Originally published September 5, 2021.

Facebook is returning to its roots, so to speak, but it’s not launching another platform dedicated to ranking the attractiveness of students as Zuckerberg’s original design intended, instead, Facebook is launching a campus specific platform catered towards student social networking. Old Dominion University has been selected, along with 140, schools to gain access to Facebook’s new campus platform: Facebook Campus.

“Facebook Campus is a dedicated space for college students to participate in college life,” Kaylee Slusser, Product Manager for Facebook Campus explained via phone interview, “And what I mean by that is that it’s a space within the Facebook app itself just dedicated to your college.”

Facebook Campus was soft-launched in Sept. of 2020, originally available to thirty institutions including other local Virginia campuses such as William & Mary and Virginia Tech.

“On our side we were seeing that students had this need to really start connecting–especially with remote school and hybrid school options. We wanted to make it really easy for students to connect in one space. That’s what brought us to Facebook Campus.”

According to Slusser, “There’s a lot of different features we think will make it easier for students to connect.”

This includes a Campus-only News Feed, Campus Directory and Campus Chat.

“Within Facebook Campus, on the Campus Feed, you’re able to see all of your college groups and all of your college events in one place,” Slusser expressed how this feature allows students to stay more updated with university events, “Additionally, we will have a directory where you can actually go in and find students with the same major as you, same classes, same hometown and be able to reach out to them and connect with them being able to make new friends.”

“We also have a Bullying Prevention hub within Campus that we think will be really beneficial to students.” Slusser shared, explaining that users could find the Bullying Prevention hub within Facebook Campus’ setting features.

So, who can join Facebook Campus?

“We made Facebook Campus with students in mind, so you need a dot E-D-U verified email to enter Facebook Campus.” Says Slusser, confirming that alumni and faculty are not expected to be a part of the Facebook Campus experience as a valid graduation year is required as well, however, “If they have a dot E-D-U email, they might be able to access Facebook Campus.”

Facebook Campus has the same privacy policy as the original Facebook platform, including the same data collection policy, and Product Management confirmed that activity on Facebook Campus may influence the things that you see across other Facebook applications.

Product Management also confirmed that all blocked accounts on the original Facebook platform will continue to be blocked on Facebook Campus.

Facebook Campus is now available for ODU students, “To access Facebook Campus, any student from Old Dominion can go into the Facebook app and in the bookmark section select ‘find campus’ or ‘search campus’. From there, enter their dot E-D-U email, log-in, create your campus profile and start engaging with the platform.”