University of Missouri Fraternity & Sorority Life Advisory Board Recommendations Report July 16, 2018 Introduction and Background Fraternities and sororities have been an integral part of student and campus life at the University of Missouri for nearly 150 years. Mizzou Greek alumni (over 46,000 worldwide) are highly engaged in supporting and advancing the success of the university and their respective fraternities and sororities. Currently, the Mizzou fraternity and sorority community includes approximately 7,200 student members across 27 Interfraternity Council (IFC) chapters, 15 Panhellenic (PHA) chapters, seven National PanHellenic Council (NPHC) chapters and five Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) chapters. The four Greek councils work with the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life (OFSL) to plan and develop training, education and community-building programs in support of the Mizzou fraternity and sorority community. The University of Missouri is committed to partnering with students, alumni, national headquarters and various stakeholders to ensure that fraternity and sorority members thrive. Working together, we can create an environment that maximizes opportunities for personal and academic growth in a safe environment that supports our university values of Respect, Responsibility, Discovery and Excellence. As part of our commitment to strengthening fraternity and sorority life at Mizzou, the University of Missouri general counsel and the interim vice chancellor for student affairs commissioned Dyad Strategies to assess the current policies and procedures in place for fraternity and sorority life, with a particular focus on providing an overall risk assessment of the community. Dyad Strategies began their review in July 2017 and released their report and recommendations in October 2017. As part of their recommendations, Dyad suggested convening a Fraternity & Sorority Advisory Board to develop strategies for implementing various recommendations in the report. The advisory board was formed in January 2018 and created five working groups including of more than 40 volunteers representing a variety of constituencies: students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni, facility/house corporation representatives, chapter advisers and national Greek leaders. The five working groups were tasked with developing implementation plans related to the following areas of the Dyad report: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Diversity and inclusion Hazing prevention and member education Academic calendar and recruitment Freshmen in Greek housing Social event risk management The written charges for each working group are presented in Appendix A. The work groups met independently, both virtually and in person, and developed recommendations that were presented to the advisory board for adoption. The recommendations articulated in this report are based on the efforts of the volunteers who attended board and working group meetings, in addition to the numerous stakeholders who were asked to provide insight, ideas and feedback to each working group. The advisory board considered each working group’s work product, synthesized interconnected themes and issues, and produced this report of recommendations to the university leadership. Each section contains an overview of the area, specific recommendations and recommended deadlines, where applicable. 1 Focus Area 1 – Diversity and Inclusion The University of Missouri should seek to support diversity and inclusion education within the fraternity and sorority community and enhance the promotion and support of the diverse communities within fraternity and sorority life. The recommendations here are designed to facilitate a cultural shift with a focus on supporting culturallybased organizations and inclusivity within the fraternity/sorority community as a whole. This shift should focus on the building of intentional relationships between and among students from various councils and university staff. Students from NPHC and MGC have expressed that representation and support within OFSL is a priority in building a more inclusive environment and empowering their councils’ success by providing adequate resources. The implementation of these recommendations will help turn the OFSL into a resource that adequately serves all students from all councils and supports institutional goals related to diversity and inclusion. Recommendation 1 - Secure funding for a new full-time staff member within OFSL to focus on diversity and inclusion education and support culturally-based organizations within the fraternity/sorority community In order to effectively foster diversity and inclusion efforts within the community and provide adequate advising and support to culturally-based fraternities and sororities, funding for a full-time staff member within OFSL should be secured. The expectations of this position should include: ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ Coordinate the creation and implementation a four-year diversity and inclusion educational model which should be incorporated into OFSL’s Chapter Experience accreditation program Support and advise MGC and NPHC chapters and governing councils Coordinate institutional diversity and inclusion efforts within the fraternity/sorority community Provide training and support for MGC/NPHC chapter advisers Deadline: January 2019 Recommendation 2 - Create a diversity and inclusion experience for all FSL members, incorporated into the OFSL Chapter Experience accreditation plan A diversity and inclusion education track embedded within the OFSL Chapter Experience plan will allow students the opportunity to seek out and attend cultural programming along a four-year continuum as part of the co-curricular requirements of the Chapter Experience plan. OFSL should benchmark other institutions and consult with diversity and inclusion units on campus to determine the type of events to include in this experience and the appropriate number of events per academic semester that should be included. Deadline: August 2019 Recommendation 3 - Funding for permanent, year-round Greek Ambassadors program A year-round and fully-funded Greek Ambassadors program would allow for more robust marketing and promotion of the entire fraternity/sorority community, would necessitate a larger and more diverse group of ambassadors representing all four governing councils, and would allow for ambassadors to be fully trained on the unique characteristics of all four governing councils in order to promote understanding and greater inter-council collaboration. 