Facebook: Unplugged

Students and university administrators come together to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Facebook.com.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Over the last two years, an online “community” called Facebook.com has become a pop culture phenomenon at universities across the nation. For college students it has become the place on the Internet to exchange information with their peers.

Facebook has very positive aspects including social networking, student program marketing, and finding ways to become involved on campus. However, the kind of information some students choose to post about themselves on Facebook can turn into personal liabilities, ranging from disciplinary action by university administration for violating school policies to detrimental perception by potential employers affecting careers.

At 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 19, students and university administration will come together in an open forum to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of Facebook. The forum will be in the auditorium of the Donald W. Reynolds Center, and a reception will follow.

This is the first attempt by the Division of Student Affairs to educate the students about using Facebook. The program is a collaborative effort among different groups at the university, including Student Involvement and Leadership, the Dean of Students Office, the Pat Walker Health Center, the UA Police Department, the Career Development Center, the Office for Community Standards and Student Ethics, Student Support Services and Pre-College Programs.

Selected panelists will address issues of privacy, violations of university policies and the student code of conduct, job searching and leadership opportunities. The panelists will be open to questions and comments from the audience.

Panelists will include Danny Pugh, dean of students; Michael Oakes of the University of Arkansas Police Department; Barbara Batson, director of the Career Development Center; Monica Holland, assistant dean of community standards and student ethics; Shauna Sterling of the Pre-College Programs; and UA students.