IT Strategic Plan | 24 Action Item 5:3 Effectively utilize accessible social media and communication platforms to communicate alerts, outages, services, policies, recommendations, guidelines, and future plans. Social media and other communication platforms provide valuable mechanisms for communicating outward to the University community. It is important that these resources be utilized fully and consistently, in line with established best practices. Clear and concise communications, crafted to specific audiences, should have the correct blend of nontechnical and technical language to be most effective. These platforms should be utilized not only to announce new services and policies, but also to communicate to the University community why these changes are important and how decisions are made. Action Item 5:4 Provide mechanisms to encourage two-way communication with the University community. A robust customer engagement program should be developed. While outward communications are useful, it is critical that ITS receives feedback (e.g., via surveys, other means) and has mechanisms in place to encourage and solicit dialogue with its customers in order to fulfill its mission. This dialogue should be in addition to established governance and focus group practices. ITS should pro-actively engage customers to educate them about services, support, and solutions (e.g., speaking to research faculty and staff regarding relevant topics).