The top five KPU social media accounts

Kwantlen Polytechnic University is a large, multifaceted institution made up of several departments, programs, and specialists. In order to let people know what’s happening with all of these moving parts, being able to communicate with the public is essential, and social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are some of the best ways to reach that audience quickly.

There are dozens of KPU-affiliated accounts, some of which are consistently active, informative, and entertaining — some of which are not. Because of this, only accounts that have made posts in the past three months were considered for this list.

The criteria used to judge the accounts is based on how applicable and relevant to all students their posts are, how informative and helpful they are, how often they post something interesting or entertaining, and how many of their posts are uniquely tailored for their specific page, instead of just sharing, retweeting, or reposting along with the rest of the KPU social network.

Here are the top KPU social media accounts ranked based on these criteria:

5. The KPULibrary Twitter feed. This account makes the list because of the variety of its posts, which mostly serve to inform students and faculty about educational workshops and events taking place within KPU, and updates and bulletins about library services. 

However, the best thing about this account is that it regularly posts resources and recommendations for books, films, podcasts, and learning tools that students can usually find online or at the library. For example, last month, they shared several resources on Indigenization and self-education, and they tweeted a list of books on queer activism and history for Pride 2021.

4. myKPU is the KPU International Facebook page. There are thousands of international students enrolled at KPU, and Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms with a wide global reach. 

myKPU posts content that specifically helps international students, like notices of educational events and webinars, but the most useful part of this Instagram is the page’s Linktree, which redirects users to important recent updates on travel restrictions, and FAQs and guides for international students. Whoever runs the account also posts the occasional pretty nature photo, which we can all appreciate.

3. The KPUresearch Twitter feed. This one specializes in sharing accomplishments and new advances in the research efforts of KPU faculty and job postings for local research positions. KPUresearch is a really interesting repository of information about new and ongoing research projects. It can serve as a good gateway to learning about some of the original work from KPU instructors that you may have missed. 

They also posted a video of a KPU Farm School chicken grooving to “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire, so obviously, they get points for that.

2. KPU Sport & Rec’s Facebook page. Besides their cover photo being one of the last vestiges of the existence of Kwinten, KPU’s defunct athletics mascot, this page is great for checking out activities on and around campus and online.

They’ve been posting more esports-related content recently, which is cool because COVID-19 has definitely made in-person sports activities and events inaccessible for many students. Also, they posted a cute picture of a sleeping fox in November along with an article on sleep hacks, which nets them bonus points.

1. The KwanltenU Instagram. This one takes top place because it serves as the umbrella social page for all things KPU, making it the best way to get general information about KPU for everyone at KPU, students, faculty, and staff alike. 

The most impressive part of this page — besides the fact it has one of the highest follower counts of any KPU socials account — is its long history and a large collection of posts, which can provide some really cool glimpses into KPU’s past for those who are curious. It also hosts a large collection of stories that have archived photos and videos of past events, a collection of spiffy architectural photos featuring each KPU campus, and some fun behind-the-scenes posts. 

If you’re looking to find anything out about KPU, this is the place to start.