Commentaire

Dysfunctional Social Networking Tools

My second year at business school is coming to a close. It’s been a whirlwind experience academically, professionally, and socially. One concern I have after graduation is maintaining my network, especially for people who are leaving the NYC area or with whom I have a more casual relationship. 

One of the main value propositions of the MBA is the social and professional network that one can access and build. Yet, the tools paid for, supported by and integrated within Columbia Business School does not facilitate the creation or maintenance of this network. 

I know the school is addressing the events and the coursework management systems, but what shocks me is that the alumni database and alumni networking has not been a priority.

Independent Alumni databases require a lot of maintenance in addition to other more frequently used networks (facebook, linkedin) and their value degrades over time. There are some highly uncoordinated efforts on the part of various departments and student clubs at school that utilize Linkedin and Facebook Pages and Groups. 

My solution: Work with Linkedin to create closed groups that feed off of alum’s existing public user profiles. Linkedin could create a verification system on the backend for the university to ensure these profiles belong to actual alums. Linkedin would have user growth and the MBA (and all universities, really) would improve the reality of their value proposition.

Think of all the data analytics possibilities for both the alums and the universities!

Caveat: Linkedin, of which I am a huge fan and frequent user, makes about 1/3 of it’s revenue from selling recruiters targeted lists. I would hope that this product idea for a closed, secured alumni database would not result in the user’s information being sold UNLESS permission is granted. In fact, tons of privacy setting should be included in this offering. 

RIP Naked Quad Run @Tufts University

MY ALMA MATER Tufts University (Go Jumbos!) is known for a few things. It has one of the most widely read student newspapers (published 5-days per week). Jumbo, the famous Barnum & Bailey’s circus elephant, is the school mascot. Tufts has also educated some talented celebrities (Hank Azaria, Oliver Platt, Jessica Biel. Ok, fine, she was only there a year, but we did bunk down in the same dorm). Tufts is also well known for its Naked Quad Run (NQR). This is no ‘let’s streak the yard’ nonsense. NQR is an epic event that starts in West Hall (my senior year dorm) where hundreds of your closest friends suddenly strip down to their skivvies, clamor down the stairs and into the dark, cold night. Many students (and some creepy townie spectators) gather around our residential quad to watch a parade of jogging, jiggling colligates lap the near ¼ mile loop not once, but often three times. I have fond memories of the fencing club parading with their swords in tow. Not to mention the editor of Primary Source (the right-wing yet widely-read student magazine) riding his bike and wearing naught but an American Flag-cape that fluttered gently in the wind. It was liberating, amusing, exciting. Even if you were not a runner, you were still a participant in an event that brought together the entire student body.

UNFORTUNATELY FRIENDS, the Naked Quad Run is no more. President Bacow has served Tufts well this past decade, and I generally support and admire him and the work he has done. However, I am not so convinced that this was his best move (or best last move, as he’s retiring this year). The Tufts Daily reports on the event and cites heavy drinking and consequent safety concerns as the primary justification for cancelling the 40 year tradition.  

ARE FRESHMEN really drinking more today than they were 10-20-30 years ago? Has there been an uptick in binge drinking or just an uptick in students seeking oft promoted resources? Are people less coordinated in the cold, icy darkness today than in previous decades! Even if all this is the case, the underlying problem is drinking, not a nude jog. I’d be more concerned about discovering and mitigating causes for binge drinking than eliminating scenarios when drinking takes place. This decision, therefore, sounds like it’s all about legal liability. Yeah, that matters, but it’s a buzz kill.

UNDERSTANDING the social impact of advancing technology in the past decade might be another ‘real reason’ for cancelling the run. The Daily article only dedicates a short paragraph to this issue—outsiders video-taping the event and posting it online. Sure, this is more of a problem today than it was 5 or ten years ago. Privacy is a darling topic of the tech beat, so I’ll spare you the obvious bullet points. That said, why cancel the run when you could try policing it better and keeping outsiders away. Tufts is a secluded campus. There are ways to only permit people with Student IDs and to police the crowd. This might work for the binge drinkers too!

THE SOLUTION President Bacow devised is to pose a creative challenge to the students to start a new tradition. I’m just not sure how the university is going to sanction a new tradition that will be on par. That which is memorable and impactful must also be participatory, and likely daring and boundary challenging. Then again, when put to the test, people will surprise… and usually in creative ways. 

My First Post…

Dear Universe….Love, ArsSamantha