Rutgers GSE CMSI

New CMSI Infographic Explores Twitter Use by the Leaders of Minority Serving Institutions

Philadelphia, March 29, 2018— The Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) has published a new infographic that explores how MSI presidents are using Twitter, what they are tweeting about, and which presidents are the most engaged on the platform.

The research team at CMSI was motivated to explore Twitter usage by MSI presidents while working on a larger project related to MSI presidential engagement of students. The team found that one of the more prominent forms of student engagement was the use of social media to promote students. 

The infographic notes that Twitter use by MSI presidents falls below the national average of college and university presidents. About 55 percent of all college university and presidents use Twitter, while only 36 percent of MSI presidents are on the platform. The presidents who are active, typically use Twitter to share the accomplishments of their students, express school spirit by featuring sports and service activities and spotlighting the innovation of their institutions.

The infographic also lists the MSI Presidents with the most followers. University of Houston’s president, Renu Khator heads the list followed by Wallace D. Loh of the University of Maryland, College Park and Walter Kimbrough of Dillard University. These leaders are creatively using the platform to strengthen community on their campuses and bring attention to the mission of their institutions.

“Being active on social media not only helps raise an institution’s visibility, but it plays a role in fundraising, student interaction, and gives a president a national voice,” said Marybeth Gasman, the Judy and Howard Berkowitz Professor and Director of the Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions.

Full copies of infographic are freely available on CMSI’s website here.

About The Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions
The Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions brings together researchers and practitioners from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions. The Center’s goals include: elevating the educational contributions of MSIs; ensuring that they are a part of national conversations; bringing awareness to the vital role MSIs play in the nation’s economic development; increasing the rigorous scholarship of MSIs; connecting MSIs’ academic and administrative leadership to promote reform initiatives; and strengthening efforts to close educational achievement gaps among disadvantaged communities. For further information about the Center, please visit www.gse.upenn.edu/cmsi

Date: 
Thursday, March 29, 2018
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