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The decision will affect 400 student-athletes

Student-athletes at Kent State University have been banned from posting online profiles on the popular social networking site Facebook.com.  Kent State University Athletic Director Laing Kennedy and Associate Director Cathy O'Donnell sent an e-mail in May to all student-athletes making them aware of potential safety risks. 

The e-mail stated that "the posting of personal information and photos creates risks and safety issues that you need to avoid."  Coaches and school administrators will begin to closely monitor social networking sites to make sure that all Kent State athletes are adhering to the new rules.  Students face disciplinary action that may include termination from the team and/or the possibility of scholarship removal.

Universities have been worried about image issues after students post pictures and blogs about drug use, underage drinking and sex.  Although an athlete agreeing to a code of conduct is understandable, free speech activists are claiming that the university has gone too far.  The profiles have to be removed by Tuesday, August 1.

The Facebook ban is similar to recent bans on MySpace in public schools. Employers, journalists and other dirt-diggers regularly check MySpace and Facebook, and to some extent it’s a surprise that students continue to pour sensitive and often incriminating data into such sites.

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i agree
By cciesquare on 6/28/2006 1:42:47 PM , Rating: 2
I agree that if the school has spent and invested resources and money on an individual they have the right to control that investment.

Photos of drinking, bad behavior, and obscene activities not only hurts the students but it destroys the image of the school. Lets not forget the recent Duke university scandal that is going on. It is not just scholarships and explosion for the students, but if these photos leak out you are looking at lawsuits that the school might face and not to mention fines by sporting officials like the NCAA.

Schools do not want another Duke case, where it becomes a national exposure and the schools end up spending millions in legal and professional fees to clean up the schools image.




RE: i agree
By TomZ on 6/28/2006 1:59:20 PM , Rating: 2
I don't think it has anything to do with investment, etc. As the other poster above pointed out, the root problem is the behavior, not the postings on the web site. If the students aren't following the code of conduct, I don't see how limiting their postings on social networking sites really solves anything.


RE: i agree
By archermoo on 6/28/2006 2:49:26 PM , Rating: 2
That all depends on what they are trying to solve. If they are trying to keep the players in line, stopping them from talking about what they are doing in a public forum doesn't really solve anything. Obviously the rule does nothing to stop the behavior, it just makes it harder for people to find out about it.

So if they are jut trying to avoid people knowing about the bad behavior, then the move makes perfect sense. Otherwise not so much...


RE: i agree
By interl0per on 6/28/2006 3:38:13 PM , Rating: 2
Why does it only pertain to the 'student athletes?'
Perhaps they are the most inclined to post incriminating info?
Or are they the real figureheads of the school?
At any rate it's a real danger, I guess, sorta.
Did they do away with those blurbs in the yearbook?

Let's hope they don't call out the Guard.


RE: i agree
By cciesquare on 6/29/2006 12:33:28 AM , Rating: 2
I think they only pertain to athletes because it is the one area that has the potential to get out of hand and into national spot light. I mean if a ordinary student drinks parties and post pictures, you cant do anything about it, its his private activity, But if your star athlete goes out and gets dead drunk with all this buddies along with prostitutes and strippers, and the picture gets out in the media. Its like giving sharks a taste of blood.


Bluntness
By Nik00117 on 6/28/2006 7:38:00 PM , Rating: 2
Sexs, drugs, and underage drinking in a college! NEVER! its UNTHINKABLE!

Well no, not really... I'm sure most of those teachers there were just like their students in there age.

I mean I don't use "mypsace" or "facebook" mainly because I believe its completely and utterly gay and pointless. Not only that I could never stay dedicated enough to give a rats ass in the first place.

Schools need to do what my school did, they never enouraged it, however they knew it was taking place, they also knew that they won't stop it. And Kent state won't stop it either.

I believe this is a result from a recent study of college partying. As one reporter put it "Its just like it was when I was in school", i'm sorry the underage drinking, sex, and somtimes drugs are a part of college life, you can't elimate it. However you can teach your kids at a early age to SAY NO TO DRUGS, and practice safe sex. Those are the best messages, and the drinking, start them drinking it sounds weird, my parents did it, i've turned out a lot more succesfull then other friends whose parents weren't as forgiving as mine.




RE: Bluntness
By NT78stonewobble on 6/29/2006 3:48:49 AM , Rating: 2
Nothing wrong with drugs you know.

As with everything else use with caution aka.

Don't speed, run red lights.
Don't drink and drive.

Drive carefully.

Don't mix drugs.
Don't do medicines.

And with everything (alkohol, gambling, religion, TV, games, overclocking, bible copying and drugs):

Don't overdo it...



RE: Bluntness
By vortmax on 6/29/2006 9:44:13 AM , Rating: 2
um, ok.


Wow...
By vortmax on 6/28/2006 10:34:33 AM , Rating: 2
Why don't they just let them post the incriminating evidence...then kick them off the team and/or remove their scholorships. That sounds like a good way to teach these students a lesson.

Instead, they're saying: "We know that some of our athletes are probably breaking our code of conduct, but we really don't want to know about it..."

Plus, they have all the free speech acties in a tizzy. Strange.




RE: Wow...
By Oscarine on 6/28/2006 10:46:26 AM , Rating: 2
probably because they put the time and money investment into them, and prevention now is better than expulsion later, or so the thinking goes.


Srtive for recognition at KENT!
By interl0per on 6/28/2006 12:01:55 PM , Rating: 2
Don't spew and post your egoism for all to peruse.
This info is dangerous! Like the descriptions of the chitinous shells of insects it will bedazzle all that mean you harm.
Your new lofty status of KSA is in peril.

You MUST comply or face social reset!




By rushfan2006 on 6/28/2006 12:19:59 PM , Rating: 2
Calm down skippy. First, I don't know WTF you just said aside from gathering that you are writing before thinking.

KSU has every right to kick anyone out of scholorship program, or athlete out of an atheletic program ("team") for not adhering to their policies/rules. As long as they don't stupidity and rather publicly discriminate on race, sex, religion, age, etc. they can pretty much set any terms and conditions they want to stay in their programs. Not too unlike the same things that apply to your employer. The simple reasoning is 1) Its "at-will"..you don't HAVE to be on that sports team/program, you don't HAVE to use that scholorship, you don't HAVE to work for that company...etc., 2) You are told the terms up front and have the chance to question (in fact in some cases you have the legal RIGHT) or dispute any terms that seem shady to you before you agree (normally by signing paperwork) to them and 3) They have a vested interest in you as a representative of their university/sports team/etc. ("company"), whether you realize it or not you are PR for them, how you act reflects on them, even more so if you are an athlete representing them at sporting events. In short you are an investment for them, as such they have the right to safeguard their investment.

Now do I agree with it from a privacy stand point -- not really, but do I understand WHY they are doing it -- of course I do.



Uhh
By Griswold on 6/28/2006 11:22:36 AM , Rating: 3
Let's fight the symptom instead of the problem.




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