Some students are under the impression that there is a Facebook policy on campus.

News to all of those students: there isn’t. So how can a student get in trouble for the things that they are posting on their Web page? If there isn’t a policy, students can put up whatever they want for the whole world to see. Right?

“There are no policies that the students living on campus must follow,” said Mindy Rendon, director of Residential Living. “But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be smart about what they are posting. Once you put it up there, anyone can see who you are and what you are doing.”

Rendon said students should be smart about what they are showing people. There are guidelines they should follow, but they aren’t written out for them, it is just about not letting people you don’t know, know everything about you. Students should be careful about posting pictures that have their room number in them or their phone number.

There was an incident on campus last school year where students were caught breaking campus policies in pictures.

These students posted a picture of themselves in a dorm room on campus, and there was alcohol in the picture. A student authority found the picture and turned them in, with no proof other than these pictures. The students went before the dean of students and were fined for the infraction.

“Those students were in violation of the student code of conduct, this being a dry campus,” said Meredith Kidd, dean of students. “So when I brought those students in, I simply asked them if they had done what the picture showed them doing. They confessed to the violations and that is why they were fined.”

When Kidd is presented with a situation such as that one, all he can do is ask the students if they are guilty. He said that if a student denies a violation of the code then he simply lets it go. Some students are under the impression that there is a Facebook policy on campus.

News to all of those students: there isn’t. So how can a student get in trouble for the things that they are posting on their Web page? If there isn’t a policy, students can put up whatever they want for the whole world to see. Right?

“There are no policies that the students living on campus must follow,” said Mindy Rendon, director of Residential Living. “But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be smart about what they are posting. Once you put it up there, anyone can see who you are and what you are doing.”

Rendon said students should be smart about what they are showing people. There are guidelines they should follow, but they aren’t written out for them, it is just about not letting people you don’t know, know everything about you. Students should be careful about posting pictures that have their room number in them or their phone number.

There was an incident on campus last school year where students were caught breaking campus policies in pictures.

These students posted a picture of themselves in a dorm room on campus, and there was alcohol in the picture. A student authority found the picture and turned them in, with no proof other than these pictures. The students went before the dean of students and were fined for the infraction.

“Those students were in violation of the student code of conduct, this being a dry campus,” said Meredith Kidd, dean of students. “So when I brought those students in, I simply asked them if they had done what the picture showed them doing. They confessed to the violations and that is why they were fined.”

When Kidd is presented with a situation such as that one, all he can do is ask the students if they are guilty. He said that if a student denies a violation of the code then he simply lets it go.

There is also a question to whether or not there is an employee on campus, designated to watch over all of the students Facebook accounts.

“There is no one on campus that has time to oversee students Facebook accounts and there isn’t going to be someone hired just to do that,” said Kidd.

Is a policy on the way, now that Facebook has become a way of life? Both Rendon and Kidd say that is not likely. Facebook is a student’s private account that has nothing to do with school.

There is a department on campus that is considering putting a Facebook policy in place; the athletic department. As of now, each coach can make a policy for his or her team, or guidelines. But there is not an overall policy in the athletic department.

Kerry Dickerson, assistant athletic director, says one is possible within the next year and that there have already been meetings to discuss the issue.

“We want our school and athletic teams to be represented in good light. That is the reason for a possible policy. We have had a few issues in the past concerning Facebook and a policy would help solve those issues,” said Dickerson.

The possibility of a campus-wide policy is small but students should think about what they are posting before they post it. Students should realize more people look at their page than the people they know.

“Many employers look up applicants on the internet before they do interviews or hire people for jobs. Students seeking a job shouldn’t post anything unprofessional or something that may prevent them from the job they want,” said Kent McAnally, director of career services.