With the evolution of social media, professors and students are now able to forge a lifetime of mentorship and friendship – if they do it right.
After all, having the ability to mentor students is one of the great honors of being a professor. And now with the emergence of social media, that bond does not have to end when the course is over.
Sure, students could always email or visit a professor after they graduate. I did with many of mine. But as time ticks by, it’s easy to lose that meaningful connection with someone who helped shape your life in so many ways.
Teaching a social media class, I naturally connect with many of my students on Linkedin, Twitter, and Google Plus. However, it’s not enough to just “connect” with former students on these platforms. That’s really no different than having their names sit dormant in your address book.
Adam Chiara 