Date of Award
Spring 4-29-2016
Document Type
Honors Project
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
English, Linguistics, and Communication
First Advisor
Rao, Anand
Second Advisor
Richards, Gary
Major or Concentration
Communication
Abstract
University "Class Of" Facebook groups are online spaces where prospective students can get acquainted with the school as well as meet other students who are planning on attending the university. Since Facebook is already used by so many high school and college students, Facebook groups are an ideal place for Universities to interact with their incoming class. If used correctly, "Class Of" Facebook groups give administrators the opportunity to reinforce existing ideologies of the institution, sway students who are unsure of their decision to attend the school, develop a sense of inclusion and belonging, create and sustain students' excitement, answer questions, allow students to make connections, and prime students for campus involvement. Drawing data from a longitudinal ethnography, this paper outlines how James Madison University and the University of Mary Washington use their Class of 2020 Facebook group pages to interact with students in the months between admission and move in.
Recommended Citation
Tanner, Ray Celeste S., "Likes, Shares, and Friend Requests: Analyzing Facebook Groups for Incoming College Classes" (2016). Student Research Submissions. 86.
https://scholar.umw.edu/student_research/86