Defining appropriate professional behavior for faculty and university students on social networking websites

Abstract

The vast majority of university students have profiles on social networking sites (e.g., Myspace, Facebook) (Salaway et al. 2008). However, it is yet to be determined what role this rapidly evolving method of communication will play in an academic setting. Data for the current study was collected from 459 university students and 159 university faculty members. Participants’ opinions regarding faculty/student interaction on social networking sties (SNSs) were analyzed. Over one-third of the students and a quarter of the faculty participants reported that it is inappropriate for faculty members to have accounts on SNSs. Significant disagreement existed between the faculty and students, as well as among the faculty and among the students regarding what constitutes appropriate professional professor/student interaction on SNSs.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Vignettes

• (1) Professor Smith has noticed that a student has been missing class more often than usual. This student is usually present and active in class. Professor Smith is concerned about this student and decides to look the student up on a friend networking site such as Facebook and/or Myspace.

• (2) At the end of the semester Professor Bobert is looking through the class grade book and notices that one student is a few points away from the next highest grade. Professor Bobert decides to email the student to let him/her know that he/she may want to do some extra credit or score high on the final to earn the higher grade. The student does not respond to the email, so Professor Bobert decides to look the student up on Facebook/Myspace to gain other contact information that may help in contacting the student.

• (3) Professor Williams is sitting in the office planning for the upcoming semester. Thinking about the upcoming classes, Professor Williams begins to wonder what students are enrolled in the classes that she will be teaching. Professor Williams decides to look up all students on the roster for each class on Facebook/Myspace to learn more about them before classes start.

• (4) Professor Smith is examining his class roster before the first day of class. Professor Smith realizes that a student’s last name sounds very familiar but cannot figure out why. Professor Smith decides to look the student up on Facebook/Myspace to see if there are any pictures or any other information that may help determine why the name sounds familiar.

• (5) On the day of a midterm exam, Professor Johnson noticed one of the students was absent and missed the exam. Later that day Professor Johnson received an email from the student who explained that he/she was very sick. Professor Johnson wrote the student back stating that he/she could re-take the test. Later that evening, Professor Johnson saw the student at a restaurant. Wondering if the student had been honest about the reason for being absent, Professor Johnson checked the student’s Facebook/Myspace profile later that night in attempt to learn more about the situation.

• (6) On the first day of class in the semester, Professor Hyde had every student stand up and talk about themselves. The professor noticed one student in the class that he/she thought was very attractive. The professor looked the student up on Facebook/Myspace. The professor read about the student’s interests and looked at pictures that the student had on their page.

• (7) Dr. Rogers has a total of 120 students this semester. After the first day of classes, Dr. Rogers accesses their Facebook/Myspace accounts in order to learn the students’ names faster.

• (8) At the beginning of the semester, Dr. Smith recommends all of his students to have a Facebook/Myspace account. Dr. Smith then uses the accounts to send messages and post updates concerning classroom assignments.

Appendix 2

Examples of faculty responses

Public domain

• These sites are public access. Anyone can access. Students should be careful about what they post—only what they’re comfortable with their own parents, professors, and employers reading/seeing.

• I feel that webpages, such as those on social networking sites, being in the public domain, are legitimate sources of basic information on students. I consider this hardly different from looking a student up in the student directory. They can also be very useful for creating interest groups in the absence of a school-created, “sanctioned” networking website. However, I consider using them to obtain semi-private information, or to refute the statements of a student, to be inappropriate. It is not the job of any member of the faculty, staff or administration to actively try and “catch a student out.” Any tool that can be used to teach or foster better communication between students and professors should be explored, as long as faculty guidelines address the changing technology. That being said, current, less tech-savvy professors are less likely to use these types of websites. I think we’ll see more of it in the future, including schools setting up their own networking sites, either within the existing networking, or as alternatives.

University resources more appropriate then networking sites

• I think all official class related communications should be through University-sponsored channels. While I think it’s important to get to know your students, their goals and challenges; there are ways to do that without ‘blurring’ the lines.

• The Professor’s appraisal of each student must come from his/her performance in the classroom. Consequently, I believe that any contact with a student must occur within the information network provided by the University. Appropriate audit trails must exist to ensure open disclosure of on-line communications between faculty and students.

Professor’s intentions

• For the most part I don’t think there is anything wrong with this. It is a public space and students should realize what that means before they put all their “business” on display. I take exception personally to the ideal of checking up on a “sick” student via a social net working site but if someone wanted to then that’s there choice. Also the idea of a professor looking at pix of a student they’re attracted to falls into an unprofessional territory but is no different than a professor ogling cheerleaders or pix of students in yearbooks etc. The reality is that in the future more and more professors will have their own accounts on these sites as they become a part of cultural currency and everyone will know that everyone will check each other out on these sites for many different reasons. It’s not much different than students checking out professors on sites that rate profs on everything from teaching to grading to looks. And as more profs have their own social networking sites it will be a 2 way street and all parties will need to learn to be more responsible/accountable/thoughtful about what they put online.

• I think social networking sites are a new source of communication for professors to use in the field of education. Ethically, I have issues with the use of these sites being used for personal use when students do not know that a professor may be looking at the student’s site even though the sites are often public. If professors are upfront about how they are going to sue the sites I feel that the use is more ethical.

Appendix 3

Examples of student responses

Public domain

• The networking sites are public with privacy settings. Putting your information out there is your choice. The professors are people too with personal lives, if they decide to surf the internet and come across your page then it is not their fault. If you put the information out on the internet you know all sorts of people are going to look at it.

• Anyone can get myspace/facebook accounts, whether they are construction workers, lawyers, convicts on parole, or whatever. Who can say that profs can’t do it as well? People who put incriminating pics or whatever no ms/fb know that the whole world can see it. They should be more careful.

Professor’s intentions

• I think anyone should be able to use myspace. A professor can use their myspace or facebook to post assignments or extra credit work but I don’t’ think it’s right for them to go on the myspace to snoop and invade students privacy. It’s almost like them coming in your room without permission, completely unacceptable! If you don’t’ believe the student is really ill, then don’t believe them it doesn’t mean spy on them.

• As long as a professor’s interests lie solely within seeking greater academic excellence, as in learning names, checking up on absent students etc., then I see nothing wrong with him or her looking up his or her students on social networking sites.

Unprofessionalism

• I think that is an invasion of personal privacy. Outside of school is the student’s business. What he/she does with their time outside of class is not the instructor’s business at all.

• Myspace or Facebook is a student private thing…its none of anybody’s else’s business..except the ones that students give to their friends. The professors are not “friends” or here to be “friends” they are here to teach and help students learn. If a student is missing from class it’s the student’s responsibility to make the professor understand why he/she is absent. NOT the professor’s business to be poking around in something that may or may not be private to the student.