University to take disciplinary action against Facebook students · Issue 846, by Helen Thompson

Cardiff students reprimanded for making derogatory comments about lecturers and using Facebook group walls to share coursework answers

Students could be unwittingly kept under surveillance by University staff through their use of online media such as Facebook it has emerged, after several Cardiff students were threatened with disciplinary action for comments made on the social networking site.

A number of students from the Biosciences Department have been reprimanded for using the site to share ‘detailed information on coursework and other assessments’, and also for posting comments on a group wall that could ‘involve an offence against a person’, or be construed as ‘defamatory or obscene … abusive or threatening to others’.

A group was set up on Facebook to discuss a piece of work for Research Techniques, a module taken by students from various different biological degrees.

About 20 of the group’s members received an email on April 30 advising them that they would be required to attend a meeting to discuss ‘evidence of unfair practice in the form of collusion’, to take place on May 9.

Although the group, which has now been shut down, had over 100 members, only those who had posted comments on the group’s wall that the University considered to constitute collusion or defamation were asked to the meeting.

This included one student who made the seemingly innocuous remark that a post by another student was lacking a comma.

A smaller number of students were also accused of making derogatory remarks about lecturer Dr Carsten Muller. Unconfirmed reports allege that the comments claimed that Muller is ‘gay’.

The students involved in the allegations of collusion say that they did not see the group as a serious offence because the marks for the piece of coursework discussed would not go towards their final grade, and was viewed as supplementary work.

It seems that the students did not consider the possibility that lecturers would see the group, and it is unclear how it came to the attention of the Biosciences Department.

A second email from Bioscience’s Head of Teaching, sent to all Bioscience students on May 1, said: “We can, and do, monitor internet websites and take a very grave view of behaviour which constitutes unfair practice in the area of assessment and other activity likely to bring the university into disrepute.”

It also added that students are “strongly advised to examine whether [they] might be in breach of any … regulations and to remove offending matter from [Facebook, Myspace, Youtube etc.] accordingly. The School reserves the right to pursue any offences that have already occurred, even if the material is removed.”

The email defines collusion as having occurred when ‘work that has been undertaken by or with others is submitted and passed off as solely the work of one person’.

It warned that the Biosciences Undergraduate Handbook makes the definition of collusion and plagiarism clear, and asks students to avoid these by ‘not asking to borrow other students’ assessed work’.

Although the module was not assessed, and merely ‘required completion’, the email states that ‘posting answers to assignments on a website clearly breaches this regulation and constitutes unfair practice’.

Students have since been informed that they will not fail the module for failing to attempt or successfully complete the tutorials, but that students’ achievement in the module will be kept on their individual records.

It is understood that the Research Techniques module was taught by Dr Muller through e-tutorials, and that complications with the online application Blackboard got ‘seriously in the way’ of the course.

An email sent by Muller to his students on May 15 promised that the problems they encountered would be ‘dealt with for the next year’.

Those who posted derogatory comments about Muller may face harsher treatment, and at the time of going to print were waiting to hear if the matter would be referred to the police.

A similar incident has been reported at Keele University, where a Facebook group entitled ‘James Knowles is a Twat’ was directed against an English Literature academic.

There is some concern that the removal of all criticism of lecturers from Facebook stifles freedom of speech and lends a positive bias to the coverage of universities on new media. There are many other Facebook groups dedicated to Cardiff lecturers, most of them positive, such as ‘Martin Coyle is a God’ and ‘Neil Badminton Rocks My World’, two members of Cardiff’s English Literature staff.

At Keele, this has provoked an angry reaction, resulting in Facebook groups entitled ‘Freedom of Thought at Keele’ and ‘Freedom of Speech in Keele Psychology’ being created.

No retaliation of this sort is yet evident on the Cardiff University Facebook network.

A University spokesperson commented: “It should be noted, offences against the student disciplinary code are offences irrespective of the medium involved.”

The Biosciences Department declined to comment.

We ask students whether they think posting negative comments on Facebook should be a disciplinary offence

Hannah Murphy, second year, Maths
“I don’t think Facebook groups set up about lecturers are intended as anything serious, it’s more of a joke. I also don’t see any problem with discussing answers; it’s just helping each other out. And if people are going to be punished then I would expect them to be copying to a significant extent.”

Rhodri Griffiths, third year, Business Administration
“I would never think my lecturers would be on Facebook and I would discuss work without thinking I was doing anything wrong; it’s exactly like revising together or chatting about work. Facebook is just a social medium, another form of communication. Lecturers should just stay off Facebook and leave it for the students.”

Kit Carrau, second year, City and Regional Planning
“If people are actively plagiarising, from Facebook or elsewhere, then obviously something should be done about it if it’s clear that you’ve been copying answers. But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with groups that are derogatory towards lecturers so long as your comments are true and fair. What’s to stop you setting up your own webpage to talk about them, as long as it’s not libel.”

Alison Battisby, second year, English Language
“We have a discussion board for our course on the University Blackboard system, so I don’t see how that’s any different to discussing work on Facebook. It’s all about freedom of speech. I think a lot of groups about lecturers are set up as a joke, but if you start shutting them down who exactly decides what to shut down and what not to?”