Higher education is seemingly lagging behind government on the mass-adoption of social media.  Why is this?  You’d think that the bureaucracy of government would far surpass that in a college or university.  Sure, some higher ed institutions have been quick to jump on board.  We have Tufts University who is already accepting college essays via YouTube and my alma mater Carnegie Mellon University with humanized Twitter personas.

From my experience, government’s development and distribution of social media policy was based on a few important factors.  For one, we wanted to encourage employees to use social media strategically and inline with business goals and objectives.  Along the same lines, we wanted to get something established to reign in potential employees who might abuse social media.  Providing policy is a proactive step so that employees understand what is expected of them.  Let us also not forget another important factor—the presidential election.  The Obama campaign highlighted social media as a key component in their victory.  This led many government leaders to consider the benefits of social media not just during the election but also during the regular course of government business.

So, getting back to my question, why is higher education so far behind on adopting and participating in social media?  From what I can see, they have the potential to gain even more than government.  Institutions have the potential for increased enrollment, better retention, increased brand awareness, larger donations, and more.  And let’s be clear…by adopting and participating I do not just mean creating an account or setting up a profile.  I mean truly bringing social media into the fold of a comprehensive university strategy. 

What do you see as the roadblock?  And why have other institutions been able to get around this earlier than others?