Old Dominion Launches YouTube Channel

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 02/27/08

Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA has expanded its educational outreach with the creation of an ODU YouTube channel. The channel hosts videos featuring various aspects of the university, including academics and faculty, campus life, distance learning, and athletics. Among the current videos featured are faculty spotlights, an ONFilm Festival promo, virtual tours of forthcoming athletic facilities, and a helicopter tour of the campus.

YouTube is providing the channel and technical assistance free of charge; there will be no advertising on the ODU channel.

The ability of ODU to reach out to Internet users throughout the state and beyond is an exciting prospect, according to Nancy Cooley, the university's vice provost for distance learning. Cooley is spearheading the development of the YouTube channel and said she sees great opportunities for outreach.

"Clearly, one benefit to creating a YouTube channel is to help us stay current with the ways in which students acquire information these days," Cooley said. "And it's a great opportunity to showcase ODU."

Alice McAdory, ODU executive director of admissions, said she believes YouTube can't be discounted when considering different influences on admission trends. "Absolutely, I do think YouTube has an impact on admissions," she said. "From what I see in this office, our students are on YouTube, and they know everything that's on it."