range of professional subjects  Growing to about 6,000 students  Teaching and research  Strong links with other campuses MBA students in HWUM Putrajaya Jan 2013

ActiveEdinburgh 7420Partners4584 Learners Borders652Ind. learners1423 Orkney13Business School 8500 Dubai1328

Heriot-Watt University: Learning partners

Social Media Student + Social Media = FEAR = +

Social Media  What are we afraid of?  Reputation  Videos or tweets going viral Legal matters – not today

Student voice - why Students have something to say  Some lectures are boring  Some lecturers are badly prepared  Some staff don’t help students  … Social media is one outlet for frustration Frustration  No-one listens  Nothing is done

Student voice - How  Students have always been vocal and self-opinionated  We encourage this independence of thinking  Methods were  Meetings, Demonstrations  Posters, Leaflets  …  Now  Facebook, Youtube, Twitter

Managing social media How do you manage social media  You cant manage it  Don’t bother trying

Social media – the answer  Listen to the students  Act on complaints and suggestions  Engage students in solving problems  Remove the frustration

Organisation Vice-Chancellor University Class Reps School Officers Vice-Presidents President Deputy Lecturer Academic Heads Programme Leader Student Union

What do students do UNIVERSITY  Senate  Court  Learning and Teaching Board  Quality and Standards Committee  Discipline Committee  School committees  Programme committees  …

What do students do STUDENT UNION Student Council Weekly Officers meeting Regular School meetings Discuss key issues VLE Exam times Feedback

Quality Review/Audit Students are full members of  External QAA (MQA) Audits  Internal academic audits  Annual Monitoring Processes  Reviews of External Campuses

Benefits of partnership  Students have immediate routes for communication to the University  Effective means for fixing issues  Mechanism for joint planning the future to meet student needs/expectations

Social Media?  Student Union monitors social media and self- regulates  Student Union has an interest in preserving the reputation of the University  No frustration

Does it work Sunday Times 2012  Scottish University of the Year 2011/12  Scottish University of the Year 2012/13  9 th overall in the UK  Best University in the UK for Student Experience

Happy students