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Questionable finger gestures, underage drinking and four-letter word laced group names—even a cursory examination of Fordham Facebook.com profiles yields a plethora of photographs, many from the profiles of student leaders, which Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) administrators said is a reason for concern.
Beginning with the fall semester of 2006, preliminary steps targeting student leaders were taken by administrators to crack down on explicit material posted on Facebook, according to University officials.
At the onset of the semester, Orientation Leaders were asked that their Facebook profiles be "up to standards of being a student leader," Dorothy Wenzel, director of student leadership and community development, said.
"Our first year students are getting their e-mail addresses [and then] they can logon to these Web sites, especially Facebook, way before they actually come to the campus and meet people," she said.
Wenzel added that although University officials do not police Facebook or monitor the activities of students on the site, actions may be taken if explicit material which goes against policies outlined in the Student Handbook are brought to [the] attention [of administrators].
The Student Handbook states, "[Student leaders] engaging in violations of University policies may also find themselves adjudicated by the Dean of Students."
While other Universities have taken strict measures in curbing the amount of questionable material appearing on Facebook profiles of student leaders—Kent State University considered banning student athlete profiles earlier this year and other universities have blocked access to the social networking site altogether by filtering Internet access, according to various news sources—there is no need for that at Fordham just yet, Keith Eldredge, dean of students at Lincoln Center, said.
"We try not to make a quick judgment: 'I see a picture, therefore we're going to automatically do X, Y or Z,'" he said. "The first step is going to be a conversation."
Eldredge said that what is posted on a student's page impacts their reputation if it contradicts what they stand for as a student leader. "I think it adds to their lack of credibility," he said.
Eldredge said he and other officials have cautioned club leaders about the potential mischaracterization of their personae on Facebook. While a picture within "a circle of friends" may mean one thing, there may be a certain level of context surrounding the captured moment in time that the viewer is not clued in on, he said.
Student leaders are expected to show a certain level of professionalism, even if content on a profile may not necessarily be against school policy, Amy Shack, director of Residential Life, said. "We would have to deal with each situation individually as they came up," she said about Resident Assistants who are on staff and employed by the University. "[But], they are role models and I don't necessarily think it's appropriate to advocate the use of alcohol."
Student leaders have also been warned that material posted on the social networking site may affect the student's future attempts at finding employment, Wenzel said.
"They don't realize employers are searching these Web sites and making judgment calls about whether you're an employable person based on what you are saying about yourself in these profiles," she said. An Oct. 26 survey on Careerbuilder.com showed that more than one in four hiring managers look through profiles on social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Friendster when hiring. Wenzel said that the students she talks to about Facebook often think that who they are in person and who they are on the Internet are different.
"There's a feeling of Facebook or MySpace as separate, they're a private space. That is not the case when it's on the World Wide Web.
"People are more willing to go out on a limb with what they say on social networking sites," Alex Morr, a student ambassador and vice president of United Student Government, said.
"As a club leader, I try to not judge people based on their Facebook or MySpace profile," he said. "But it's hard sometimes because you see that a person's main interest may be getting drunk, for example."
But Morr said that Facebook also has a few good things to offer as well, especially when it comes to networking with incoming students who may not necessarily have the courage to make friends so easily. He pointed to the Web site's discussion and group features, which allow student leaders and students to communicate with each other.
The New Student Orientation Program at Lincoln Center's Facebook group has over 70 members and half a dozen other orientation splinter groups headed by individual leaders appear on the site, according to Facebook.com.
However, additional conveyance to student leaders of Facebook's positive and negative qualities is still needed, according to Eldredge.
"We don't have anything specific yet," he said. "It's always something, as the academic year goes along, we take note of what we need to do to improve and do differently for next year."
