Cambridge tutors admits using Facebook during admissions process

Story in today's Guardian about a Cambridge admissions tutor using Facebook to "check" on students applying to his college.

Dr Richard Barnes tells Emmanuel college:

"This has been the year in which I joined Facebook ... I have to confess that I actually joined to see what I was missing and also to check up (discreetly) on applicants for a college position."

Cambridge University and the NUS say that Facebook shouldn't be used as part of the offical admissions process (and there's nothing to suggest it was).

Part of me thinks that's the right move, but then part of me likes the idea of throwing something less formalised and beaureacratic into the mix. For the sake of equality lets make sure they check MySpace too.

Technorati tags: Cambridge University, Facebook, MySpace

Comments

[Richard Millington]

I see a flaw in that comment. You can't see anyone's information unless they accept you as a friend. So claiming to 'discreetly' has to be a false statement surely?

Unless everyone is making their data publicly available now.

[Simon Collister]

No. I am sure you can access some people's profiles if they have not upped their privacy settings....