By Lesley Almeida
Professors from universities across the country have joined their students in that oh-so-addictive pastime known affectionately as “facebooking.” Professors at the University of Iowa, Fordham and Yale, to name a few, have tapped into the trend, according to U-wire, and it seems like professors at Fairfield might be next.
Facebook.com is a website that allows college students across the country to network through individual profiles and photographs.
Using Facebook, professors could potentially check up on students’ weekend activities and stumble upon photos of people that most students would not necessarily want to share with their professors.
“Most professors would probably be shocked if they saw a lot of the stuff on Facebook,” said Lauren Wood ’08. “They would see an impression of students that kids like to leave outside the classroom.”
In addition, Facebook.com has been recently updated to expand its features to include the ability to post multiple photographs to student profiles, offering a detailed glimpse into student lives.
Among the first faculty at Fairfield University to sign on to Facebook is Dr. Elizabeth Boquet, associate professor of English and director of the Writing Center.
“The tutors wanted a Writing Center Facebook group, so they showed me how to create a profile,” said Boquet.
For Boquet, Facebook has been a means to keep in touch with alumni rather than a way to see what students are like outside of the classroom.
“It has been a useful way to keep in touch with graduated tutors,” she said. “Once their Stagweb e-mail addresses are invalid, it’s easy to lose track of them, but Facebook makes it easy for them to get in touch with me.”
Fairfield professors may not want to sign on to Facebook and be exposed to the social culture of their students.
“From what I’ve seen of Facebook, professors are not the intended audience for the profiles,” said Boquet.
Other professors agreed.
“I’ve never explored it,” said Dr. Jocelyn Boryczka, assistant professor of politics.
Boryczka does not believe students should have to worry about professors peeking into their personal profiles.
“They have a right to present a public face,” she said.
Boryczka said that Facebook is a student’s private space in which he or she communicate with other students.
“If I gain that knowledge of students, it could potentially affect how I think of you. Students should be able to communicate who they are with other students outside the classroom.”
“Just because you can access it doesn’t mean you should,” said Boryzcka. “It is a violation of students’ privacy.”
Students hope that the rest of Fairfield’s faculty feels the same.
“If they started getting Facebook, it would be about as cool as professors showing up to parties on the weekends,” said Brian Gerdts ’08.
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