2 Deadline: May 2019 Recommendation 4 – Develop a framework for inter-council programming Currently, council presidents meetings and the Greek Leader Retreat are the only OFSL programs that bring together students from all four councils. The limitation of these events is that they only target chapter and council leaders. In addition to these two events, OFSL should work with council leadership in planning no fewer than two additional programs annually that are designed to foster community among and between all members of all four governing councils. Deadline: December 2019 Recommendation 5 - Redesign a more open workspace in OFSL The current student workspace in OFSL does not invite collaboration among and between various councils, as each group has its own, isolated space. Creating an inviting workspace in the open areas of the OFSL will help build inter-council relations through the use of shared space. Having a shared space will foster relationships among and between council leaders, creating new opportunities for cross-council collaboration. Deadline: August 2018 Focus Area 2 – Hazing Prevention and Member Education In order to prevent hazing at the University of Missouri, the university should provide resources to chapters and assist in developing a culture in which hazing is unacceptable. This should be accomplished through a combination of policy changes, enforcement and educational programming. Recommendation 1 – Mandated maximum six-week new member period (from beginning of new member process until initiation) The length of new member education processes varies from chapter to chapter at the University of Missouri; some chapters initiate new members almost immediately, while others have new member programs that extend from one semester into the next. Lengthy new member periods are not only inconsistent with national best practice, but also leave open a wide door in which hazing rooted in a power differential is more likely to occur. In order to address these issues, it is recommended that all student organizations with an associate member process be required to initiate their new members within six weeks of the beginning of their new member process (to be defined by OFSL based on changes to the recruitment process discussed in the following section of this report). At the conclusion of these six weeks, it is the expectation that every chapter will have completed their education period and initiated the new member class. It is further recommended that if a chapter requests the ability to delay initiation until the following semester for the purpose of reviewing new member grades, it may be allowed an extension with the consent of their national headquarters, chapter adviser, and OFSL. Chapters requesting a delay of initiation must be in good standing with the University and their national headquarters, must not have been found responsible by the university or any university-sanctioned disciplinary body for violations of the university’s hazing policy within the previous 18 months, and must have had a chapter GPA at or above the respective all-men’s or all-women’s averages for no less than two of the previous three academic semesters (excluding summer terms). If a delayed initiation is allowed, it should take place during the first week of the subsequent semester. Chapters granted an initiation exemption will be 3 expected to conclude their new member period (with the exception of an approved chapter-wide study hall/academic program) after six weeks; at this time these new members should be considered “members awaiting initiation” and should have full rights as members with the exception of being allowed to view the rituals reserved for initiated members. Finally, special exceptions to this process should be allowed on a case-by-case basis with the permission of the national headquarters, the chapter adviser, and OFSL for situations including continuous open recruitment, delayed recruitment, or specific situations in which new members are added in the middle of a semester that may fall outside of the regular six-week period. Deadline – January 2019 Recommendation 2 – Develop policies to encourage self-reporting of hazing incidents Organizations and individuals should be given the opportunity to self-report incidents of hazing to the proper university officials. Parameters outlining self-reporting should be articulated in the University of Missouri Collected Rules and Regulations. Individuals and organizations aware of hazing activities should have the avenue and confidence to report these behaviors to the university without fear of punishment, which will ultimately create a much safer culture related to hazing. The “Rights of Those Who Report” clause of the hazing policy at the University of Kentucky is an example of a well-articulated self-reporting policy that the University of Missouri could use as a model. That policy states: A. Individuals who are victims of hazing and who truthfully report the activities shall not be individually charged with a violation of this regulation. B. Individuals who have knowledge of a hazing incident, but who did not participate, and truthfully report the activities shall not be individually charged with a violation of this regulation in relation to that particular incident. C. An organization or group