THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
SEE INSIDE: TOP OF THE HILL The University Daily Kansan
vol. 136 // iss. 28 Mon., April 23, 2018
Girod addresses ‘crisis’ during inauguration
SYDNEY HOOVER @sydhoover17
The Lied Center was filled with faculty, staff, students, alumni and many other guests Friday afternoon as Douglas Girod was installed as the 18th chancellor of the University. “The University of Kansas is such a unique place and there really is not a more welcoming place than the Jayhawk nation,” Girod said at the beginning of his inaugural address following his installment. Girod was installed by Board of Regents Chair Dave Murfin at the ceremony. During his inaugural address, Girod listed what he hopes to improve for the University, which includes centering the student voice, improving service and outreach in the state and beyond, and finding new and innovative ways to grow the University’s “research footprint,” similar to the plans he laid out when he was first announced on May 25. “We do so much, and we can do more,” Girod said. He also discussed the lack of government funding higher education receives, stating that this has made recruitment and retention much more difficult than in the past. He described it as higher education being shifted from a “public good” to a “personal good.” “When I was a college student, the state funded 75 percent of the cost and
Sarah Wright/KANSAN Chancellor Douglas Girod officially assumes the role during his inauguration ceremony at the Lied Center on Friday, April 20. I was responsible for 25 percent of the cost,” Girod said. “Sadly, today, that is now reversed. And yet, the need for higher education has never been greater.” He described this trend as a “crisis,” but said that he is confident the University will be able to “persevere.” In addition to Girod, a number of University faculty members and others spoke in congratulations to Girod before his speech, including Gov. Jeff Colyer.
Colyer, in congratulating Girod, explained the former executive vice chancellor’s dedication and persistence in improving the University of Kansas Medical Center to make it a top research institute in the country. “That’s what Doug Girod believes, that KU is central to the heartland. And I think that is why he’s going to be a great chancellor,” Colyer said. In addition to Colyer, in attendance were represen-
tatives from the five other Regents schools as well as 29 representatives from higher education institutions across the country, members of the state and national legislatures, and members of the Regents, according to Vice Chancellor of Public Affairs Reggie Robinson, who recognized the visitors before Girod’s installment. “It’s really great to see the members of the community come together and
support him,” Justin Kim, a senior from Derby and student office assistant for the chancellor said. “I was excited to see him lay out his plan, talk about what he’s been working on.” For Kim and other current and former students in the audience, one of Girod’s most notable ideas was improving the student experience at the University and making students the center of decision-making on campus.
“I think continuing to transform the student experience, in my mind, means making KU a place where every student in Kansas wants to go,” Brandon Woodard, a 2013 graduate, said. Girod was named chancellor in May 2017, replacing then-Chancellor Bernadette Gray Little, who stepped down after eight years at the University.
IFC’s anti-hazing initiatives passed in private meeting EMILY WELLBORN @EmWellborn The Interfraternity Council has announced new initiatives on hazing which members say have been in the works for months, long before the council-wide freeze in March. “We took a look in the mirror at what issues were occurring in some of the chapters on campus and wanted to ensure that all chapters were following protocols,” said Keegun Gose, president of Phi Gamma Delta and former interim IFC president. The freeze on all IFC fraternity social events came on March 12 following reports that four fraternities had received reprimands involving hazing allegations from either the University or their national headquarters. Gose and an ad hoc committee of three other fraternity presidents were appointed into IFC executive council roles the next day after participants in a closed IFC meeting voted to place the four executive council members, who voted on the freeze, under judicial review. Ultimately, only then-president Daniel Lee was removed during a general council meeting on March 16, the day after the freeze was revoked.
“The IFC meeting before the freeze was announced, we were already making progress on working on what we should do to move forward on these issues,” Gose said.
“This strategic initiative on health, safety, and wellness plans to allow our community to grow in all aspects.” IFC’s Health, Safety, and Wellness inititiative
The Kansas Fraternity Landlords League also released a recruitment safeguard policy, which representatives from all 10 of the KFLL fraternities signed on March 11, the day before the freeze began. The policy says that the fraternities can not have “recruitment activities” with high school students after 9 p.m., and recruits cannot stay overnight at the houses unless the recruit’s home is farther away than an hour. Gose explained that part of the reason why the freeze was so surprising to IFC members was because they had been working on this initiative for months.
The initiative, which was agreed on by representatives of all 24 IFC fraternities during a meeting on March 19, outlines three main areas with proposed changes in how IFC addresses issues surrounding almost steps of a new member’s life. It starts with recruitment and carries through to initiation. “This strategic initiative on health, safety, and wellness plans to allow our community to grow in all aspects,” it says. After these initiatives, the council plans on forming a “task-force of stakeholders.” The task force will be made up of administration, alumni, advisors and IFC leaders to continue work on “improving the wellbeing of all IFC members and chapters.” Gose said that relevant administration all the way up to Chancellor Douglas Girod are invited to be included. “This is an example of productive engagement that fraternity leaders can demonstrate in focused self-governance efforts,” said Dave Steen, the president of KFLL in a statement sent to the Kansan. “KFLL applauds the IFC for treating the subject matter seriously and voting unanimously and acting independently.”
SOCIAL EVENTS AND ALCOHOL
• Each of the chapters will have to participate in substance abuse education • There can’t be more people at an a event that allows alcohol than the fire code of the
venue allows or a 3 to 1 guest ratio. The document clarifies that chapters will have to follow whichever is lower • All of the chapters will have to follow and enforce the hard alcohol ban, meaning there can’t be alcohol with a stronger volume than 14 percent at functions or in the chapter facilities. This was already an IFC policy, but Gose said that it felt important enough to remind all the chapters about it. This is the only one of the initiatives that is repeated from existing policy, according to Gose
NEW MEMBER EDUCATION
• Each fraternity has to tell IFC what its individual chapter’s headquarters’ requirements are for new member training at the beginning of every semester • Every chapter has to reform how it educates new members and give a plan to Sorority and Fraternity Life by Sept. 1, 2018 • IFC wants to “open a discussion with the Office of First-Year Experience and other University administration” to start a “hazing based training program.” All of the chapters and their new members will have to participate every semester • There will be a standing committee that will only focus on “new member education” • New members won’t be allowed to move in to chapter houses before a University’s scheduled move in day. Freshman will still be allowed to live in their chapters’ houses their first year
RECRUITMENT, CHAPTER ADVISORS AND RECOMMITMENT • IFC chapters and University administration are going to review the current recruit-
ment process “through the rest of the semester” and will discuss suggestions before Sept. • Every member of the IFC fraternity will have at least three chapter advisers • Every September, one of those advisers from every chapter will have a “yearly review meeting” with administration. The meetings will be program-based and will center around what the IFC executive council and University administration “see fit at the time” • Every member will have to engage in a “recommitment process.” It initiative says the process “will include a resetting of membership expectations and affirming a commitment against hazing, substance abuse, and sexual misconduct.” This is the only time sexual misconduct is mentioned in the initiative.