American University will hold a teleconference with attorneys, professors and administration on Feb. 14 to determine a Facebook privacy policy.
Some employers may begin using the Web site for background checks on potential employees, which could mean trouble for students who post information or pictures of themselves they want kept private from employers, The Eagle previously reported.
The AU Student Government will be involved in the teleconference. According to SG President Kyle Taylor, the conference will try to outline an official policy and what students should expect.
"We are trying to encourage students to be careful and watch what they put online. They have to realize that it's not just the university that can see it," Taylor said. The information that students post on Facebook can be used as corroborating, or secondary evidence until policies are further developed.
Last September, a student attending Fisher College, also the president of the Student Government Association, was expelled for joining an offensive group, according to University Wire. The student is attempting to press charges against the college for violation of free speech.
In less extreme cases, students have been disqualified from campaigns for student elections for campaigning on Facebook before it was permitted.
The New York Times reported an incident at George Washington University, where underage students were caught drinking alcohol. The students suspected administration officials discovered the party by investigating information on Facebook. In response, the students retaliated by planning another party on Facebook. They served cake and cookies, decorated with the word "beer". When officers investigated the party, they only found cake-pong tables and satisfied students. The New York Times coined this the beginning of the "Facebook Wars."
Student Government members are attempting to better define privacy rights for students.
Joe Colarusso, a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs and a member of the Undergraduate Senate, says that he encourages students to mind what they put on websites, and to adjust privacy settings. "I will be proposing the formation of a blue ribbon panel to investigate possible privacy infractions from the Facebook issue to what data the University can obtain," Colarusso said.
However, AU students seem to understand that the information they post on Facebook is not private information, and that employers and university staff can access this information.
"I don't think it's a violation of privacy because you choose to join Facebook-it's not an automated thing," said Justin Fensterman, a freshman in the School of Communication. "You have to be careful of what you put on it, but all of that is your decision."
However, some students feel information of Facebook should be taken in context because many students use Facebook as a social network only.
"University employers have to realize that students are showing off for peers," said Alysa Pomer, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Students should be aware that professors and university staff can easily sign onto Facebook and view students' profiles. Some notable AU staff that are visible members of the website include Julie Weber, the director of housing and dining, as well as Rev. Joe Eldridge, the AU chaplain at the Kay Spiritual Life Center.
