SUNY Empire Faculty



SOSC 1998 – Independent Study on Social Media for the Buffalo ProjectSpring 2020 - Final ReportDr. Rhianna Rogers - April 30, 2020Author: Nayury Farber – Cultural StudiesAbstractAlong its 10-year track, the Buffalo Project has grown into a grassroots movement for social justice based on diversity, equity and inclusion. Its survey data has informed numerous educational programs at SUNY Empire around building intercultural competencies, for which it has been awarded with multiple recognitions on innovation and academic excellence. Additionally, the Buffalo Project has garnered a growing interest from collaborators within the college and the Western New York region, and has engaged national and international students of all levels. The positive response to the Buffalo Project indicates that the application of its model of building community is particularly relevant today, as a desire for change continues to spark different manifestations of social unrest around the world, the United States enters the final stretch of a controversial presidential campaign, Buffalo has yet to rise out of “cycles of decline and stagnation” CITATION Gol83 \l 1033 (Goldman, 1983) and humanity at large fights COVID-19. Given this context and the availability and known effectiveness of social media as a tool to build online communities, this report will attempt to answer the question “How can the Buffalo Project build community through social media in times of social unrest?” by providing findings and insights gathered from the Buffalo Project’s existing Twitter account combined with three other newly created online platforms: the CLPS internship website CITATION Far20 \l 1033 (Farber, 2020), the Buffalo Project’s blog and The Buffalo Project’s YouTube channel. Additionally, from a student perspective, this report will provide proof of the knowledge gained from the Buffalo Project from a communications perspective.SummaryAs per the SOSC-1998 learning contractCITATION Rog19 \t \l 1033 (Rogers, 2019), the tasks of the Social Media Coordinator for the Buffalo Project for the Spring of 2020 included:Creating a website to host the CLPS internship Managing the existing Buffalo Project Twitter Account and create 12 new tweetsProduce four original journalistic articles related to Buffalo Project activitiesGather and build a repository of all media produced by the Buffalo ProjectThe social media strategy created around these tasks, included building a network of channels that allowed for different types of content. The CLPS internship website was a central piece of that network. Its sitemap was modified to represent the brand of the Buffalo Project, while still containing all coursework and resources for CLPS interns in a separate “members only” section. Additionally, it would solve the problem of where to store and display all Buffalo Project media, by containing a “Media Library” page, which is one of several databases on the backend of the site. It would also house the Buffalo Project’s blog, to display different types of written content (press releases, event chronicles, collaborations, etc.). The blog’s integration with Twitter would allow to Tweet blog links. Putting together this network assured to have a good flow of original content to share on Twitter. Additionally, the social media strategy included the goals of raising the Twitter follower number from 7 to 20, increasing Twitter posts from 12 to 20 and implementing the new Buffalo Project Logo.By the end of the first half of the term, 74% of the social media strategy had been completed. The remainder of the term was dedicated to research, analysis and modifications of the strategy, determining new content needs, producing new content, improving user experience of the CLPS site, research to further develop the Buffalo Project brand identity, identifying new avenues to share the content and complete additional tasks related to Buffalo Project events. The capstone project for the course, which included interviewing two collaborators of SUNY Empire Connects, led to the creations of the Buffalo Project YouTube Channel, an idea that came from the weekly reports of the Social Media Coordinator to the Buffalo Project Principal Investigator.Overall Project Timeline Completion Status – 100% completeThe following table shows a timeline of completion for requirements indicated in SOSC-1998 and other goals contemplated in the social media plan. MilestoneCompletedCLPS Website design Week 3Media Library completionWeek 612 Twitter PostsWeek 5Implementation of BP LogoWeek 520 Twitter followersWeek 64 Journalistic ArticlesWeek 9YouTube OpeningWeek 15Overall Budget SpentHours: 100%Budget: 100%Risks and Mitigation PlansBy the end of the first half of the term, the network of Buffalo Project channels had already been built and I had completed 74% of the required coursework. However, a mitigation plan that contemplated better time