This month, we had the privilege of conducting not one, but two #UMichChats. The theme for both chats was “Welcome HoMe: Resources and Advice for a new semester.”

First up was an in-depth conversation with President Schlissel (@DrMarkSchlissel) about his goals for the upcoming school year. We then hosted a panel of back-to-school specialists who offered advice and suggestions for resources to start the new semester off on the right foot. Our participants were:academic advisor Michael-Joiner Hill (@MikeJK_316) ; Lindsay Haas(@MichiganDining), registered dietitian with Michigan Dining; and Kyle Stefek (@kyle_smyles), a resident advisor at East Quadrangle.

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 During our first chat, President Schlissel offered reflections from his first year at U-M, and discussed institutional goals and initiatives for the upcoming school year:

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Many of our twitter followers chimed in with their own acute insights and questions for the president, making the chat truly interactive. We included many of their inquiries in our live conversation, which resulted in an objective, transparent dialogue about the future of the university under the President’s Schlissel’s leadership:

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We enjoyed another informative conversation in the second chat. Panelists Michael Joiner-Hill, Lindsay Haas (who tweeted using the @MichiganDining account), and Kyle Stefek provided constructive advice for students. The varied areas of expertise of our panelists made a dynamic and multifaceted chat that covered a lot of ground.

The transition to a new school year can be overwhelming, not to mention exhausting. However, it becomes infinitely easier if you know what resources are available to them and where to find them.

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A15Read the full transcript of our conversation with the president here and the back-to-school panel here.

The content of these fascinating chats speaks volumes about their success. But the real proof of whether a social media event is successful is the numbers that follow. #UMichChat generated 7,490,641 total impressions, reaching an audience of 302, 585 people on the day of the chat and 4 days prior. Additionally, #UMichChat was a trending topic on Twitter in the Detroit area for the third month in a row.

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We’ll continue using #UMichChat to explore important topics of interest within the U-M community. We hope you’ll join us next month! #GoBlue and #StaySocial.