that seeks assistance in preventing hazing from occurring within the organization or group, even if past behaviors have included hazing, shall not be charged with a past violation of this regulation. D. Any organization or group that self-reports a hazing behavior to an appropriate University Official or the University Police shall be given the opportunity to change those behaviors without immediate threat of being charged with a violation of this regulation. An organization or group that self-reports shall identify those individuals responsible for the hazing behaviors. If evidence is presented in subsequent semesters that hazing behaviors have continued within the organization, that organization may be held responsible for past behaviors. It is especially important for the university to outline the rights and responsibilities of organizations to newly-elected executive members of fraternities and sororities each year. As new executive boards are elected, chapter officers should review and reflect on cultures or traditions within their chapter that may be linked to hazing. Executive boards should be empowered to reach out to the OFSL for guidance and support on addressing hazing. Deadline – August 2019 4 Recommendation 3 – Implement regular training for fraternity and sorority new member educators facilitated by OFSL This training should include policy, strategies for building positive brother/sisterhood, creating meaningful connections through the new member process, and preventing hazing. This should also include regular officer roundtables in which new member educators can share ideas and best practices. Deadline – August 2018 Recommendation 4 – Develop fraternity/sorority new member orientation program, facilitated by OFSL and governing council leadership For many new members, information about fraternity and sorority life on campus is presented through the filter of the chapters they join with little information about the broader community or university traditions. To ensure a uniform message of relevant information to all fraternity and sorority new members, it is recommended that OFSL, in conjunction with leadership of the four governing councils, develop and implement a fraternity/sorority new member orientation covering the following topics: - Overview o Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life o University organizations and involvement o Councils (information and history) - Member expectations o Financial o Behavioral o Academic - Safety o Hazing o Alcohol and substances o Greek town and community - Greek history o At Mizzou o Alumni o Ritual & special events - Accountability o Office for Student Accountability & Support o Office for Civil Rights, Title IX & ADA Deadline – August 2018 Recommendation 5 – All chapter new member processes should be reviewed by OFSL staff each academic year and must be approved before new member education can begin To ensure that fraternity and sorority chapters at Mizzou are developing new member education activities and programs rooted in positive brother/sisterhood and free of hazing, the university should implement a process in which chapters must submit their written new member education plans to OFSL prior to the beginning of each academic semester. These plans should include detailed calendars, weekly learning outcomes, required educational topics (i.e. sexual assault prevention, academic resources, diversity and inclusion, etc.). The content of these written programs should be an outcome of the education/training of new member educators as outlined in Recommendation 3. Upon receipt of written plans, OFSL should meet with chapter leadership to discuss the plan, address concerns and provide feedback. It should be 5 required that the plan be finalized and accepted by OFSL before each chapter’s new member process can begin in any academic semester. Deadline – January 2019 Focus Area 3 – Recruitment and Academic Calendar Recruitment of potential members of fraternities and sororities must be facilitated with consideration taken to limit the impact of disruption to a student’s academic success or ability to be fully integrated into the social fabric of the university, to minimize the risk of harm and to promote the overall health of the fraternity/sorority community. In order to promote student success and well-being, recruitment events should be more structured, better-monitored, and substance-free. Beyond recruitment, all stakeholders should work to place proper focus on the academic success of students throughout the academic year by addressing the timing and frequency of fraternity/sorority events at the chapter, council and community levels. Recommendation 1 – OFSL should support a growing and thriving fraternity/sorority community by helping connect prospective members to chapters To support a thriving and growing fraternity and sorority community, and to promote safety and consistency within the recruitment/intake process, OFSL should engage in the following: • • • • • • Training for chapters to facilitate a values-based recruitment Creation of a Spring Greek Preview Weekend, planned in coordination with governing council leadership and Greek Ambassadors Use of technology and university databases to build demand through data collection with enrollment/admissions and orientation Ensure that all council and university recruitment/intake policies should be expanded, definable and easily located by all parties, including an enhanced FAQ section of the OFSL website related to recruitment and intake Requirement that all potential new members must complete an FSL approved application before being eligible to join a chapter Requirement that all chapters sign an annual agreement related to their respective councils’ recruitment and intake policies Recommendation 2 - All recruitment/intake periods should be organized in a manner that promotes student safety and does not interfere with a potential new member’s ability to be fully integrated into