Campus Quotes
CNN Reports
College students and Debt
From OSU to USO
Should an Islamic Center be built near ground zero? Page 2
CNN recently reported nine worst college degrees . Page 3
Credit card companies are targeting more and more college students. Page 8
Former OSU player and student, Atrell Woods transfers to UCO to play ball. Page 7
AUG 23, 2010 uco360.com twitter.com/uco360
THE VISTA
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA’S student voice since 1903.
‘STATUS’ MAY DETERMINE EMPLOYABLITY Potential employers are increasingly using social networking sites to do cheap and easy background checks, so students may want to think twice before posting those party pictures from their summer vacation.
Amid the usual back-to-school to-do list of buying books and getting dorm rooms ready, it might be a good idea to check those Facebook p a g e s and remove any s u m m e r “clutter.”
employee-really is? These various profiles can be a part of the all-important “firstimpressions” phenomenon. Once the first-impressions card has been played, it cannot be played again. A January 2009 Evansville Courier Press online article concluded that yes, these profiles really do give employers
behavior, as you may only get one chance with this employer,” Mertons said. He added, “I have read articles stating anywhere from 40 percent t o 50 percent o f potential employers
In ever-increasing n u m bers, the appropriateness and conversely inappropriateness of a social networking profile can secure students a fabulous internship, or prove to be a ticket out the door of a potential or current job because employers can and do use them to make hiring decisions. With more and more employers hitting up Facebook, Myspace and Twitter profiles, can they be depended upon to be a true testament to who a student –and potential
insight into the personality and intelligence of potential candidates (is this Legal? See below). Dan Mertons is a business maagement professor in the UCO business department and has some helpful pointers for students. “Remember that companies are hiring polished college graduates, not college students who are having a great time. Especially in this tough economy, I tell my students to remove all traces of inappropriate
search potential employees online. Regardless of the actual percentage (which is increasing every year), the point is that employers are trying to limit the ‘guesswork’ in hiring and are trying to get as much information on recruits as possible.” Mertons listed several main reasons employers eliminate candidates after searching social networks. They are as follows:
By Samatha Maloy / Copy Editor
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Inappropriate photographs or information (posted by the student or someone else) Drinking or drug use content (pictures or written) Bad mouthing previous employers,
tools have been cast in a negative light, but their ability to help mold your image is being undersold. Imagine a recruiter looking at your page and seeing pictures of you interning, volunteering, or reading.
co-workers or clients • Poor communication skills • Discriminatory comments • Lying about qualifications Okay, okay, so social networks’ damaging powers are evident. What about their power for good? Mertons said that he suggest to his students “to go a step further and utilize their social networks in a positive fashion. These powerful
“Have tweets, wall comments, and blogs on the positive, careerbuilding activities you have undertaken or accomplished, rather than complaints or negative portrayals of life challenges. The stark contrast between individuals who manage their ‘web presence’ versus those that don’t makes the hiring decisions easy for recruiters,” Merton said.
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According to Wolters Kluwer, a law and business consulting firm, it is not against the law for employers to conduct background checks through social networking sites. But companies should be wary: “No law actually prohibits employers from searching social networking sites on the Internet to conduct their own background checks of current employees or job applicants. However, employers need to be aware of potential federal and state discrimination claims and invasion
of privacy claims. For example, if an employer finds information on a site like MySpace that identifies an applicant’s disability or medical condition, the employer could be slapped with a discrimination lawsuit if the employer bases its decision not to hire him/her on that information.”
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DID YOU KNOW? In space, astronauts cannot cry properly, because there is no gravity, so the tears can’t flow down their faces
By Christie Ellen Rawlins / Contributing Writer
During a time of layoffs, downsizing and pay cuts, many find it hard to love what they do. Salaries have been trimmed, people have been laid off and hiring has been frozen at many colleges and universities. With the lingering effects of the recession, many institutions have resorted to large budget cuts, thus creating an unsatisfactory environment at the workplace. But perhaps the same cannot be said about the University of Central Oklahoma. The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Great Colleges to Work For 2010 survey ranked UCO among one of the top institutions nationwide. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education website, the responses were based on more than 43,000 people at 275 institutions. Of those, only 97 colleges’ employee ratings won them recognition as great places to work. The survey specifically recognized Central for its “high quality teaching environment” and
PHOTO BY GARETT FISBECK
A GREAT UNIVERSITY TO WORK FOR
The Chronicles of Higher Education names UCO as one of the best places to work among 275 institutes.
its “tenure clarity and process.” “The overall environment of the University is so friendly and warm and the campus is beautiful,” Susan Miller said, professor for the Fashion Marketing
department. “I especially like the student- to-faculty ratio for a university of this size.” The survey found that colleges on the list continue to do well at “creating work that
makes a difference, providing jobs that fit the individual and fostering a high degree of institutional pride.” Continued on page 16