Students' social profiles under surveillance

Photos of drunken escapades and blogs about coke binges are two ways students connect through social networking Web sites. But they aren't the only ones looking at each other's MySpace and Facebook profiles.

"My advice to students would be: If you want to put stuff up on MySpace … I wouldn't put up stuff that I wouldn't want parents and employers to see," said Linda Schurr, interim director of Student Judicial Affairs.

Chico State doesn't actively search profiles for incriminating materials, but students who post pictures or commentary about illegal activities could face consequences, said Drew Calandrella, vice president of Student Affairs.

What people post on their online profiles can affect Chico State's image, school organizations and the person who posts the photo, he said.

"It may sound Big Brotherish," but that doesn't change the fact that others can misinterpret pictures and other content, Calandrella said.

Private doesn't always mean private

Many students think setting their profiles to private keeps them free from the public eye, but that's not always true, Calandrella said.

A profile might be private, but if it's shared with friends, the content has a chance to go beyond the private space, he said.

And users don't always know if a friend has saved the image and put it online somewhere else, Calandrella said. Deleted content can also be found using a search engine to review cached or old versions of pages.

"You don't have full control, so you have to be aware," he said.

Some students believe that it's their right to post whatever online content they want. The university advocates free speech, but there can be consequences, Calandrella said.

Free speech is the "cornerstone of our democracy," said President Paul Zingg in an e-mail.

"But it comes with responsibility and the necessary awareness that public 'speech' has risks for the authors of it."

The online medium's relationship to free speech is not just an issue for students, but is related to everyone's freedoms and responsibilities, Zingg said.

Erica Flores graduated in May and said she understands why students are opposed to being punished for material found online.

"But I do think it is the responsibility of the university to ensure the safety of all of its students," said Flores, program coordinator for leadership programs.

She has MySpace and Facebook accounts, and said she knows she is accountable for what she puts on her profiles.

"I know the public can access it," Flores said. "Even if it's set to private."

No cases this semester

Chico State administrators hold students accountable for on-campus or off-campus activities that involve the university community, Schurr said. No student has been expelled or suspended for online content, but the violation could go on the student's record.

Senior Kendra Mahaffey thinks some students are just trying to get attention by posting content they think makes them look cool. They want people to know who they are and get their "identity" out there, she said.

Postings of illegal activities can definitely get them attention, but it may not be the attention students want, Schurr said.

"I think young people tend to not think of the consequences," Schurr said. "Just use common sense. That's the main thing."

Judicial Affairs staff doesn't search for students at random because "that's their own space," Schurr said. Only a few cases are brought to the office's attention, and most complaints come from students who have felt threatened or unsafe because of someone else's comments.

Christina Tutt, a resident adviser in University Village, said that some RAs use Facebook and MySpace as tools to "keep the community in touch."

Residents can add their RAs as friends on their online profiles but should be wary of what they post and allow RAs to see, she said. If RAs come across an incriminating photo taken in the dorms, they are obligated to report it to University Housing and Food Service.

"If we see them drinking in a picture in the hall, it's like if we saw them with a beer in their hand walking down the hall," Tutt said. "It's our duty to report it."

She hasn't heard of any incidents so far this semester, she said.

During RA training, university staff recommended that RAs take down unprofessional photos and comments but did not force them to remove any content, Tutt said. Staff members did so not just because they are RAs but also because residents and future employers can misinterpret the content.

Chico State acts on policy

Chico State's policy on online content is intended to keep students safe, but some students don't think it's right to use their postings as evidence against them.

Senior Eric Simms has profiles on both social networking Web sites. He knows students can get in trouble if they post pictures of themselves doing illegal activities but said that it doesn't make it right to punish them.

"There is definitely some of the blame on the person who put it up," Simms said. "But at the same time, they shouldn't be snooping around."

Chico State hasn't hired anyone to keep track of students online, Calandrella said.

"We don't have anyone called the 'Internet Police,'" he said.

Student Affairs staff members don't always find questionable online content on their own, and once they receive information, they have an obligation to not ignore it, he said.

Employers use the Internet, too

University officials aren't the only ones who can type in a student's name on Google or MySpace - employers and graduate schools now search for online profiles of potential candidates to learn who the person is beyond his or her resume or application.

That's why freshman Courtney Sheehan said she doesn't think it is bad for the university to hold students responsible for online content.