the social and cultural fabric of the broader university community. As each governing council’s recruitment processes are so vastly different, the following section is divided into recommendations related to each specific governing council. All recruitment/intake process must be conducted in a way that is safe, promotes the positive values of fraternity/sorority membership, and minimizes disruption of students’ academic pursuits and social integration into the broader university community. IFC - Current IFC recruitment practices rely heavily on the informal recruitment of incoming freshmen during the spring and summer before they enroll at the university. These recruitment practices present a number of challenges, risks and limitations. Students from outside the state of Missouri are at a distinct disadvantage. Alcohol often plays a major role in these recruitment events. As the university transitions away from non-initiated new members living in chapter houses, the pressure on IFC fraternities to 6 identify new members early in the summer in order to fill beds in their houses decreases significantly. In turn, a shift away from an informal summer process to a more structured process in the fall semester will serve the dual purpose of providing more safety and structure while also giving more opportunities for out-of-state students, upperclassmen and other non-traditional students to participate in the recruitment process and join fraternities. In order to facilitate this transition, the following changes to the IFC recruitment process are recommended: • Pilot new IFC primary recruitment process in fall 2018. While not making changes to any recruitment activities already underway, new activities can be piloted in the fall 2018 semester. These activities would eventually become the model for future IFC recruitment. These activities should include an IFC Open House to be held on Sunday before the first day of class, as well as a period of informal recruitment for one week after the open houses. • Create a new IFC primary recruitment process in 2019. The features of this recruitment process should include: o Increase the marketing and promotion to potential new members away from summer recruitment and towards the primary recruitment occurring once classes begin o Hold open houses on or immediately following move-in day o Host a partially-structured primary recruitment process in the weeks following move-in day (having recruitment activities during this time also addresses the concerns related to parties during “syllabus week” identified in the Dyad report) o Require IFC chapters to identify and hold open a certain number of spots to be filled during primary recruitment o Institute IFC policy whereby fraternity bids cannot be offered or accepted until June 1 o Institute IFC policy and process by which bids must be accepted through a university account/process o Strictly enforce policy prohibiting presence of alcohol at any recruitment event o Work with IFC leadership to determine timeframes for informal and primary recruitment consistent with the recommendations in this report o Work with IFC leadership to establish framework for increasing outreach to currently enrolled Mizzou students via the spring recruitment process o Institute “dead periods” for recruiting activities during certain time periods to allow for full participation of freshmen students in university traditions during Welcome Week (i.e. Midnight BBQ, Tiger Walk, etc.) PHA - PHA recruitment has relied heavily on a formal process that has demonstrated continued success over the years. However, there are a number of challenges associated with Bid Day, in particular the role of alcohol on Bid Day, the presence of non-members on Bid Day, and the pressure associated with holding Bid Day immediately prior to the start of classes. In order to address this, the following strategies are recommended: • • • • Move up the recruitment process so that Bid Day occurs at least four days prior to the beginning of fall semester classes Move PHA Bid Day activities away from public venues and encourage new member retreats once bids are opened Partner with MUPD to address presence of alcohol on and around sorority chapter facilities on Bid Day Require chapters to create plan of action including senior events on Bid Day to address alcohol consumption 7 • Require chapters to create plan of action involving private security at chapter houses on bid day restricting access in sorority houses to chapter members, new members, and parents MGC/NPHC – MGC and NPHC intake processes are decentralized, with each chapter hosting events within their own time frames. OFSL should support these governing councils as they create policies that promote student safety and well-being while increasing the visibility of these communities. Specifically, OFSL should support these councils as they create and establish council-wide convocations each semester for students interested in joining an MGC/NPHC group. Recommendation 3 – Develop parameters related to recruitment events taking place outside of the structured primary recruitment process for each council While these parameters can and should vary from council to council, some policies and parameters should be instituted across the board with all councils. At minimum, the following parameters are recommended: • • • • • • • • Any recruitment event that has more than five potential new members and 10 percent of the chapter (as of the last FSL census date) in attendance is designated as a “recruitment event” and must be registered with OFSL OFSL must be notified of all recruitment events including summer recruitment events No one connected to a chapter may provide, serve or partake of alcohol or other illegal substances in the presence of a potential new member or recently signed new member. No potential new member may be in possession of alcohol or other illegal substances at any time during a chapter recruitment event A bid is not