10 QUESTIONS for:

Rebecca Walters, IPS Alumna & Social Media Strategist

What is social media?

Social media is a revolution in communications. Thanks to social media tools - blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and so on - dispersed individuals and groups are now capable of rapidly exchanging information, engaging in dialectical conversations, and organizing for change.

Where can I find the Monterey Institute online?

You can keep pace with community news, events, and discussion on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Flickr. We also recently introduced a blogging community, which is both a social network and an opportunity to create your online portfolio.

How can I participate?

Become a fan on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Create a LinkedIn Profile. Submit a video for the YouTube Channel. Start blogging: If you’re a student, simply login to the blogging community with your Exchange password.

There are limitless opportunities to participate. Simply begin a conversation.

Who developed our social networking sites?

Social networking at MIIS began with some sticky notes. In early 2008, MBA student Chris Krauskopf (MBA ‘09) convinced Jill Stoffers, the Director of Recruiting, to use social networks to connect with students before their arrival in Monterey. During Spring Break, Chris called and asked me to work with him. Along with Enrollment Manager Rob Horgan and New Media Development Specialist Kristen Byers, we coordinated and developed the social networks.

I didn’t know that social networking at MIIS was student-generated! I have ideas of my own, so how can I contribute to our social networking strategies?

Find Kristen or Rob. Social media is a collaborative process, so if you have an idea, talk to the right person.

Which social networks do you frequent most?

Right now, I’m a huge fan of Twitter. It’s an opportunity share my ideas and connect with individuals I admire, even though I’ve never met them personally. It’s also a means of accessing news and events - it’s a network of collective knowledge.

I’ve heard good things about the new blogging community. Should I create an account?

Absolutely. This is the opportunity to create an online portfolio of your academic, professional, and creative work. You can purchase a domain name, for example, and host it on our blogging community. Then, after graduation, you can show your portfolio to potential employers and advisors.

Check out my blog. I’ll be updating it more and more as I travel to the Middle East.

Isn’t social media over-hyped? That professor Clay Shirky - the one you quoted on the social networks page - insists that social networks are heralding a new age of group organizing, transparency, and democratic participation. What do you think?

Social media isn’t overhyped. It allows for almost instantaneous communication and collaboration. Because of this, it challenges existing social institutions and demands more accountability from systems of control. But who knows what the future holds!

Not over-hyped, eh? So how has social media changed your life?

Well, I’ve gotten paid to manage social networks, so that’s definitely a perk. And I’ve learned the importance of communicating my ideas clearly and concisely for an audience. But I truly believe that social media will dictate my future career. As Jennifer Billings (IPS ‘09), Naomi Arnold (MBA ‘09), and I create the1i - a non-profit organization coordinating research for developing communities - we will use social media to promote and fund our projects.

What is the future of social media at MIIS?

I graduated last May, so that’s for you to decide. Change and innovation are the only constants.