With more than a billion monthly active users on Facebook, according to the Facebook official website, lately there are rumors that the Office of Honor is investigating students’ Facebook pages. Regarding to the rumors, Michael A. Johanson, director of BYU-Hawaii Communications and Marketing, provided some clarifications. Would students be reported to the Office of Honor if they post anything inappropriate on Facebook such as comments or photos?Yes they could – especially if the photos are inappropriate such as pornography. The use of social media needs to be taken seriously not only when it comes to the Honor Code, but also when it comes to representing who you are, your families, and your employers. Employers today often look at their potential employee’s Facebook pages. So it is better to keep your online profiles and content in a way that represents yourself, how you would like to be represented.How does the Office of Honor find out about suspected post on Facebook? The complaints mostly come as an anonymous emails or printed postings. If anyone observes something, they are welcome to submit a complaint to the Office of Honor. If there is a claim about a specific student’s behavior, the Office of Honor could investigate and ask that student about the specific nature of that complaint. The best case scenario of a complaint is to address who it is, what had happened, and as much information as possible. It is easy to send a note to the Honor Code Office with a link to the inappropriate post. If a report is turned to the Office of Honor, they are obligated to follow up according to the standards of the Honor Code, for example, residential living standards or dress and grooming standards. Would the Office of Honor actively keep track of students’ Facebook pages?They might check it if they have a reason. They might do some random checks, but they would not look at every single student’s Facebook page and look for who’s not keeping their Honor Code commitment. How do you define an “inappropriate post” on Facebook?Anything that involves vulgar words, crude language, or photos displaying conduct that is not in standard with those outlined in “For the Strength of Youth.” What if in the photo, the student is in standards but not his/her friends who are not LDS members? Would it be considered as inappropriate, too?No, the Office of Honor might look at the claim but decide not to take any action. It depends on the content of the picture.What would happen to the students turned into the Office of Honor for a suspected issue?If the inappropriate behavior is confirmed or admitted, then appropriate action would be taken if necessary. The job of the Office of Honor is to encourage keeping of the commitments we all make and investigate the claims where those commitments might have been broken.Do you worry if some students use this system to get revenge on people that they dislike?No. Any investigation is based upon the individuals, their side of the story, and any evidence related to the violation of standards and commitments.What is your last word to students regarding the Honor Code?We, as individuals, can support our fellow students to encourage them to live up to their commitments and covenants. We can all help the Office of Honor by helping to reminding one another to keep our commitments. Everyone should know when they leave here [BYU–Hawaii] and go somewhere else they will likely experience an environment that is different from here – where others around them don’t follow the same standards. The hope is that students can maintain those high standards – especially after graduation – and continue to see the spiritual and practical benefits of living those standards.
Writer: Clover Cheng~Multimedia Journalist
