Courtesy of Mari Sheibley
Colleges are evolving to keep up with current technology: they are using Facebook and Twitter, even YouTube, in an effort to keep your attention! The new kid on the block, Foursquare, has been picked up by the University of North Carolina Charlotte, Columbia University, and Harvard University as a fun new way to keep college students involved.
Foursquare is the latest social networking application. The twist? It’s location based. Foursquaresters gain points by checking in at their current location, discovering new places, sharing tips and then some, earning badges and maybe a shot at “mayor.” Mayors can receive sweet discounts at the participating places where they reign supreme.
How are colleges using this to their advantage? UNC Charlotte was the first university in the country to take advantage of Foursquare’s usability, offering promotions and dining info across campus. Columbia University offers a discount through the on-campus movie theater and Harvard University was the first to create a special badge just for frequent Harvard visitors.
Think about it: new students can easily find campus hot spots and potentially save a couple bucks as well (if they happen to be “mayor,” that is). Instantly see where your friends are – maybe cut down on the texting a bit? We’re only kidding.
Just the same, we’re excited by the awesome potential here for colleges and universities who use Foursquare. It could just be a match made in higher education heaven.
What do you think? Is Foursquare another social media fad or do you think it’s the next big thing?
Related posts:
- Celebrities in College: 6 Stars Who Traded Red Carpets for Blackboards
- To Boldly Go: Star Trek and The Information Age Class at Syracuse University
- Going away to College? Google Buzz Could Keep You Connected
- Protect Your Online Image (Colleges are Looking at You!)
- 10 of America’s Best Towns and Cities for College Students of All Kinds
Tags: college videos, colleges and facebook, colleges and twitter, colleges and youtube, colleges using foursquare, colleges using social media, Columbia University, foursquare, foursquare badges, Foursquare mayors, foursquare promotions, harvard badges, Harvard University, social media and higher education, social media trends, UNC Charlotte, University of North Carolina Charlotte
Thanks for the Columbia shout-out. We would like to add some small revisions to the info above.
The Ticket and Information Center at Columbia University is part of The Arts Initiative at Columbia University and offers a special discount to Foursquare users! If you show that you have checked in on FourSquare, you can get movie vouchers for $5. These vouchers are good at AMC and Regal theaters across the city.
The Arts Initiative at Columbia University (CUarts) promotes and sells tickets to on campus events and events throughout New York City, as well as movie vouchers at HALF the price.
See ya at the TIC, mayors to be!
Sounds like a great deal! Thanks for stopping by — and sharing more info.
Add Texas A&M to that list! Very soon we will have a page, tips, mayor incentives, and giveaways to foursquare users on campus. Keep checking foursquare.com/TAMU