Professors joining Facebook
Faculty sign up to better connect with students
By Ashley Hopkins, staff writer
Posted on December 4, 2006

JMU professors are jumping onto the technological bandwagon, joining Web sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Xanga in an effort to better connect with and understand their students.

“I believe that I will be a better teacher if I understand my students better,” said David McGraw, associate professor in the department of integrated science and technology. “I think Facebook helps me keep in touch with the current generation of students in terms of their interests and outlook on life.”

Like McGraw, Anna Umbreit, academic and career advisor in the Office of Academic Advising and Career Development, also uses the Web sites in an effort to keep up with the changing generation.

“I knew that a lot of the students were using it, and I like to keep up with what they are into,” she said. “I think it is important to stay up-to-date with emerging technologies and trends among the students, so that I don’t lose touch with the people I’m trying to help.”

Many students appreciate the extra effort put forth by professors to get to know them and feel that reading an instructor’s blog or profile helps them connect on a personal level.

“I think it’s cool that professors are blogging,” senior Katie Thierry said.  “It makes them more personable. We see them in class every day, now we know what music they like, their interests and whatever else they might put online.”

Other professors turn to sites such as Facebook as a tool for getting to know their students and keeping in touch with alumni. 

“It allows me to connect faces with names, in addition to interacting with students outside a formal classroom environment,” graduate coordinator for audiology Dan Halling said.

Andreas Broschied, assistant professor in the political science department, also uses these sites to reach out to students, saying that he joined in order to provide students with an easier way to contact him and to keep in touch with alumni who have moved on to grad school. He said he has found ways to use these sites for academic purposes as well.

“I usually forget to announce interesting news stories in class,” he said. “On the blog, I can at least post the links and students can subscribe to the RSS feed.”

Senior Kristen Letnick appreciates Broschied’s blogs, and reads them in an effort to get to know him better.

“I value him as a professor, and I think it’s interesting to see the personal side of him through reading his writing,” she said.

There are, however, some professors who are apprehensive about blogging or the information they generate.

“Regarding blogging in general, I have little respect for it,” said Michael Allain, an adjunct professor for the history department. “Although I am aware of some reliable sources that use blogs, much of what I read and hear about them through reliable news sources suggests that much of what appears in blogs are unsubstantiated cheap shots.”

While Allain doesn’t put much value in the information generated in the “blogosphere,” others warn students about the dangers of posting private information or photos on the Internet.

“College students have had job offers rescinded, been fired or even arrested for what was in their profile or blog,” Umbreit said.  “If you want to keep something private, you shouldn’t put it on one of these sites. It’s like that old adage: tell no one the secret that you want to keep.”

McGraw also thinks students have reason to be concerned with their privacy when posting information on the Internet.

“I think many students don’t think through the potential impact of having the entire world view one’s personal thoughts and other personal information,” he said.

Despite its lack of privacy, professors are using these Web sites to keep in touch with alumni, post educational material or to learn students’ names.