The Oberlin Review
<< Front page News December 14, 2007

Facebook Draws ResEd Attention

Since its launch in 2004, Facebook has been a virtual refuge for college students across the country, a place where they can share words and images with their friends. But the fact that over 58 million users craft online profiles has not escaped employers, who find that Facebook offers them a candid glimpse into the lives of their workers.

In the words of Oberlin’s Assistant Director of Residential Education Brayton Fields, “What you put on the Internet isn’t secure.”

Organizations both at Oberlin College and in the outside world currently use Facebook to distribute and collect information, even reprimanding employees for content found online.

Director of Residential Education Molly Tyson estimates that the majority of staff members in the Office of Residential Education have Facebook profiles, and while she emphasizes that no one goes out of their way to look for condemning material, she noted that if someone “happens upon” something, they are required to “respond.”

Several students this year and in previous years have been approached by ResEd regarding photos posted online, and many received verbal or written warnings for the behavior depicted.

When asked what Facebook-related things an RA could be approached for, Tyson responded, “It could be anything.” Tyson later clarified that not all Facebook incidents are documented, and often all that follows is what she calls an “educational conversation.”

“We do not have a policy for our staff to look over Facebook pages,” said Assistant Director of ResEd Becky Mosely. “But since most RDs have Facebook, and pictures -- or whatever has just been added -- show up on the front page, things come to people’s attention. They see things that cause concern.”

Because photos seem to constitute the bulk of the problem, ResEd took proactive steps during RA training to explain the openness of the web.

“We had a conversation during training this year to make RAs make sure they tell their friends not to put up photos of them,” said Mosely. “Because once a photo is tagged, it’s out there whether you want it or not. We’ve found that photos are being posted of RAs that they don’t know about and don’t want up.”

Students have mixed feelings about ResEd’s use of Facebook, and many have taken steps to make their profiles more private.

“As soon as my RD friended me, I set my privacy settings so she couldn’t see my photos or my wall,” said RA and College sophomore Emily Brunsten. “I don’t think any employer should be able to see my personal stuff — it’s unprofessional.”

“It’s a little disturbing that my RD would check my Facebook for pictures of me, but it’s lawful,” said College junior and former RA Rob Watts. “I understand that it’s the Internet and anyone can see it.”

Though Tyson granted them the permission they needed to speak with the Review, the majority of RAs approached declined to comment, expressing concern that their criticism would result in a backlash from ResEd.

Though a perception exists that RDs actively check up on their RAs through Facebook, Tyson refuted this idea. “We have more important things to do than look at Facebook,” she said. “We have other stuff to deal with.”

Fields feels that these incidents constitute a learning experience. “A lot of employers outside of Oberlin use Facebook when interviewing prospective clients,” he said. “And if they see stuff on there, there could be problems. This isn’t something specific to Oberlin, and we want to educate people for when they leave Oberlin.”

Such preparation is warranted. In 2006, US News and World Report reported that 40 percent of employers surveyed would take into consideration Facebook content when evaluating potential hires.

They also noted that 42 percent of students and 21 percent of employees thought that such a use of Facebook was an invasion of privacy.

Tyson cited other ways the organization uses Facebook, such as publicizing programs and recruiting new RAs to replace the ones who have resigned. “It’s a vehicle of communication to get information out there,” she said.

College sophomore Dory Trimble, who quit her RA position one week into the semester, referred to the practice as “creepy” and “patronizing.”

“I was told repeatedly during training that our Facebook profiles were being monitored,” she said, “and that my profile should be a reflection of ResEd’s policies.”

Tyson summarized her message to students: “You need to recognize that Facebook isn’t a private space. Anyone with an .edu account can see these things.”


 
 
   

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