ACUHO-I News Blog

…that is, the wrong person viewing your Facebook profile (or your profile on another social network).

Faculty, administrators and staff usually try to keep their private and professional lives separate, though that’s very hard when you are, say, a live-in area coordinator.

A faculty member at East Stroudsberg University recently got into hot water for her Facebook postings about her students and class frustrations. The commentary on Inside HigherEd largely derides her comments and the fact that she has a Facebook profile at all. A few pointed out that Facebook sometimes suddenly and quietly changes users’ privacy settings, so users must re-set their limits on who can see their profiles and status. Several commenters on Inside HigherEd display disgust towards social media; one declares Facebook is only for the friendless and exhibitionist. However, for younger faculty and staff, giving up social media entirely might seem somewhere between burdensome and completely unrealistic.

How do you strike a balance? Abandon Facebook? Self-edit your postings? Double-check your privacy settings weekly?

I’m loving the Pink Glove Dance on YouTube. Employees from many areas of Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, Oregon, danced to “Down” by Sean Jean in pink gloves to raise breast cancer awareness. This video makes me happy for many reasons; it’s regular people dancing, they’re all so enthusiastic, and it’s for a great cause.

Note the hospital’s librarians (squee!) gettin’ down at 1:14!

Have you collaborated with your students on a project such as this? Was it good for raising awarness? Tell us about it!