LinkedIn content for college and university websites

LinkedIn works best department by department

Universities rarely speak with one voice on LinkedIn. The main school Page, the business school, career services, research centers and executive education often run their own Pages. Embed the Page that matches the web page: the business school's posts on business school pages, career services' posts on the career center site. One central feed on every page is off-topic for most visitors.

• Program pages: posts from the program's own Page or Showcase Page.
• Faculty profiles: profile cards for faculty who keep LinkedIn current, which matters most in professional programs where industry experience is part of the pitch. Add a certifications grid for clinical, technical or professional credentials.
• Staff and faculty hiring: the jobs widget lists openings your institution posts on its own LinkedIn Page. Employer postings for students belong in your career services platform.
• Research centers: posts about new grants, publications and industry partnerships, placed on the center's own pages where funders and partners look.
• Alumni pages: the alumni association's posts about events, reunions and volunteer needs.
• Executive and continuing education: these programs recruit working professionals who already use LinkedIn, so the program Page's posts and instructor profile cards fit naturally next to course listings.

Alumni outcomes: what LinkedIn can and can't show

LinkedIn's University Pages have an Alumni tab with high-level insights about where graduates work, drawn from the profiles they've chosen to share. That tab stays on LinkedIn: a widget built from a school Page shows its posts, company card or job openings, not the alumni insights.

For outcome claims on admissions pages, use your institution's own outcomes data and methods. Use LinkedIn posts for the stories behind it, such as an alumna's new role your Page has already shared with her permission.

Student privacy and FERPA

FERPA protects students' education records. Schools may disclose information they've designated as directory information, such as name and dates of attendance, after giving public notice, but generally not for students who opted out. The Department of Education says an opt-out made while a student was enrolled must still be honored after they leave, unless they withdraw it.

A student's own public LinkedIn post isn't an education record. Your Page's posts about students often draw on records, though: honors, enrollment, program, awards. Embedding those posts on your website widens their audience.

• Before your Page names a student, check whether they opted out of directory information.
• Don't add details from education records, like grades or disciplinary outcomes, to posts without written consent.
• Get students' permission before featuring their personal posts or profile cards, and remove them promptly if asked.

This is general information, not legal advice. State student privacy laws may add requirements; check with your registrar, FERPA compliance office or general counsel.

A setup plan by unit

1. 1

   Single department or program

   Free covers one widget: the program Page's posts on the program home page. Pro (3 widgets, 2 sources) adds a company card from the same Page and the chair's or director's profile card.

2. 2

   A school or college within a university

   Essentials (5 widgets, 5 sources) fits the school's Page, the career services and alumni Pages, and profile cards for the dean and one program director.

3. 3

   Consistent look across units

   Give every widget the same theme, font and accent color so feeds from different Pages look like one site. See can I match a widget to my brand?