HBCU Writers's Project
For Immediate Release
December 24, 2009
Contact Information

Kellee Bassaragh
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University

(BPRW) Facebook Goes Academic: New Feature Showcases Grades

(BLACK PR WIRE/FAMU-TALLAHASSEE) – With spring registration right around the corner, students are trying to find the "right" professor that could help them get good grades. Students now have a new tool, CampusBuddy, a Facebook application that enables students to connect and exchange information about universities, professors and their grading habits. According to CampusBuddy, it is home to the largest and most up-to-date collection of official university grades anywhere. With over 80 million grades from hundreds of universities evaluated, CampusBuddy seeks to allow students an unparalleled view of the academic world.

It is free and connects students, classes, departments and schools. CampusBuddy is available for most colleges and high schools worldwide, including Florida A&M University. After adding the application, individuals will see what they need to know about FAMU. While web sites like ratemyprofessor.com allow students to post and read comments on professors. CampusBuddy said it also provides official college grade records, and statistics ranging from average GPA, to percentage of students that received grades greater than or equal to a B.

Latina Black, a senior business administration student, said CampusBuddy is a great addition to Facebook. "I think that it is an effective tool that students can use to help assist them [to] find the best fit for choosing the appropriate professor," said Black, 23, a native of Detroit, Michigan.

Michael Moradian, creator of CampusBuddy, said the inspiration behind the program came from his own experiences. "It often bothered me, and many others I know, how often the choice of a professor or class was just as important as the work put into it," he said in an interview with The Maneater, the official student newspaper of the University of Missouri-Columbia. "Grading, in particular, seemed so mysterious at times."

Daron Wright, a junior business administration student, agrees. "I feel this application is very beneficial for students registering for classes," said Wright, 21, a native of Detroit, Michigan. "Increasing the information about the course, professor, and student, makes registering for classes a lot easier, however the student’s grade does me no good for the reason that someone else's grade doesn't necessarily reflect what I would get."

CampusBuddy boasts that its school records are "110 percent accurate." On the main page itself, CampusBuddy has a disclaimer that states, "All of the grades analyzed on CampusBuddy are official – every single one of them. Using only official school data ensures that we give you the most accurate and unbiased picture of the professors, courses and departments at the campus. This meticulous approach has taken years of time, and a great deal of sweat and tears to accomplish – but we are students and know how much grades can mean!"

Krishula Edwards, 19, a sophomore political science student, said having the new Facebook feature is a good thing. "I feel this is a great advantage," said Edwards, a native of Montgomery, Alabama. "I usually go around asking people, ‘have you taken this class before?’ ‘How was the professor?’ And off of their responses I adjust myself accordingly to what to expect from the class. So in the end, this application is saving me time."