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June 29, 2009, 02:54 PM ET
Brigham Young U. Lifts Ban on YouTube
YouTube will make its debut in classes at Brigham Young University this fall, after administrators decided to lift a nearly three-year ban on the video-sharing Web site.
As of last Friday, students and faculty and staff members could access YouTube from anywhere on the campus, said a university spokeswoman, Carri Jenkins. Previously, students could choose to view YouTube off the campus, but the site was restricted from all campus computers, including those connected to the Internet in campus housing.
“We looked at the increasing opportunities for educational material and information on YouTube, particularly to be used in the classroom by students and faculty,” Ms. Jenkins said.
The university first restricted access to YouTube in 2006, after administrators said certain content could be found offensive and was inconsistent with the university’s mission statement and honor code, which requires faculty and students to avoid online content that is not “virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy.”
The university reconsidered the ban earlier this month, following complaints from professors and shortly after the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released an official YouTube channel, Mormon Messages.
To help students filter the content they can now access on YouTube, the university now provides BeSafe@BYU, which lists its Internet policies and offers tips for dealing with violent, pornographic, and profane material. —Erica R. Hendry
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