- Editor: Alia Aglan
- Photographer: Jana Hassan
Incoming students have been increasingly tapping into the “Rate AUC Professors” group on Meta with questions about professors and available class sections. Comments flood in from members in this online community, some are helpful and honest, others throw in a remark or two just to stir things up.
The page is most popular just before the declaration and registration cycles end; but as the rush for academic answers dies down, the conversation often drifts beyond course reviews, spilling into campus gossip and heated debates. Soon enough, “Rate AUC Professors” became less about course schedules and more about who’s saying what.
Jana Fayyed, an Economics alumna in 2023 and one of the group’s moderators, has watched this shift unfold. She explained that what initially started as a space for discussing campus-specific topics gradually evolved into a broader platform for student conversations and debates which occasionally escalate into fiery arguments.
Despite the growing volume and volatility of discussions, the group, which currently has six moderators, still isn’t tightly policed.
“We don’t approve posts before they go up, but we do have group rules,” Fayyed said.
According to these rules, posts containing spam, hate speech, or religious debates are not allowed. The group prides itself in its main goal, which is, according to their About section, “to enrich the students’ learning experience and environment”. Still, drawing the line between open dialogue and unacceptable content can be tricky.
Moderating an online space often means navigating the challenge of maintaining order while simultaneously protecting freedom of speech and, according to Fayyed, this balance isn’t always easy to maintain.
“If we get complaints about a post, we discuss it as admins and decide what would be the least offensive solution for everyone,” she said.
This kind of moderation process recently came into play when a user was accused of mocking a genocide through a series of controversial posts. The incident sparked a heated discussion within the group, leading admins to launch a poll asking members whether the user should be banned. The situation highlighted the fine line moderators must walk between upholding community standards and navigating sensitive, emotionally charged topics. “It got really intense,” Fayyed said. “People were divided, and we had to think carefully about what action would make the space feel safest for everyone involved.”
Salma Elghetany, adjunct faculty and executive assistant to the director at the Kamal Adham Center for Television and Digital Journalism, said that it is common for online spaces to shift focus over time. She explained that social media platforms are designed to keep people engaged, which can often lead to distractions.
She highlighted how the more people interact, the more the conversations begin to naturally drift from the original purpose.
“People start discussing things that aren’t related to the group’s main goal, and eventually, the group changes,” said Elghetany.
She added that this is a pattern seen on many platforms, where debates, branching discussions, and even arguments slowly reshape the nature of online communities.
For some students, the shift has been frustrating.
Youssef Tarek, a petroleum engineering sophomore, initially joined the group to read reviews about professors, but now feels like it has become a mix of useful advice and unrelated posts.
“Sometimes, I check the page, and it’s full of posts about things that don’t matter or that are just gossip,” he said. “And some of those posts spread information that isn’t even true.”
Tarek recalled one example where a post by a user claimed that a professor had been fired for being “too harsh with students,” prompting a long thread of comments speculating about the professor’s identity and sharing unverified experiences. “It turned out to be completely false…But it spread fast, and the comments got really personal. It made me realize how quickly rumors can take over the page.”
Elghetany attributes the tendency for online spaces to become rumor mills to the diversity of their members.
“Not everyone in these spaces is media literate,” she said. “Some people don’t know how to fact-check information, and others may even spread disinformation on purpose.”
While admins try to manage the spread of misinformation on the group, Fayyed mentioned that it isn’t always easy. She explained that when a post appears questionable, they often reach out to the person that wrote it for proof before deciding whether to remove it.
“We try to keep the group a safe space for everyone,” said Fayyed.
However, Fayyed added that not everyone agrees with their decisions, recalling a time when the admins deleted a post that gave religious advice because it felt harsh and forceful.
“Some people thought we shouldn’t have deleted it, as it still served the community, but we felt it wasn’t relevant to the group’s purpose and would create unnecessary controversy,” she said.
This type of backlash is something Fayyed and the other admins have grown accustomed to over time, particularly when it comes to changing the group’s rules. She explained that they occasionally hold polls allowing members to vote on new regulations, which are decided on based on the majority. However, this approach doesn’t always seem to satisfy everyone.
“A minority of them often get upset and say their opinion is the right one.”
The anonymity factor often prompts people to be less mindful of their words in digital spaces, according to Elghetany.
She added that another issue in online groups like “Rate AUC Professors” is a concept known as “groupthink,” where people start aligning with the majority’s opinion without questioning it, and she explained that this can influence how students engage with posts.
Elghetany has heard about the group’s dynamics and can imagine that groupthink plays a role.
“In cases where students discuss a professor, they might be swayed by what others are saying, even if they haven’t taken a class with that professor themselves.”
Nada Khaled, a theatre junior, agrees with this possibility.
“Sometimes, you see a post where everyone is saying the same thing about a professor, and you wonder if they’re just copying each other. It makes it hard to know what’s true.” said Khaled.
Such patterns, according to Elghetany, reflect broader challenges in how students navigate online spaces and that improving media literacy is essential to creating safer and more respectful online spaces.
“Students need to learn how to think critically about the information they see online.”
El Ghetany encourages students to practice “lateral reading,” referring to checking information across different sources before believing it.
She also advised students to be cautious about posts that may trigger strong emotional reactions.
“A little skepticism can go a long way. Ask yourself: Is this true? Why am I reacting this way? Can I verify this information?”
