Using Facebook Live to Reach Parents and Families in the Age of COVID-19

In March 2020, Coastal Carolina University joined hundreds of colleges and universities by moving to online instruction in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. That move, along with shutting down most campus operations and managing a mass transition out of student housing, presented a communication challenge. Despite frequent website updates, mass emails, and press releases, rapidly changing circumstances generated a thirst for timely, relevant information. In response, our Office of the Provost started holding Facebook Live sessions, going online regularly starting on March 15, 2020, with updates and question and answer segments. By the time we held our 100th Facebook Live session on October 15, 2020, we had answered more than 1,300 submitted questions.