Google+ Hangouts On Air – Take 2

After using Google+ Hangouts On Air for inter-department training, I had the idea to use the same technology, but for intra-institutional recruitment for the Counselor Education graduate program. Thankfully my position as the Training and Selection GA for University Housing and Dining Services (which had almost half of the graduate assistants for the university in the Counselor Education program) put me in a good position to be able to take the lead on the new recruitment tool for the University GA selection weekend, called CU-GARS or Clemson University Graduate Assistant Recruitment and Selection weekend.

This initiative was started in February 2013 to engage the students we were trying to recruit and informally give the information that prospective graduate students wanted to know about the program. By using social media (Twitter and Facebook) hashtags, we were able to communicate with and give advice in real time to the prospective students of the program. This process was inspired by the infamous #SAchat.

What you do not see in the video is the training, planning and marketing it took to put this new initiative together. Not only did each individual graduate students on the video need to know how to use Google+ Hangouts, they also needed to come from a well-rounded experience on campus. I sat down with each individual before we went live to make sure they were comfortable using the technology and how the session was going to go before we actually went through with it.

The prospective students who tuned in to watch the video live needed to know how to communicate with those of us on the video. So marketing about how to use the hashtag #CUGradChat was important for this initiative to take shape at the time it was implemented. Hashtags are very well-known now. Also, we asked for all of the graduate students off the G+ video to watch the backchannel and answer questions via the hashtag to make sure that all the questions were answered by each prospective student even if we did not get to each question on the G+ video. Take a look at the 1st and 2nd ever #CUGradChat. Below in the quoted block text, you’ll find the instructions that the prospective students needed to follow.

First #CUGARSGradChat – February 11, 2013

Second #CUGARSGradChat – February 23, 2013

The Student Affairs graduate students got together for a panel-like session for Clemson University Grad Assistant Recruitment & Selection weekend (CUGARS) candidates. We are here to answer any and all questions that the candidates (YOU!) might have about grad school, Clemson, our program in particular and our lives here.

We will be streaming a youtube video LIVE for you all to watch, listen and PARTICIPATE in the panel!

It’s simple to join. Click the YouTube link, click on the live video showing in the feed labeled “CUGARS GradChat”, watch the video live and participate in discussion on Twitter with the Hashtag #CUGradChat; tag @CU_GARS13 and on the CU GARS 2013 Facebook Group wall.

We will be taking questions you tweet us with the hashtag and post on our fb wall for the current grads to answer. So tune into CUGARS GradChat at 8:00pm EST on Monday, February 11th.

Are you busy at that time? No worries! You can watch the YouTube video later when you have a chance. Just be sure to be there if you can, so that you can get your questions answered!

Don’t miss the 2nd #CUGradChat on 2/26 at 8:00pm EST all about CUGARS interview weekend!
(Even if you do miss it, the video will still be here when you get back!)

Hope to CU Soon!
-CUGARS Committee