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April 21, 2020
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The Update | April 21, 2020
Industry Update Provided by NPC
Spectrum News and The Buffalo News report no criminal charges will be filed in the death of 18-year-old University at Buffalo student Sebastian Serafin-Bazan, who died after being found unresponsive on the front lawn of a Sigma Pi Fraternity event. Buffalo police said they believe Serafin-Bazan was ordered by fraternity officers to perform exercises late at night and early into the morning as part of the pledging process. Sigma Pi remains suspended pending the new review into what led to Serafin-Bazan's death, the university said Wednesday.
Some high school seniors are dropping their first-choice schools in favor of colleges that are cheaper and closer to home, POLITICO reports. Others are thinking about going part-time or taking a gap year, so they can work and bail out families whose breadwinners are suddenly out of work. Those who work with low-income students worry freshmen from poor families who were sent home this semester may never return, and high school seniors won't get the hands-on help they need with their financial aid applications.
The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that the mass exodus of students from campuses in the wake of COVID-19 has put the spotlight on a revenue stream that contributes to the operations of many colleges: room and board fees. Although the role room and board fees play in the balance sheets of different institutions varies, colleges of all types are concerned about the price tags attached to refunds and what the hit to that revenue source will ultimately mean.
A former University of Arizona student is seeking $1 million in a lawsuit claiming hazing at a campus fraternity last year left him with eye and blood infections, according to the Arizona Republic. The lawsuit claims members of Theta Chi Fraternity forced pledges in April to exercise on broken glass and “foul-smelling” trash, physically beat them and forced them to consume hot sauce. The lawsuit also accuses Theta Chi, University of Arizona, and the Arizona Board of Regents of negligence for not ensuring a safe environment for students after the chapter was ordered to cease all activity in 2015, banned for four years due to hazing violations.
A former Florida State University fraternity president and two other men have gone to the state Supreme Court in a dispute about whether they should face felony hazing charges in the 2017 death of Andrew Coffee, a new member who drank heavily at an off-campus party. The Tallahassee Democrat reports the trial advancement came after a divided panel of the 1st District Court of Appeals in January ruled that the men could face felony charges.
Many schools provided partial refunds for room and board after they sent students home. But they have held firm on tuition, arguing that classes are still moving forward, and credit will still be awarded toward degrees. The Washington Post reports that disagreements between universities and students demanding refunds has led to student petitions and lawsuits. A class-action lawsuit filed last week in federal court in South Carolina demanded a refund from the University of Miami for alleged breach of contract. Another class-action suit filed this week in federal court in Virginia is demanding that Liberty University refund fees for campus services students have lost because of the pandemic.
Inside Higher Ed published an article reporting on the state of Higher Education Act reauthorization amid the pandemic. According to the article, a top Republican Senate aide says lawmakers were close to a deal to update the nation's main higher education law. Then the pandemic put everything on hold. Still, the aide says he has not given up trying to reach a deal on the bill this year before Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), chairman of the Senate's education committee, retires.
Workforce Updates
Please join the college chapter budget committee in welcoming Alyssa Rutt, Gamma Pi/Iowa State, as budget district director (BDD) of College District XII.
Staff Updates
We are both sad and honored to announce the upcoming retirement of two long-time staff members. IT Manager Jeff Rinck will retire in early May after being an integral part of Kappa Alpha Theta for the past 21 years. Many of you have spoken with Jeff and received his help with varying computer questions through his decades of service. Times have changed since the educational leadership consultants had to have dial-up access to get their Theta email! Thanks to Jeff for seeing Theta through many technological changes.
Director of Communications/Editor Liz Rinck will retire in August. After 25 years, Liz holds the second-place record as longest-serving editor of the Theta magazine. (L. Pearle Green holds that record with 41 years.) Wait until you see the special spring issue that celebrates Theta’s sesquicentennial! We are glad that Liz will be with us for a few more months, and we thank her for serving Theta with her gift of language, her ability to handle crises and the media, and for being the voice of Theta. We will miss Liz and Jeff greatly and we wish them both the best on their next adventures.
Thank You, Theta Volunteers!
We want to say thank you to you, our workforce volunteers, for everything you do. Your strategic thinking, creativity, and institutional knowledge are guiding the future of Kappa Alpha Theta now more than ever, and this organization would not be what it is today without you and your sister volunteers. During this Volunteer Appreciation Week, be sure to thank one another for the love you share for Theta and the meaningful friendships and exceptional bonds you’ve developed together. You are so special to us, this week and every week. Thank you.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Webinars
Staff members have been participating in a monthly webinar series for National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) organizations. These webinars have been recorded and are available to share with other volunteers and staff. The link to March’s webinar and resources is below.
Wait! That's Racist? But that's not how I meant it: Intent and impact are not the same. To some Panhellenic members, a "joke", a photo caption meant to be captivating, belting out the racist epithets in the lyrics to a song, and more do not seem harmful because that was not the intention. However, racism presents in many forms. There are overt and covert means by which racism manifests in chapters and behavior. Sometimes microaggressions and micro-oppressions create spaces where members of color struggle to feel fully included. Additionally, "White-passing" members may elect not to share full identity because they don't know how their sisters will react or feel they will be judged. On some campuses, the historical exclusionary practices of National Panhellenic member groups are being challenged with respect to how the culture of chapters are changing, especially when a racist incident occurs. How are we addressing the history of our organizations? In what ways are we educating our members to recognize racism? Are we equipping our members with the necessary skills to "call out" another member or human to address issues? What does it look like to foster inclusive spaces for our members of color? Join us as we discuss these questions and many more with our panelists.
Recent Theta Blog
April 2020 Theta Spotlight: Michelle Sullivan
Helpful Links
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