management and securing additional funding was put in place and followed to avoid exhausting the budget.Additionally, adjustment to the COVID-19 mandated quarantine further affected time management between weeks 12 and 13 of the project causing a temporary halt in activity. The workload was reassessed and refocused to accommodate for COVID-19 response.ResultsThe table below correlates data collected from all the Buffalo Project platforms at the beginning and end of the Spring 2020 term. The Buffalo project has now four new platforms with different types of content. Twitter followers increased by 79%, an added 14% over what was projected on the social media plan, and profile visits increased a total of 78% on this platform. The CLPS website successfully hosted the internship coursework without significant issues along the way. Research on media communications helped develop the Buffalo Project’s brand identity and set the base for better user experience and user interface design going forward.From a student perspective, the Social Media Coordinator appointment served to gain insight on the marketing communications field and apply creative problem solving, critical thinking, project management, media writing, video editing and research skills.CategoryBeginning of TermEnd of TermNo. of public online platforms1 (Twitter)4 (Wix site, Wix Blog, YouTube, Twitter)No. of Twitter followers733No. of Twitter profile visits42190No. of Twitter posts251No. of Blog posts-11Most views per blog post-79 (Typography of Women)Second most viewed blog post-31 (SUNY empire Connects)Online Courses-1No. of CLPS site visits-547 (with a 51% bounce rate)Direct CLPS site traffic-70% Twitter traffic to CLPS site-13%YouTube Channel views-7Views on Seana Logsdon’s interview (YouTube)-6 (in 2 days)Views on Sammie Maitland’s interview (YouTube)-4 (in 3 days)InterpretationAs a general observation, the network of platforms developed during the term was successful at accomplishing all objectives laid out by the SOSC-1998 learning contract, remained nimble enough to allow for other ideas outside of that contract to be implemented and laid the groundwork for future developments. It is important to point out that the total of interactions from the audience with tweets, videos, blog posts and the CLPS website, was fully organic and no form of solicitation was utilized. From these interactions we also learned that the most popular ones were tied to the College’s larger audience and to partnerships with community initiatives. They were also the ones that showcased real people in real scenarios speaking about what they cared about. In only a few hours, the Buffalo Project YouTube channel had surpassed the average interaction of any tweet, revealing the impact of short video content in audience engagement. COVID-19 also impacted the rise in the number of interactions with more people being online for distance learning and supplying their individual needs for connection while maintaining distance.It is my personal conclusion that creating community through social media is possible for the Buffalo Project, so long as the content is of quality, showcases the collaborators of the Buffalo Project and is informed by solid guidelines of marketing communications in terms of branding, in other words, a style guide.From a student perspective, my own objectives were also achieved through this coursework resulting in a meaningful applied learning experience. The deliverables developed during the appointment were mainly possible due to learning of marketing communications (Marcomm). I learned that an effective social media strategy must be oriented by market research, however, an effective communicator must also get to know the brand, both from a consumer’s view as well as its leadership’s view, and assume an advocate stance. Effective communicators are also collectors of information, for which knowledge of database management is essential. I also found the conversations with Buffalo Project’s Principal Investigators and RA’s to be critical in understanding the brand’s identity in order to write stories in a language that is reflective of it.A major takeaway was the value of critical thinking when managing a project’s timeline. By completing most of the work in the first half of the term, I risked deprioritizing tasks that were higher in priority. Additionally, the situation with COVID-19 demonstrated that unforeseen events could alter plans and force a quicker response that the manager might not be ready to do if focused on quantity. New media writing skills like microblogging and writing press articles, were able to be applied on this project thanks the coursework of COMM-2010, taken parallelly to my appointment. LinkedIn Learning was also a valuable resource in general Marcomm research and introducing me to Twitter through the course “Twitter Essential Training”. As for YouTube video editing, I applied iMovie