April 21, 2009

Big Brother is always watching at OU

According to this story from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Oklahoma Sooners have begun policing Facebook and social networking sites to ensure that atheletes comply with the university's new policy for web usage.

In the social networking policy, athletes are warned that their postings must comply with a code of conduct and can be punishable with education, counseling, suspension or expulsion and with the reduction or cancellation of financial aid. It warns athletes not to post pictures that would portray them negatively nor post contact information that agents or their runners could use to put the athletes' eligibility in jeopardy.

"'Partying,' 'drinking,' and 'getting wasted' do not qualify as real hobbies or interests," the policy warns.

Oklahoma also has installed software that can monitor website usage from campus computers and will detect gambling and academic fraud. The new policy announcement ties into OU's annual compliance requirements resulting from past incidents of recruiting and improper benefits.

Last season, a Texas player was dismissed because of a posting he made on Facebook. Also in 2008, a Wake Forest player was dismissed for comments he made on Facebook.

The timing of this announcement is very intriguing, following closely on the heels of the NCAA requiring NC State to get involved because of a student's posting on Facebook, which may have constituted a recruiting violation. Clearly the NCAA is putting the onus for controlling what is said and by whom on the backs of the universities.

HT: OU_Ron, who may or not be doing some of the online policing. :)

Comments:

Big Brother is always watching at OU
According to this story from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Oklahoma Sooners have begun policing Facebook and social networking sites to ensure that atheletes comply with the university's new policy for web usage.
In the social networking policy, athletes are warned that their postings must comply with a code of conduct and can be punishable with education, counseling, suspension or expulsion and with the reduction or cancellation of financial aid. It warns athletes not to post pictures that would portray them negatively nor post contact information that agents or their runners could use to put the athletes' eligibility in jeopardy. "'Partying,' 'drinking,' and 'getting wasted' do not qualify as real hobbies or interests," the policy warns.
Oklahoma also has installed software that can monitor website usage from campus computers and will detect gambling and academic fraud. The new policy announcement ties into OU's annual compliance requirements resulting from past incidents of recruiting and improper benefits. Last season, a Texas player was dismissed because of a posting he made on Facebook. Also in 2008, a Wake Forest player was dismissed for comments he made on Facebook. The timing of this announcement is very intriguing, following closely on the heels of the NCAA requiring NC State to get involved because of a student's posting on Facebook, which may have constituted a recruiting violation. Clearly the NCAA is putting the onus for controlling what is said and by whom on the backs of the universities. HT: OU_Ron, who may or not be doing some of the online policing. :)