CONTACT:       Delynn Bodine, Mesa Community College

EMAIL:           delynn@mesacc.edu

PHONE:           480.461.7892, 480.215.9456

CONTACT:       Holly McAllister, Content Connections

EMAIL:           hmcallister@contentconnections.com

PHONE:           480.748.8222  

For Immediate Release

Mesa Community College Releases Social Media Survey Results

MCConnect survey provides feedback to guide college use of social media strategies 

MESA, Ariz. – Oct. 30, 2009 – The results are in for MCConnect, the brand perception and social media usage survey conducted by Mesa Community College and Content Connections this past spring. From an organizational perspective, social media is relatively new and un-tested. The survey solicited insight from the college’s most important stakeholders to formulate future plans from a marketing and media perspective.

“The MCConnect survey has provided valuable feedback from our students, parents and community members,” said Shouan Pan, MCC president.  “This information will aid the college in effectively communicating through the new, emerging channels of social media.”

Key findings indicate that engaging students through social media is inevitable in order to remain relevant in a world where technology is impacting the way students live, learn, and ultimately earn a living. Seventy percent of participants reported that social media use is nearly equally important in their personal, social and academic lives with business life following close behind.  They also stated that organizations that use social media should be committed to its use and provide timely, accurate, meaningful information. There also was an expectation expressed that all information should be portable, free, consistent, and authentic. 

 “Social media is a game-changing factor for colleges and universities,” said David K. Brake, CEO of Content Connections. “Not only does it affect the way institutions and students communicate, but it facilitates a collaborative environment unlike anything ever seen before in the higher education space.”

The preferred method study participants indicated for receiving communication from the college is email, with video and social networking sites ranking second and third. Although 95 percent of respondents reported owning a cell phone, with 75 percent using text messaging regularly, recommendations for receiving college communication via this channel is low.

Other key findings show that MCC has a strong reputation of providing a quality education and is a vital part of the community. Although affordability is the number one reason survey participants chose a community college, they also value; the availability of a wide-range of course offerings, the academic reputation of the college, and quality of the faculty and location.

The online component of the survey collected information from more than 760 students, parents and community members. In addition, 27 participants shared perspectives during two focus group sessions which were held to further explore the online findings. The majority of respondents were current and previous students. 

The information from the survey has been vital in the launch and management of MCC’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube sites.  A report of the survey can be found at http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/about/ia/media/documents/MCConnectFinalReport.pdf

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For nearly forty-five years, Mesa Community College, has provided outstanding transfer, career and technical and service programs to the East Valley area of Phoenix, Arizona. Our nationally recognized student outcomes assessment program testifies to the faculty's commitment to more than 40,000 students who attend annually.  Mesa Community College is one of ten colleges that comprise the Maricopa County Community Colleges District.

Founded in 2002, Content Connections is a dynamic company that helps organizations create strong collaborative communities around their offering. The company specializes in the unique challenges of the higher education market, and works with educational publishers, institutions of higher learning, instructors and students, conducting thousands of interviews, surveys, focus groups and product reviews every year. Company founder David K. Brake is also the co-author of the bestselling book The Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools & Strategies for Business Success (Wiley, 2009).

The Maricopa County Community College District is comprised of ten colleges, two skill centers and numerous education centers dedicated to educational excellence, meeting the needs of businesses and the citizens of Maricopa County. Each college is individually accredited, yet part of a larger system — the Maricopa County Community College District.