considered valid if signed/submitted while potential new member is under the influence of alcohol or other illegal substances No overnight recruitment events (float trips, lake weekends, etc.) are permitted. There will be no recruitment events outside Boone County until after June 1. Documentation from the national headquarters stating that the chapter is in good standing must be received by OFSL before the chapter can participate in membership recruitment/intake Any recruitment events taking place outside of Boone County and/or any recruitment event taking place outside of the primary recruitment process must be approved in writing by the chapter’s national headquarters, and this written notification must include verification that the event is covered through the organization’s liability insurance policy Recommendation 4 – Develop parameters related to timing and frequency of chapter-sponsored social events with alcohol While a different section of this report (Focus Area 5) addresses risk management related to social events, parameters related to the timing and frequency of social events fell under the purview of the working group associated with the academic calendar. The following parameters are recommended for adoption: ● ● In order to host social events, chapters must be in good standing with the university and their national headquarters, must have completed all required mandated programming sponsored by OFSL, and must meet minimum standards associated with the Chapter Experience program currently being developed by OFSL. Events with alcohol: o May only be held Thursday–Sunday o May not last for longer than a four-hour time period o That occur within the same calendar day (i.e., pregame, tailgate) will count as separate events with a minimum of four (4) hours between events 8 ● ● ● ● High school students may not be present at any chapter-sponsored social events with alcohol. (As noted earlier, no alcoholic beverages are allowed at recruitment events.) A maximum of 30 events with alcohol are allowed per semester. The Fraternity and Sorority Advisory Board should meet on an annual basis to review these policies. The OFSL Chapter Experience accreditation program should use a formula to determine the number and frequency of social events that chapters may host. Social events with alcohol should not be permitted: o During the first week of classes in the fall and spring semesters (i.e., “Syllabus Week”) o When the university is closed for business (such as snow days) and when the university does not have class (including, but not limited to official university holidays, finals week, winter break, spring break, etc.) o During any governing council’s designated recruitment period (including Bid Day) Recommendation 5 – Ensure that the first week of each academic semester is viewed as academically rigorous. MU Division of Student Affairs leadership, in conjunction with OFSL and Greek governing council leadership, should work with the University Council of Academic Deans to develop a plan of action that ensures the first week of each academic semester (i.e. “Syllabus Week”) is viewed as academically rigorous and includes meaningful assignments and coursework. Focus Area 4 - Freshmen in Greek Housing One of the most challenging recommendations of the Dyad report was the suggestion of gradually removing freshmen students from living in sorority and fraternity chapter facilities at the university. This working group attempted to identify and address the viewpoints and concerns of various constituencies with an interest in any change to the current policy, the needs of the students, the interests of the chapters themselves, and the concerns addressed in the Dyad report. Recommendation 1 – Three-tier accreditation levels associated with freshmen residency After careful consideration, this working group proposed a plan in which most first-year students will not live in fraternity and sorority housing, consistent with the recommendations of the Dyad report. The working group proposed an accreditation process that provides chapters a means by which they might have an opportunity to allow some first-year students in their chapter facility either in the first or second semester of their membership, depending on the performance of the chapter. Under this proposal, each fraternity and sorority will receive annually a one-year accreditation in one of three categories. The accreditation level, which should be granted by the OFSL under the specific parameters outlined below, will then dictate when or if first-year members are permitted to live in their chapter’s facility. It is further proposed that this plan be implemented beginning with the fall 2019 semester. Fraternity and sorority chapters seeking exemptions under Accreditation Levels One or Two (as defined below) must submit that request in writing, along with all supporting documentation, to OFSL by Feb. 1, 2019 and on Feb. 1 of each subsequent year. The university will notify chapters whether these exemptions have been granted no later than March 15, 2019, and by March 15 of each subsequent year. At the university’s discretion, any actions occurring between March 15 and Aug. 1 of any calendar year that would change an organization’s qualification for exemption based the requirements set out below (i.e., hazing policy violations) may result in the organization losing its accreditation for that year. 9 Accreditation Level One – Each chapter with a chapter facility will automatically default into this category. Under this accreditation level, all chapters recognized by the university may have previouslyinitiated non-first year students’ move into their facility. • For example, a second-year student initiated during the prior academic year may move into the facility. • A second-year student who has not been initiated will not be permitted to live in the facility until they are initiated. Accreditation Level Two – Chapters that wish to qualify for this level of accreditation