Attacks online lead to student crackdown

Details obtained by Scotland on Sunday under Freedom of Information legislation show some universities are actively monitoring social networking sites and growing numbers of students are being reprimanded for their misuse.

Other institutions are relying on complaints from students or staff, however, before taking action.

The cases uncovered include that of a student who received a severe reprimand for making offensive comments on Twitter about a university’s Islamic prayer room and those who use it. In another, three students were given a written warning after making inappropriate comments on Facebook about one of their lecturers.

While complaining about dull lectures, heavy workloads and the growing cost of higher education has long been common among students, it seems more and more are turning to social networking as a way of doing it.

At Abertay, there had been no cases of students being disciplined for the misuse of Facebook or Twitter before 2011. However, this year has seen one student receive a severe reprimand and be forced into writing letters of apology after they made a “derogatory comment” about the university, naming staff members in the process.

At Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, five students have been disciplined for inappropriate use of Facebook over the past two years. In one case, a student had to repeat the module he or she was studying and was forced to write a “reflective account” of their conduct.

At Glasgow Caledonian University, a student admitted posting three messages online which used abusive language towards a fellow student.

He too received a severe reprimand and was required to write a letter of apology, as well as sign a formal undertaking that there would be no repeat of the incident.

Queen Margaret University and the University of the West of Scotland also recorded cases related to Facebook in the last two years.

While some universities admitted to monitoring their official Facebook page and Twitter feed, most said they relied on cases of misuse being reported to them.

Strathclyde University said: “There have been no students brought before the Senate Discipline Committee for inappropriate use of social networking sites such as Twitter or Facebook. The university, however, does monitor postings on social networking sites and a few students have received warnings at departmental level.”

A spokeswoman for Queen Margaret University said: “Queen Margaret University monitors the university’s official Facebook page, but we do not monitor student Facebook accounts or students’ general use of social media. However, we will follow up on complaints made to the university about postings, where such postings would breach a university code.”

Robin Parker, president of the National Union of Students Scotland, said social media sites provided a great benefit to students in communicating their views.

“But like all methods of communication, there is clearly a line that should not be crossed when it comes to speaking their mind,” Parker said.

“It is one thing to express a strong view on a university setting £9,000 fees for their friends from the rest of the UK, and quite another to use Twitter or Facebook to launch offensive attacks on lecturers or classmates, races or religions.”

Matt McPherson, president of the Edinburgh University Students’ Association, said the way young people see the internet and privacy is changing. He said: “I think we are the first generation where everything we say and do is documented.

“People are well aware of the power of the internet, but we’re facing a transition to a place where people get used to the fact that everything we say online is recorded and can’t be deleted.”

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