Creating Social Engagement Through Social Network Sites: A Survey In An Italian University

The aim of this article is to investigate the use of social network sites (SNSs) by universities. Indeed, in a context where higher education institutions are systems open to all members of society, engaged in the social and economic development, communication between science and society becomes a key element of the Third Mission theory, consisting of universities having to learn to communicate to the society where they work and live. In this sense, we will start with a literature review on social network sites, then we will carry out a case study analysis through an online questionnaire, that was submitted to Italian students with the aim to understand university students’ relationship with social networks and their perception of university’s presence on them. Data were collected by referring to a specific organization, highlighting the existence of several “unofficial” profiles for the institution, with students claiming for greater clarity in order to understand which are the “official” ones. Furthermore, they express a strong need for a structured and effective social media presence by their university, but this is not always delivered. The outcome of this work represents an input to verify official accounts of universities and to close all the unofficial ones, in order to direct followers towards the official ones and improve the communication effectiveness. Thus, according to the social engagement perspective, this analysis wants to show the use of SNSs as an instrument to build collaborative relationships with the community.