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MU examining Facebook use

By MICHELLE FELTER

November 1, 2005 | 12:00 a.m. CST

If you have a profile on university social network Facebook.com, assume you are being watched by more than your classmates.

Facebook, popular with college students across the country, allows users to create profiles containing contact and personal information, post photos, and create and join social groups. But because anyone with access to a university e-mail account can join, some of what students post online could get them in trouble and come back to haunt them when they start hunting for jobs after graduation.

MU is forming a task force to decide what to do with Facebook content that violates university rules, something Donell Young, coordinator of student conduct at MU, calls “a potential big problem.” As Facebook grows more popular, he is learning that students are posting pictures and information that goes against university conduct policies.

“Anytime I discover that a student is violating the code of conduct, I will send a letter and have them meet with me for that violation,” Young said.

To date, Young said a few students have been turned in for content that violates the conduct code. Each violation, which could include drinking on campus or using illegal drugs, is handled individually and can result in “anything from a letter of warning to expulsion from the university.”

The task force is expected to be formed within the next two weeks, Young said.

Facebook users should keep more than the Student Conduct Code in mind when posting Facebook information. They should also keep out information they wouldn’t want other people, such as potential employers, to know.

At the beginning of the semester, Linda Kaiser, director of career services for the College of Education, spoke with two people — an employer and a parent — who used Facebook to screen candidates for employment.

“Access to Facebook is not just to students. Many, many people can access it,” Kaiser said. “Many think it is just a conversation between them and their friends, but there could be a lot of people tapping into that conversation.”

And people have the right to do this.

“An individual’s right to privacy belongs to the individual,” said James Devine, associate dean of the School of Law. “If the individual waives a portion for some reason (such as joining Facebook), then they’ve waived it.”

Kaiser and other faculty members in the College of Education have been cautioning students to be aware of how they represent themselves, especially students who are seeking jobs.

When serving as guest speakers in classes, Kaiser said she and other faculty generally remind students to behave and dress professionally in school communities. “It’s an extension of that conversation that we have with them already,” she said.

After learning this, special education major Jamie Berwanger revised her profile, although she said it is “silly.”

“It’s supposed to be for fun,” Berwanger said. “It’s been taken out of hand.”

Leslie Bross, also a special education major, said it isn’t fair to judge someone for their hobbies and activities outside of work. Even though she is of legal drinking age, Bross removed her membership from the group “Corona Lovers” — for fans of the beer — after becoming aware of outside access to Facebook.

Some students defend employers’ decisions to use Facebook to screen potential employees.

“They want to know as much about (potential employees) as possible,” said Joe Middleton, a mechanical engineering student.

Facebook does provide options for students to control access to their profiles, although information may still be shared with third parties, “pursuant to lawful requests, such as subpoenas or court orders, or in compliance with applicable laws,” according to Facebook’s privacy policy on the Web site.

“Students have complete control over what information they put in their profiles and over who can see that information,” said Chris Hughes, a Facebook spokesman. Students who are uncomfortable with the entire MU community having access to their information can change their privacy settings to designate exactly who should be able to see their information, he said.

“It’s like leaving your door open and allowing everyone to come in and see when you have the ability to close it,” Middleton said.

Facebook has recently caused concerns at other universities.

A student at Fisher College in Boston was expelled this year for his online critique of a campus police officer. Officials at the University of California, Santa Barbara announced the school could discipline students living on campus for photographs and information posted on their profiles providing evidence of illegal activity, such as drinking in residence halls.

In mid-October, the University of New Mexico banned access to Facebook on its campus network, although officials said the ban might be revoked if some of their concerns, primarily the Web site’s level of security, are addressed.

Comments on this article

     

    i have heard for the first time in regards to face book n all may i get any mmore information about this topic from your side i will be waiting for your reply..

    thankyou..
    deval.bagrodia.
    india.

    Posted by deval bagrodia on Dec 4, 2007 at 10:22 a.m. (Report Comment)

     
     

    Social media and networking sites are pushing us into a corner, they provde ample information for people to do a background check on us. http://www.easybackgroundchecks.com

    Posted by Barry Snyder on Jan 28, 2008 at 8:31 a.m. (Report Comment)

     
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