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November 4, 2009
By Brittney Meyer
Student Life Reporter
Photo courtesy of Guardian |
As with most new communication technology, social networking sites receive praise for connecting people from all over the world. They are criticized for almost the same idea. Websites such as Facebook sometimes houses public information the user would like to keep private.
Facebook users at UIS may want to rethink who they "friend" in the future as various departments check the site, looking for conduct violations. Housing officials frequently visit Facebook, noting residential underage partygoers.
Housing administrators are suggesting students who live in dry courts, or are under the legal drinking age to think twice before posting photos of themselves at an unregistered party. Resident directors are using photos brought to them or found on a resident’s Facebook to find housing violations.
Dry areas at UIS include Pennyroyal Court, in the townhouses, Lincoln Residence Hall, and Founders Residence Hall. Residents older than 21 who live in those areas are not allowed to have alcohol.
Alcohol is also not permitted in the hands of minors, “so don’t hold your friends beer,” said Founders Hall Resident Director Barbara Wheatley.
Due to the amount of upset residents, there has inevitably been a Facebook group created for on-campus residents against housing using pictures on facebook to punish students.
The group named “UIS students against Housing Facebook Creeping Us” currently has 161 members and only continues to grow. The group welcomes students who think that the Housing Department is invading their privacy.
Although stories are surfacing recently, the housing administration has been using electronic documentation since the 2004 school year, according to Wheatley.
Wheatley, who also has a Facebook with residents as friends, said if she notices a violation while perusing the site, she wouldn’t ignore it. She also advises students to not put themselves in a position to be called in for a judicial meeting.
“If you are in a situation that is questionable, leave, don’t run the risk of being documented,” Wheatley said. “If you are still going to violate policy self censor, don’t self document. Networking pages have settings to protect your information."
However, a Resident Director or Assistant coming across the picture on Facebook isn’t always the case.
“We receive info from other residents on a regular basis who are irate when they can’t study, sleep or peaceably utilize their own apartment or room due to some inconsiderate neighbor(s)’ incompatible behaviors or negative actions which are not ceased when asked’’ Housing Director John Ringle said.
The information received can be anything from a past party where photos were taken on-campus or an open beer in a minor’s hand. A red plastic Solo cup will not get a resident in trouble for drinking, “it is the half-gallon of liquor used to fill the cup that was left on the table beside you [in a photo] that gave you away,” Wheatley said.
“If you are under 21 years old with an open beer in your hand, at the minimum that
requires a conversation [with your RD],” Wheatley said. Judicial sanctioning is case by case so punishment varies depending on infraction and conversation.
During that conservation with your local resident director, he or she has “to be 50.1% sure that a violation has happened” Wheatley said. They may utilize any information or photos available to them. These photos, which can come from any social networking site, become “especially relevant when the resident swears to high heavens that there weren’t at a particular party location, don’t drink and the Facebook photos clearly indicate otherwise,” Ringle said.
“Despite what songwriters and movie makers may want students to believe, there is no constitutional right to party, or fight to do so, if you’re defined as a minor,” Ringle said.
If you do have an issue with housing, Wheatley encourages students to come to the Housing Residential Council meetings every other Sunday in Founders 153. The next meeting is Nov. 15.
