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On the front page, we detailed how the University of Maine’s Athletic Department is considering investing funding a mechanism to monitor student athletes’ online actions. These include social network postings.
We understand student athletes act as ambassadors for the university, but we do not think they should be targeted and scrutinized for their online actions. It is one situation when someone complains to the Athletics Department about the way an athlete acted online. It is another thing completely for the university to seek out these actions. It is an assumption, on UMaine’s part, that these students are acting irresponsibly.
It is difficult to rationalize this sort of spying when the UMS is losing millions of dollars in funding, cutting financial aid and programs as it clings on for dear life to what little it has.
Even if what the university may invest in is legal, it is unethical. The university should not seek to find trouble. Online social networks are new public forums; for UMaine to monitor them is similar to placing wiretaps at parties attended by student athletes.
There should be a certain level of privacy expected, even for representatives of the school. Of course students should act appropriately and respectfully in all platforms, but the university should not barge in on parties or other social times to make sure its students aren’t offending anyone.
This seems like a slippery slope. It starts with athletes, but who isn’t a UMaine representative? Would it be OK for UMaine to monitor Student Government or the campus media? We think not.
