Facebook is launching a college-only space where students can connect with classmates over shared interests.
Sound familiar? The social network is going back to its roots with Facebook Campus, a dedicated section of the mobile app that lets undergrads create a unique profile showcasing their major, minor, classes, hometown, and larks. You'll need a verified college email and graduation year to sign up, suggesting professors, staff, and former students can't spoil the fun. Once enrolled, users can find school-specific groups and events, make new friends, and share questions and concerns.
The feature—rolling out first to 30 US institutions—boasts a News Feed, campus directory, and real-time chat rooms, where folks can virtually gather by dorm, club, or any other campus group. "We built Campus to be safe, inclusive, and optional," product manager Charmaine Hung wrote in a blog announcement.
(Photo via Facebook)
"This year, students across the country are facing new challenges as some campuses shift to partial or full-time remote learning, so it's more important than ever to find a way to stay connected to college life," Hung continued. "In the early days, Facebook was a college-only network, and now we're returning to our roots … to help students make and maintain these relationships, even if they're away from their college."
Mark Zuckerberg launched TheFacebook in 2004, initially restricting access to students of Harvard College. A month later, the social network expanded to Columbia, Stanford, and Yale, before opening up to all Ivy League schools, Boston University, New York University, MIT, and eventually, most universities in the US and Canada. By late 2006, Facebook was free for anyone who claimed to be at least 13 years old with a valid email address.
Check Facebook's online list of Campus-compatible schools—including Brown, Duke, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, Rice, Sarah Lawrence, Tufts, Penn, Virginia Tech, and Wellesley—to see if yours is included. There is no word on where the platform will reach next.
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