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Staten Island Live reports a State University of New York at Albany student who was pledging Alpha Xi Delta women's fraternity has filed a lawsuit against the organization. According to the plaintiff and her attorney, the women pledging were told they were participating in a scavenger hunt and the plaintiff states she was subjected to a salacious act that was recorded and shown to other people. The plaintiff also has sued the owner of the off-campus building…

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Colleges were closed in a rushed and chaotic fashion two months ago, disrupting students’ lives and costing tens of billions of dollars in lost revenue, according to a survey by the American Council on Education, a trade group. But opening up, though vital to the survival of some institutions, is proving much more intricate than shutting down, The New York Times reports.

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that with infectious-disease experts forecasting…

Year-End and Expense Reports 

The Fraternity’s 2019-20 fiscal year ends June 30. Because some of your expenses may be for the 2020-21 fiscal year, please note on your submitted expenses if they are for the 2019-20 or 2020-21 fiscal year.

2019-20 expenses will be accepted until, but no later than, July 31. No exceptions to this deadline will be granted, as the Fraternity’s audit begins in August. Please submit your invoices in a timely manner. Also remember that, in accordance with the…

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Inside Higher Ed and The Advocate report that a federal appeals court said the parents of a Louisiana State University (LSU) freshman who died in a 2017 hazing ritual can pursue claims that the university disciplines its fraternities and sororities differently, and that male students who enter fraternity/sorority life face a greater risk of injury than females. Stephen and Rae Ann Gruver, whose 18-year-old son Max Gruver was a freshman at LSU when he died, argue…

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The U.S. Department of Education announced sweeping changes on Wednesday in how colleges must handle sexual-assault and sexual-harassment complaints, bolstering protections for accused students and employees. The Chronicle of Higher Education reports the long-awaited changes in the enforcement of Title IX, the federal gender-equity law, will require colleges to hold live hearings and allow cross-examination when adjudicating sexual-misconduct complaints. The new…

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The New York Times reports on the trade-offs that college-going students and families may be willing to make in an era marked by the coronavirus pandemic. While past cohorts may have focused on a college experience that expands their intellectual horizons and introduces them to friends and mentors that will carry them through life, it appears that those goals may be receding among student priorities—at least when compared to the ultimate goal: a prestigious…

Spring is budget season, and this spring is no exception. Despite the financial disaster facing Kappa Alpha Theta, we do have budgets to prepare. Grand Council will consider a very lean Fraternity budget at its meeting on May 8. That budget is based on 25% fewer collegians returning to school in the fall and 25% fewer new members recruited. Of course, the budget will be adjusted when those forecasts are adjusted to actuals. Despite deep cuts to programs, travel, and the grandest…

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In a different year, incoming freshmen would already have in hand a tightly choreographed schedule for late summer and early fall: the move-in date, the orientation and, finally, the first day of classes. But on the coronavirus pandemic calendar, there are no dates yet for the next academic year. Just scenarios. And that unprecedented uncertainty is fueling a second wave of crisis for schools already plunged into financial distress, The Washington Post reports. …

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…