The College of Charleston is the latest university to engage its students and community through foursquare, a location-based mobile social networking application. With its official presence, the College will be offering a monthly Mayor’s Day and South Carolina’s first photo contest in addition to the traditional check ins and tips. Plus, students will be able to unlock university badges like Campus Munchies and Bookworm Bender.
A foursquare for Universities account will encourage students and visitors to explore campus and get to know the vibrant community that goes well beyond classrooms and buildings. Students will be able to deepen their school pride and connect with each other, their professors and alumni.
Foursquare is a service that helps users find where friends are hanging out and offers tips from other users on what to do there. Using a mobile phone app, visitors can “check in” at different campus venues and be rewarded with badges, points and mayorships. Apps are available for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Palm or users can check-in through foursquare’s mobile site. One of Foursquare’s greatest features is the ability to leave tips for other users about a venue. Users are also encouraged to track things they’ve done by clicking “I’ve done this” next to a tip.
The College will also be offering CofC Mayor’s Day on the 15th of every month. On this day, whoever is the mayor of the following venues will get the associated prize. The mayor is the person who’s checked in the most times at a venue over the past 60 days. This will be done in February, March, April, September, October and November of 2011. The mayor at noon on the 15th of the months listed above needs to contact socialmedia@cofc.edu to claim your Mayor’s Day prize. Anyone is eligible. More information.
Carolina First Arena (fall) – 2 men’s basketball tickets
Einstein Bros Bagels – FREE bagel and shmear
Fresh Food Company – FREE lunch for you and a friend
Hungry Cougar – FREE pizza combo from Bene Pizzeria
Java City – FREE specialty drink and your choice
Market 159 – $10 FREE Market 159 Bucks
Patriot’s Point Athletic Complex (spring) – 2 baseball tickets
Albert Simons Center for the Arts – 2 theatre tickets
Stern Center Food Court – FREE Jole Mole Entrée and a medium fountain drink
It’s been less than a month since foursquare added photo support to their website and apps and the College will be one of the first in the nation to advantage of it to offer a foursquare-based photo contest. The College is asking users to take a photo of Clyde the Cougar and submit it via foursquare (presumably as a tip or venue photo). The best photo, as judged by Clyde, will win College of Charleston gear. Anyone is eligible.
For more information, contact Melissa Whetzel at 843.953.7752.
