AUDREY REED
News Editor
What’s online can put a Pepperdine student’s future on the line.
One fraternity and about 12 other students have had administrative hearings or student disciplinary hearings because of material found on digital photo Web sites to date, according to Dean of Students Affairs Mark Davis.
Three of these students that were put on probation became ineligible to go overseas this fall. Davis said that several other student organizations and individuals will have hearing at the beginning of the semester because of online photos.
“Students are expected to follow the community standards contained in the code of conduct,” Davis said. “Any information that indicates they are not following those standards may be used as the basis for a hearing.”
Many students, who are quickly finding out what a public place cyberspace is, said they are disturbed that school officials are looking and taking action on photos found on the Internet.
“People were bottom-line-petrified. They didn’t know what the facts were,” senior Kirk Henderson said. He said he was bothered that students could face serious repercussions for digital photos.
New Situation, Old Rules
Pepperdine has no specific rules in the code of conduct about online material because “existing disciplinary philosophy applies,” Davis wrote in a letter to concerned students. However, Pepperdine has informally outlined parameters for those whose online profiles will be looked at and what material breaks the student code of conduct.
To date, no one has been called in for a hearing because of a Facebook profile content picture, according to Davis.
“In most cases, there’s context,” he said. “The judicial affairs office has only taken actions when there are several pictures together, usually with captions that describe the activity. To give the student the benefit of the doubt, any picture of a student with a red cup we assume is Diet Coke.”
Also, students will not be disciplined for disagreeing with Pepperdine’s “disciplinary philosophy.”
“We aren’t saying you can’t be in the Facebook group that disagrees with Pep’s sex policy, but we’re not going to select you to be the RA,” Davis said.
Before a student hearing, students receive the photos in question by mail and then have a chance to explain the circumstances. Davis said because photos found on the Internet could be staged or not representative of the situation, some students are not put on probation or are given a warning after a hearing because there is an acceptable explanation of the photos.
Contrary to rumors, Davis said Pepperdine is not arbitrarily monitoring student Web pages, nor does it employ one person specifically to look for cyber offenders.
He said that there are three reasons that Pepperdine will look at Facebook profiles and links displayed on Facebook profiles. First is for campus leadership applicants such as student workers, RA and NSO counselors. Second is if a person brings forward a complaint against a student, the student in question’s online portfolio is subject to review. Third is checking up on students who have been put on probation to “follow up” with them for previous violations. Davis said this option has not been used, however.
Students who have never been on probation and are found in compromising photos are called in for an informal meeting with judicial administrator Sharon Beard. If a student does have a disciplinary history, a formal hearing with the student disciplinary hearing will be held.
All of the code of conduct violations found online have been alcohol related, Davis said. One of the alcohol violations with Internet evidence occurred while students were streaking during finals week. Streaking is considered to be a separate offense.
Beta Theta Pi was suspended by Pepperdine and by nationals this summer because of online material. The fraternity was already on probation with Pepperdine.
“It was wrong for us to put our head in the sand,” Davis said about not taking judicial action on photos brought to Pepperdine’s attention.
Pepperdine began using online material as grounds for code of conduct violations late last spring. He said since then students, faculty and parents have brought forth evidence because they are concerned about the health and safety of involved parties.
“Ambush over the summer”
When Kirk Henderson opened a digital photo library online he thought his friends would be the only ones looking at his personal pictures.
Henderson was tipped off by a friend that Pepperdine may be looking at his photo Web site and the Henderson made all of his Web sites accessible only by password in an effort to keep out unwanted eyes.
After he thought about the idea that Pepperdine was looking at student Web pages, Henderson wanted to express that he was upset that Pepperdine his he formed the Facebook group “Pepperdine is watching you!”
In the first five days, 100 students joined the group. This, Henderson said, shows that students are concerned about how closely Pepperdine monitors student activities.
“Mine (my Facebook group) is just a simple protest of actions,” Henderson said. “We think that there’s such a thing as privacy on Pepperdine’s campus.”
Because this is a new area students are unsure of what is grounds for a judicial hearing and how valid the material is, Henderson said.
Students also said it was upsetting that Pepperdine didn’t give any notice that student Web pages would be viewed.
“It’s kind of a surprise,” junior Jackie Chua said. “All of a sudden they decided to crack down on us. They could have at least said something.”
Chua made her online photo galleries password protected this summer to insure that she knew who was looking at her site. She said felt like students were “ambushed over the summer.”
Even though students are aware that the Internet is public domain, something feels strange to them that a university would browse student pages.
“This time they choose to track us down,” Chua said. “It does feel like an invasion of privacy. People don’t usually search just Pepperdine students. They are on a witch hunt.”
New Pep programs
Davis denies claims the administration is being too proactive in finding code of conduct breaches and said Pepperdine is creating more programs to cope with alcohol abuse.
Davis said he is particularly concerned with binge drinking and drinking and driving.
The counseling center is now free for student use and plans to expand Public Safety’s safe ride program are in the works. Also, all parties are now covered in the “Good Samaritan” policy, which protects people involved in giving medical care to those who have consumed a fatal amount of alcohol. Before, only the Good Samaritan had immunity, and now the “victim” is immune as well, Davis said.
Nationally speaking
Across the board the Internet is being used as a reference tool.
“When conducting references on job applicants, it’s just natural to Google,” Davis said cautioning students to monitor what they put on the Internet.
Because the Internet is considered public domain, anything and everything not password protected in cyberspace is up for viewing.
Other universities have found racist material on students’ Web sites, and the University of Mississippi sanctioned three students for creating a Facebook group that suggested that the groups’ members wanted to have sexual relations with a neighboring school’s professor last semester.
Henderson said that students should not cower away from personal opinions even if they differs from that of the university.
“We shouldn’t be afraid of our administration simply because of something we believe in,” he said.
08-29-2005