Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites have become the basic means of communication in many colleges, especially at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC). Students constantly update their statuses about the new iPhone or tweet the funniest line they heard from a friend. Many clubs and organizations on campus, such as United Student Government (USG), Resident Hall Association (RHA) and the Asian Pacific American Coalition (APAC) use Twitter and Facebook to stay connected with the rest of the FCLC community. When it comes to students communicating with professors at FCLC, there is a problem with staying connected.

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education’s article on social networking on college campuses, email remains the official method of communication in most universities. At Fordham, all faculty, professors and students receive a school email.

Students check their Fordham email throughout the day. Andrew Lew, FCLC ’13, is able to check his Fordham email because it is connected to his phone. “I rarely check my email on a computer, unless I am sending an email in a particular format or I have to attach some sort of file,” Lew said.

Peony Tam, FCLC ’15, said shechecks her Fordham email easily because it is connected to her personal email. “I can check all my Fordham emails because they are linked to my personal Gmail account, and I check my personal Gmail account every day. I also use my Fordham email for club-related emails,” Tam said.

Joe Lagville, FCLC ’15, said “Personally, I think the [Fordham] email is a great tool for students and professors to communicate with each other.”

Since many professors and students check their Fordham email multiple times a day, and most students prefer to communicate with their professors via email, why is there a problem in staying connected?

“Some professors are better at communicating with students than others. I’ve been in some situations where I’ve had a question about an assignment and I didn’t hear back until a few days later,” Melissa Gazal, FCLC ’14, said.

Some students also have professors who only check their email at a certain time during the day and during the week because professors prefer not being attached to their email for long periods of time.

For professors, email is the most common way of communication. However, professors also point out that they have office hours. When asked if students take advantage of their office hours, both professors interviewed, Mattias Smängs, assistant professor of sociology and Mary Bly,  English professor, said not many students take advantage of their office hours.

“Students rarely come see me during my office hours; they mostly come to see me towards the end of the semester,” Smängs said. “Students never take advantage of my office hours; I always end up making appointments,” Bly said.

Would the use of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter eliminate the problem of students staying connected with their professors? The idea did not appeal to many students or professors. “For me, email is the most professional method to contact my professors. Facebook is more personal to me,” Karman Chao, FCLC ’16, said.

Gabriella Giunta, FCLC ’14 said, “Communicating with a professor via Twitter or Facebook crosses the line between a professional and personal relationship. It works both ways; while many students don’t want their professors reading their tweets and Facebook statuses, I’m sure most professors wouldn’t want their students sitting around a computer discussing their profile pictures.”

“I do not think it is advisable to, let’s say, shoot an instant message to Fr. McShane on a Tuesday night. There’s a certain decorum that has to be maintained,” Michael Macalintal, FCLC ’15, said.

Professors, who may or may not use social media, also believe there has to be a professional relationship between students and professors. “I communicate with my students online via email and only email. I do not use social media to any greater extent,” Smängs said.

For Bly, social media is a part of her life as a writer but not as a professor. “I consider myself a social media person because I have a writing name (Eloisa James) and a big Facebook fan page (40K), and I also have a Twitter account. But I see social media as a promotional tool that involves communication rather than a reliable way to talk to students,” Bly said.

“It’s important for me to maintain a healthy, supportive mentoring and pedagogical relationship (with students), which for me, does not extend to Facebook or sharing my cell phone number,” Christiana Peppard, associate professor of theology, said.

Some teachers feel that immediate communication between students and professors is necessary. “Students should get in touch with professors as soon as possible in case they find themselves having trouble in the class. Also, students should take advantage of office hours more extensively,” Smängs said.

For Bly, it is up to the students. “I feel as if those students who want to talk to me will find me. Those who don’t are adults and have the right to organize their work lives as they wish and if that involves non-communication, so be it,” Bly said.