I guess Facebook isn't only for stalking and poking. As demonstrated by the Student Labor Action Coalition late last week, some people believe the popular website can also be used for pressuring university officials to take action on important issues and proposals. Debatable, though, is whether creating mock Facebook profiles for university administrators is the best way to get them on your side.
Many University of Wisconsin students received a Facebook friend request from Chancellor John Wiley Nov. 16. After stifling the inevitable laughter over the request hailing not from your crush in lecture but the chancellor of your university, many students logged on and read, in full, Wiley's profile. It was immediately clear that this was not only a joke — similar to already established pages for Buckingham Badger and Family Guy's Peter Griffin — but also an actual assault on the chancellor's policies, or lack thereof, depending on whom you ask. For the few students who did not receive the friend request, both campus newspapers ran the story on the front page, and above the fold.
Listed under Mr. Wiley's "interests" are "Playstation, sweatshops, cigarettes." His favorite TV Show? "Real World — El Salvador." Under professional information, his job title is "CEO" with a description of "Making UW safe for corporations." Okay, it's funny. But the best way to gain Mr. Wiley's support? I don't think so. I'm not against bashing Mr. Wiley, and have done so myself, but this does seem to be one case in which he is trying to do the right thing.
The mock profile was aimed at getting attention for a United Students Against Sweatshops proposal, supported by both SLAC and the Associated Students of Madison, which calls for sweatshop reform. The proposal wants apparel licensees, like Nike, Adidas and Reebok, to be required to buy from unionized factories in increasing percentages over the years. These corporations manufacturer the bulk of university apparel, most of which have logos like Bucky or the signature "W."
The student organizations are anxious to have Mr. Wiley's support. They are unhappy with his allegedly slow response to the issue and believe that this is a situation where UW needs a chancellor who is willing to "stick his neck out," according to SLAC member and labor Licensing Policy Committee representative Joel Feingold.
The administration, not surprisingly, has a different opinion on the proposal. In a recent news article in The Badger Herald, university officials argued that signing off on a proposal like this one is not as easy as students may think. A Facebook profile bashing the chancellor is not likely to expedite this process.
In addition, according to Interim Special Assistant to the Chancellor Dawn Crim, the university is already engaged in a more extensive examination of this proposal, including the hiring of a "global apparels expert" who is now in charge of figuring out how to encourage apparel licensees to utilize union only labor.
As for Mr. Wiley's Facebook profile? University administrators have decided not to comment, essentially attempting to remove the page from the limelight and prove that regardless of the attention it has received from students, it will have no effect on Mr. Wiley's course of action.
One of Mr. Wiley's primary concerns regarding the proposal, as outlined in a letter to ASM Oct. 31, is that there is actual substance to it and not just symbolism.
As chancellor of our university, it is Mr. Wiley's obligation to make sure proposals are not endorsed without significant research. This particular proposal would institute significant changes to the existing arrangement with apparel licensees, and certainly deserves the attention that Mr. Wiley is devoting to it. "You can appreciate, I am certain, that when fairly significant changes are proposed to our existing Code of Conduct, contractually binding on all licensees, it is neither prudent nor practical for me to simply endorse such changes," Mr. Wiley wrote in the same letter to ASM.
Yes, Facebook is a great way to get students' attention. But it also trivializes an important issue. Is it the best way to get the chancellor to hurry up and support a proposal that will make significant changes in current policy? Definitely not. My suggestion? Get back to stalking and poking, and let Mr. Wiley do his job.
Emily Friedman ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in journalism and legal studies.
