The Undergraduate Government of Boston College passed the Stimulating Transparency and Effective Publicity Act on Sunday night, calling for increased transparency within UGBC and increased outreach to the student body. The resolution includes specific means for increasing general student participation with UGBC, including the creation of minute-long recap videos to be put out by the Student Assembly’s Communications Committee on Facebook and on the UGBC website.
Another new way that UGBC plans to connect with the student population is through “Invite Surges,” which will involve members of the SA emailing, texting, and calling fellow students to update them on UGBC happenings and to encourage them to participate in student government.
While it is laudable that UGBC is seeking to increase student participation and strengthen its relationship with its constituents, the organization must remember that no single specific method is going to accomplish these goals in their entirety.
In addition to adding new methods of communication, UGBC should seek to maintain its already well-executed forms of outreach, such as its email newsletters and public physical displays.
Modern college students use a variety of multifaceted communication platforms, and their social media feeds are already full of more information than any single person can absorb at once. Therefore, marketing to college students presents a significant challenge that will require more than a few solutions to overcome.
Student organizations can utilize many social media platforms in their outreach efforts, and a variety of other means, in order to ensure that students are reached in every way possible.
Additionally, it is important that UGBC consider the message of its outreach campaign. While increasing the amount of information that is shared on Facebook and its website is a step in the right direction, the organization must also try to explain to students why they should care what goes on in UGBC, and not only present what is happening.
Increasing outreach and student participation are commendable goals for which UGBC may strive. It should seek to do so in ways that take into account the complexity of attracting the attention of a student body that is already overwhelmed with online stimuli, and remind students why the affairs of UGBC are important.
Featured Image by Zoe Fanning / Heights Editor
