Peabody is the building, Jack is the dog, and I'm Dean J (she/her, btw).

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Monday, December 07, 2015

The Class of 2020 Facebook Group

I try to create as many avenues for applicants to chat and ask questions as possible.  This is why I'm available here (I answer questions in the comments on posts) and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and email.

Sometimes, you'll want to chat with each other and ask questions in a student-only space.  You can do that in the Class of 2020 Facebook group.  In the spirit of student self-governance, which is a big deal here at UVa, this is a space just for students


https://www.facebook.com/groups/354142351389941/

Click the image to go to the group on Facebook!

Who Is in the Facebook Group?

Obviously, the group will be for students who hope they'll be members of the Class of 2020 at this point. Membership will evolve as decisions are released and students start committing to colleges. After decisions come out, the students in these groups often create questionnaires to facilitate roommate matches. I'm told that the questionnaires the students create are more detailed than any being used by a housing office or roommate matching service. Student self-governance works again!

Who Is Moderating the Facebook Group?

There are two current students who run the group. They are not paid to promote a business or product. They are students who know the ins and outs of UVA and have offered to field questions without an agenda. You'll notice that we don't really sell UVA. We present UVA to you and let you decide if the University has the things you need to be engaged and challenged. Their answers to your questions will be honest and straightforward.

What Happens to the Group in the Future?


When your class elects officers, the current admins will hand the group over to your chosen leaders. We've been doing this for about six years and it works beautifully. For now, the admins are fine with answering questions, but they usually sit back and let you chat.  Nothing in these groups will be saved or connected to your applications.

Is Facebook Activity Used for Admission Purposes?

I am not in the Facebook group. I have absolutely no interest in tracking you or looking at your profiles.  If you have questions and want to ask them on Facebook, you can use the Office of Admission page.

Can Parents Join?

No. if you are looking to check in with parents of UVa students, check out the UVa Parents page. Every so often, I hear about a parent requesting to join the student group. Please let them have their space to talk.



Why Does UVA Create the Group?

We didn't always create a Facebook group for the classes. I used to talk about how Facebook was the students' domain (it was back when you had to have a .edu email address to get an account!) and groups should grow organically. I changed my mind in 2008 when a company started creating groups with school names on them. They've modified their model over time, but they are still at it.

Content in the group we created won't include advertisements from third parties and your information won't be mined.