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Now Defending the Liberal Arts on Twitter: a Couple of Cartoons

By  Beckie Supiano
August 20, 2014
Two characters, Libby and Art, have 140 at their disposal.
Two characters, Libby and Art, have 140 at their disposal.

A man in Fort Worth recently offered his friends advice on Twitter: “Do not go to college for a major in liberal arts you will have no job!!” Soon after, a Twitter account he’d probably never heard of called his tweet a myth. “FACT: The unemployment rate of liberal arts majors is roughly the same as most other majors,” said a follow-up tweet, which linked to a report with more information.

The intervention came from a Twitter account fronted by two cartoon characters who swoop in whenever the value of the liberal arts is besmirched on Twitter: “Libby,” an auburn-haired student, and “Art,” a bespectacled, tweed-wearing counselor.

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A man in Fort Worth recently offered his friends advice on Twitter: “Do not go to college for a major in liberal arts you will have no job!!” Soon after, a Twitter account he’d probably never heard of called his tweet a myth. “FACT: The unemployment rate of liberal arts majors is roughly the same as most other majors,” said a follow-up tweet, which linked to a report with more information.

The intervention came from a Twitter account fronted by two cartoon characters who swoop in whenever the value of the liberal arts is besmirched on Twitter: “Libby,” an auburn-haired student, and “Art,” a bespectacled, tweed-wearing counselor.

Libby and Art’s tweets are one prong of a public-information campaign organized by the Council of Independent Colleges to respond to a rush of “really negative, incorrect, factless stories,” about college affordability and outcomes, says Laura Wilcox, the association’s vice president for communications.

The Twitter feed is intended to reach people, like prospective students and families, as well as guidance counselors, who may not run across the association’s other messages.

While their Twitter bio says Libby shares “student insights” and Art “tweets the facts,” the two characters often speak in one undifferentiated voice. But it’s a voice different from the one a higher-ed association or college president would typically use, says S. Georgia Nugent, president emerita of Kenyon College and a senior fellow at the council.

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She points to a tweet that Libby and Art posted in response to a story on Slate about struggling small private colleges. A response in the presidential voice, Ms. Nugent says, would have gone something like: “I’m afraid your facts are incorrect.” Libby and Art’s began: “Dude, where’s your editor?”

Libby and Art’s tweets are written by Jeffrey Davis, a Baltimore-based social-media expert who’s helping the council with this part of its campaign. Early each morning, Mr. Davis receives an email listing mentions in social media of some 150 keywords and keyword combinations for which he’s set up searches. He sifts through them looking for opportunities to correct misperceptions. He tries to avoid picking fights or responding to automated Twitter accounts.

Over the past seven months, the Libby and Art account, @smartcolleges, has posted more than 1,600 tweets and attracted some 1,500 followers. The tweets are most powerful when they are shared, Mr. Davis says. Images are particularly popular, whether a CIC-supplied infographic or a student’s shot of campus buildings blanketed in snow. The latter are especially useful, since focus groups organized by the council found that prospective students don’t always know what liberal-arts colleges are.

No one expects one Twitter account to stem the tide of naysayers. But Libby and Art’s tweets do offer liberal-arts champions some ready-made ammunition for fighting back.

Tactical Tweeting by Libby and Art

The myth/fact:

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MYTH: Many students owe more than $100,000 when they graduate.

— Libby and Art (@SmartColleges) April 9, 2014

FACT: Average debt for bachelor’s degree recipients at independent colleges and universities is $19,500—less than the price of a modest car.

— Libby and Art (@SmartColleges) June 11, 2014

The retweet:

What was former @HP CEO @CarlyFiorina‘s undergrad major? Medieval #History of course: http://t.co/Ez2NS1zsDD #business #liberalarts #edchat

— Phi Beta Kappa (@PhiBetaKappa) June 6, 2014

The infographic:

Infographic: Private College Graduates Finish On Time pic.twitter.com/8apuXxEo2R

— Libby and Art (@SmartColleges) April 18, 2014

The faux quiz:

Skills employers want in new employees: A. Problem-solving B. Creativity C. Clear written/oral expression D. Teamwork ✔ E. All of the above

— Libby and Art (@SmartColleges) April 15, 2014

The leading question:

Aren’t critical thinking skills more practical than training in a specific skill that may be obsolete almost upon graduation? #LiberalArts

— Libby and Art (@SmartColleges) August 17, 2014


The shout-out:

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Reading “Liberal Arts Degrees Pay Off in the End,” by @SusSnider via Kiplinger’s Personal Finance http://t.co/rZcxwBn6P1

— Libby and Art (@SmartColleges) April 7, 2014

The pushback:

.@JHWeissmann Dude, where’s your editor? FACT: of 864 US small private colleges, only 4% downgraded. Small colleges failing? Seriously?

— Libby and Art (@SmartColleges) April 16, 2014

The retweeted reminder that campuses are pretty:

The landscaping this summer is quite impressive at @wjcollege. pic.twitter.com/khCmzaTuh7

— Scott Beveridge (@S_Beveridge) August 4, 2014

We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Beckie Supiano
Beckie Supiano writes about teaching, learning, and the human interactions that shape them. Follow her on Twitter @becksup, or drop her a line at beckie.supiano@chronicle.com.
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