2008 Woodie Awards
New friends on Facebook
How is the relationship between students and professors changing now that more professors are logging on to Facebook?
Gregory Leporati, Editor in Chief
Issue date: 3/26/08 Section: News
Still, some professors, like Llanos, recognize the problems that could arise from having both professors and students interacting on Facebook.
"I was looking up some of my friends who are professors, and I found groups that students made making fun of them," Llano said. "It was very open - I could browse it freely. Being disrespectful is something that students do in circles, but it can really hurt people's feelings when put out freely in the open."
Llano also spoke about the various pictures that underage students have on their accounts that depict them drinking illegally. "If I see something illegal going on, like underage drinking, do I do something?" asked Llanos. "I think we're just waiting for a situation like that to happen."
Students seem to have mixed reactions to professors using Facebook.
"Professors here, at least in my experience, already have a good repartee with students," said sophomore Radha Radkar. "I don't think Facebook will really change much here."
Sophomore Julia Mignone feels that Facebook can affect student-professor relationships in "either a good or a bad way."
"I'd say it's better to be friends with your professor if you're not in a class with that professor anymore," she said. "And I think e-mail would work better with some professors anywany."
Senior Kyle Wagner has taken classes with professors that use Facebook, and said that the social network has not played a big role in the classroom or even in the way the students and professor interact. Still, he believes that professors using Facebook has created a "sticky situation."
"When you go out there for a job, you have to delete your Facebook identity since they look at your profile," Wagner said.
"Do you really want your professor to see that you go one day from being 'in a relationship' to 'it's complicated' with someone?"
With Facebook's user base expanding on a daily basis, the full effects of having both professors and students on Faceboook have yet to be seen.
"Facebook is not a place to be stupid anymore," Wagner said. "There are eyes everywhere, so be careful."
"I was looking up some of my friends who are professors, and I found groups that students made making fun of them," Llano said. "It was very open - I could browse it freely. Being disrespectful is something that students do in circles, but it can really hurt people's feelings when put out freely in the open."
Llano also spoke about the various pictures that underage students have on their accounts that depict them drinking illegally. "If I see something illegal going on, like underage drinking, do I do something?" asked Llanos. "I think we're just waiting for a situation like that to happen."
Students seem to have mixed reactions to professors using Facebook.
"Professors here, at least in my experience, already have a good repartee with students," said sophomore Radha Radkar. "I don't think Facebook will really change much here."
Sophomore Julia Mignone feels that Facebook can affect student-professor relationships in "either a good or a bad way."
"I'd say it's better to be friends with your professor if you're not in a class with that professor anymore," she said. "And I think e-mail would work better with some professors anywany."
Senior Kyle Wagner has taken classes with professors that use Facebook, and said that the social network has not played a big role in the classroom or even in the way the students and professor interact. Still, he believes that professors using Facebook has created a "sticky situation."
"When you go out there for a job, you have to delete your Facebook identity since they look at your profile," Wagner said.
"Do you really want your professor to see that you go one day from being 'in a relationship' to 'it's complicated' with someone?"
With Facebook's user base expanding on a daily basis, the full effects of having both professors and students on Faceboook have yet to be seen.
"Facebook is not a place to be stupid anymore," Wagner said. "There are eyes everywhere, so be careful."
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