Social Networking Websites? Hazing? This Is NCAA Compliance?
by Jeff Konya, Associate A.D. for Compliance & Student Services
This blog entry attempts to successfully mix the rush scenes in Animal House with the “dorky dance internet camera scene” from one of the American Pie movies.
I have the good fortune of formally leading a social networking discussion at next week’s annual NAACC meetings in Austin, Texas, in and among my peers in this profession. I am by no means a technical expert in Facebook or Myspace specifics, but I have given a similar talk on several college campuses as to how to formulate an effective institutional policy on social networking given all of its pros and cons. In August, I will be talking about the issue of hazing with all SMU coaches and staff in preparation of the upcoming academic year. That discussion will focus on the psychological underpinnings for why elements of hazing can be appealing to the group dynamic while at the same time having possible damaging effects to its individual participants. It is interesting that in today’s world, websites like www.badjocks.com can gain momentum focusing on what images and words athletes/coaches/staff freely post on their respective social networking websites and at times, they showcase obvious hazing incidents. In this way, the two topics are interconnected. So how does this connect to compliance and student services?
Simply put, there are NCAA rules that could come into play. For example, these sites can show impropriety during the recruiting process of a prospect. There was a recent case where boosters/fans posted or encouraged prospects to attend their respective institution and not to attend another rival school. Such active recruitment is restricted to institutional coaches who have passed an annual recruiting exam, and the institution whose boosters/fans engaged in this sort of activity were forced to self report the violation. Of course with hazing, not only could NCAA rules come into play but institutional, state and federal rules could as well, especially when these activities are combined with alcohol and underage drinking.
I am going to start working on my new movie script “Animal Pie,” no make that “American House.”
Last Download – “Hey You” by Pink Floyd
This blog entry attempts to successfully mix the rush scenes in Animal House with the “dorky dance internet camera scene” from one of the American Pie movies.
I have the good fortune of formally leading a social networking discussion at next week’s annual NAACC meetings in Austin, Texas, in and among my peers in this profession. I am by no means a technical expert in Facebook or Myspace specifics, but I have given a similar talk on several college campuses as to how to formulate an effective institutional policy on social networking given all of its pros and cons. In August, I will be talking about the issue of hazing with all SMU coaches and staff in preparation of the upcoming academic year. That discussion will focus on the psychological underpinnings for why elements of hazing can be appealing to the group dynamic while at the same time having possible damaging effects to its individual participants. It is interesting that in today’s world, websites like www.badjocks.com can gain momentum focusing on what images and words athletes/coaches/staff freely post on their respective social networking websites and at times, they showcase obvious hazing incidents. In this way, the two topics are interconnected. So how does this connect to compliance and student services?Simply put, there are NCAA rules that could come into play. For example, these sites can show impropriety during the recruiting process of a prospect. There was a recent case where boosters/fans posted or encouraged prospects to attend their respective institution and not to attend another rival school. Such active recruitment is restricted to institutional coaches who have passed an annual recruiting exam, and the institution whose boosters/fans engaged in this sort of activity were forced to self report the violation. Of course with hazing, not only could NCAA rules come into play but institutional, state and federal rules could as well, especially when these activities are combined with alcohol and underage drinking.
I am going to start working on my new movie script “Animal Pie,” no make that “American House.”
Last Download – “Hey You” by Pink Floyd
posted by SMU Athletics at 9:23 AM
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