Kappa Kappa Gamma - University of Missouri

Kappa Kappa Gamma University of Missouri P.O. Box 442100 Lawrence, KS 66044-2100 Address Service Requested Attention: This newsletter is intended for alumnae and parents. If your daughter is still attending the University of Missouri, she will receive a copy at the chapter house. If she has graduated, please send her new address to update our records. Thank you. Theta News An Overview of Hazing Prevention and Member Education Ideas In 2017, the University of Missouri commis- sioned the higher education consulting firm Dyad Strategies to assess the status of Greek life on campus. Per their recommendation, more than 40 diverse volunteers formed a Fraternity & Sorority Advisory Board here at Mizzou. The board was tasked with developing strategies to address various issues facing Greek life, perhaps the most crucial of which is hazing prevention and member education. In this article, we will break down the board's major recommendations, inspired by Dyad's findings, for the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life (OFSL) and chap- ters across campus. It should be noted that these are recommendations, not final decisions. Six-Week New Member Education Period Across All Chapters Countrywide findings indicate that longer new member periods increase the risk of hazing, es- pecially based on power differentials. Because the length of these processes currently varies by chapter, the board recommends a consistent six-week period across all chapters, which will end with initiation. Potential extensions (such as a delay of initiation to review grades) would be allowed with the consent of the OFSL, chapter adviser, and national headquarters. Encourage Self-Reporting of Hazing Incidents To create a safer culture on campus, outlining policies through which individuals are comfort- able reporting incidents without fear of punish- ment is crucial. The Dyad report highlights the University of Kentucky's "Rights of Those Who Report" hazing policy as an example the univer- sity might consider as a guideline. The university would outline these rights and responsibilities to chapter officers each year and, ideally, encour- age a dialogue with the university and OFSL on hazing prevention. Additional recommendations, developed with the intent of creating consistent messaging and best practices across chapters, include: • Regular training for new member educators, facilitated by the OFSL. • A universal new member orientation program, developed by the OFSL and governing councils. • Annual review of each chapter's new member processes by OFSL, which must be approved before the new member education period can begin. The OFSL presented these recommendations in an open forum on December 4, 2018, followed by a Q&A session. As a show of good faith to Greek life, the OFSL clarified that, among other practices, students living in non-Greek student housing would be held to the same standards as Greek organizations. In addition, individual ac- tions will be examined first regarding disciplin- ary action, then the OFSL will determine wheth- er individuals will be solely held accountable, or if the chapter will be held responsible, as well. If you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns with these ideas, please reach out to mudeanofstudents@missouri.edu. mizzou fraTerniTY & sororiTY advisorY Board presenTs reCommendaTions

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