skills and completed the “Before You Shoot” course, on YouTube Academy.Appendix The following is an original text that provides insight on the Buffalo Project brand and context of its history:The Buffalo Project (or “the Project” hereinafter) is a” longitudinal action-based research study led by Dr. Rhianna C. Rogers” at SUNY EmpireCITATION Rog20 \t \l 1033 (Rogers, 2020). During the three phases since the study’s inception in 2010, Dr. Rogers surveyed students’ perceptions of culture in order to understand how such perceptions impact the student learning process and develop innovative educational programming that is sensitive to the students’ needs. The Buffalo Project 2.0 survey was made in partnership with two other SUNY institutions in Western New York: Buffalo State College and University at Buffalo CITATION DrR19 \l 1033 (Dr. Rhianna Rogers, 2019). The goal of the Buffalo Project is to promote the values of compassion, cooperation, unity and global citizenship through self-reflection, respect, inclusion, cross-cultural understanding and the use of technology, which Buffalo Project collaborators consider essential for global progress in the 21st Century.By intentionally including diverse voices and talents, along its ten-year track the Buffalo Project has not only collected a substantive amount of data revealing a need to build intercultural competencies in the WNY region, but has also been the creator of several safe spaces to have conversations regarding difficult topics related to culture like “Race and Policing”, “The #MeToo Movement” and “Immigration in the Trump Era”, to name a few, in the formats of Deliberative Conversations, Virtual Residencies, Diversity Forums, Academic Plenary Series, and other original programming, for which it has been the recipient of multiple recognitions on innovation and academic excellence and has garnered the interest and engagement from collaborators and students of all levels, nationally and internationally. The Virtual Residencies, a three-week international scale online learning experience, particularly stands out as a successful educational model now adopted by SUNY Empire at large. Additionally, the Buffalo Project has assumed a mentoring role of student leadership by:Creating tailored, individual and action-based learning experiences, Facilitating opportunities for students to join college governance,Developing two student clubs: the SUNY ESC Graduate Student Collaborative and SUNY NFC CARES (now undergoing revival), Creating committees responsible of events that foster diversity, equity and inclusion, like the Facilitating Unity through Networking (F.U.N.) ad-hoc committee, responsible of organizing the Buffalo Project’s Cultural Diversity Luncheon/Global Food Fest (now a college-wide event), Providing opportunities for engagement with the community, like the December 2019 holiday food drive in benefit of two local Buffalo charities, and a partnership with “Typography of Women: I am not Invisible”, an artistic production in benefit of Project Mona’s House, a halfway shelter for women who have been victims of sex trafficking, and,Being an integral actor behind the creation of SUNY Empire Connects, by quickly assembling talent and leadership to address the challenges of distance learning, isolation, stress, and other needs that COVID-19 generated for students, faculty, staff and the community at large. Essentially, the Buffalo Project has become a grassroots movement for personal and social change. The Spring of 2020 marked the beginning of phase 3.0, themed “Building Community in Times of Social Unrest”, in which the Buffalo Project prepared to collect further data at the State level. The theme suggests a relevance for unity as we in the United States enter the final stretch of a controversial electoral campaign, while handling a global pandemic. Unity is a message that goes in tandem with the Buffalo Project’s stance on diversity, equity and inclusion and SUNY Empire’s “commitment to social justice” CITATION Placeholder1 \l 1033 (Empire State College, 2014).Buffalo Project Platforms:Website: : : : BIBLIOGRAPHY Dr. Rhianna Rogers. (2019). Buffalo Project 2.0 Report. Buffalo.Empire State College. (2014). Empire State College Mission. Retrieved from About ESC: , N. (2020). . Retrieved from tbpinternship: , M. (1983). High Hopes, The Rise and Decline of Buffalo, New York. Albany: State University of New York Press.Rogers, D. R. (2019). Learning Contract SOSC-1998-01. Retrieved from : , D. R. (2020). Rhianna C. Rogers. Retrieved from SUNY Empire Faculty: , D. R., Murauski, D., Potter, H., & Valenti, A. (2019). Micro-Study: A Report on Cultural Sensitivity. The Buffalo Project.Rogers, D. R., Woznick, A., Twist, K., & Murauski, D. (2019). The Buffalo Project. Buffalo. Retrieved from Dr. Rhianna C. Rogers Faculty Page - SUNY Empire State College: ................
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