must meet all of the requirements outlined below. If the requirements are met, already-initiated first-year students may move into a chapter facility at the beginning of the spring semester of their first year. • For example, chapters meeting this accreditation would be permitted to have fall-semester new members’ move into the facility at the beginning of the spring semester as long as those members were initiated prior to moving into the facility. • In order to be released from a university housing contract in order to move into a chapter facility, students must have successfully completed at least 12 credit hours of coursework at the university and must have a cumulative university GPA higher than the university’s all-freshman men’s or all-freshman women’s average, as applicable. (Note: cancellation fees are at the discretion of MU Residential Life.) Requirements: • Chapters must have a cumulative GPA that equals or exceeds the university’s all-men or allwomen average, as applicable, during two of the three academic semesters (excluding summer semesters) immediately prior to their application and must have a new-member semester GPA that equals or exceeds the university’s all-male average or all-female average, as applicable, during two of the three academic semesters (excluding summer semesters) immediately prior to their application. • Chapters must have a full-time, live-in house director whose primary residence is the chapter facility. The house director must: o (a) have passed a Missouri State Highway Patrol background check, o (b) have been trained in CPR and First Aid, and o (c) be deemed “qualified” by the respective chapter facility corporation board and the OFSL. • The physical structure of the facility must: o (a) have passed an inspection by the Columbia or Boone County Fire Marshal, o (b) possess proof of insurance, including a past underwritten risk assessment, o (c) have a working fire sprinkler system [and working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors] in accordance with City Code, and o (d) have conducted a facility fire drill in the past 12 months. • The chapter facility must be substance-free. • Substance-free may be defined as a facility which has, and enforces, a policy which includes an absolute prohibition on intoxicating substances including but not limited to beer, wine, and liquor, as well as a prohibition on all substances which are illegal to possess or consume in the State of Missouri. • The chapter must have at least four members of the executive board who live in the chapter facility and who also have completed at least 60 credit hours of coursework at the university. • The chapter must not have been found responsible by the university, their National Office, or by any university-sanctioned disciplinary body for violating the university’s/HQ hazing policy within the past 18 months. 10 • • • The chapter must have at least four alumni advisers who are registered with the university and who each have attended at least three chapter or executive council meetings within the prior six months. The chapter must have a written member education plan that has been approved by the chapter’s national organization and the university. The chapter must have a written diversity plan approved by the chapter’s national organization and the university to recruit and retain diverse membership in their organization as well as educate their membership about diversity. The chapter must be able to demonstrate progress towards the achievement of goals outlined in that plan. Accreditation Level Three – Chapters that wish to qualify for this accreditation must meet all of the requirements outlined below. If the requirements are met, first-year students would be permitted to move in to the chapter facility starting in the fall semester of their first-year once the chapter provides documentation that the new members have been initiated. • For example, chapters meeting this accreditation would be permitted to have fall semester new members move into the facility immediately upon being initiated. • In order to be eligible to be released to live in a chapter facility during the fall semester, a student must have entered the university with a minimum 3.0 high school GPA, be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours and may not have been found responsible for any violations of university policy during their term of enrollment. Requirements: • Chapters must have a cumulative GPA that equals or exceeds the university’s all-men or allwomen average or the all-fraternity or all-sorority average (whichever is higher), as applicable, for the three previous academic semesters (excluding summer semesters) at the time of application. They must also have a new-member semester GPA that equals or exceeds the university’s all-freshmen male average or all-freshmen female average, as applicable, for the three previous academic semesters (excluding summer semesters) at the time of application. • Chapters must have a full-time, live-in house director whose primary residence is the facility. The house director must: o (a) have passed a Missouri State Highway Patrol background check, o (b) have been trained in CPR and First Aid, and o (c) be deemed “qualified” by the respective chapter facility corporation board. • The physical structure of the facility must: o (a) have passed an inspection by the Columbia or Boone County Fire Marshal, o (b) possess proof of insurance, including a past underwritten risk assessment, o (c) have a working fire sprinkler system [and working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors] in accordance with City Code, and o (d) have conducted a facility fire drill in the past 12 months. • The chapter facility must be substance-free. o Substance-free may be defined as a facility which has, and enforces, a policy which includes an absolute prohibition on intoxicating substances including but not limited to beer, wine, and liquor, as well as a prohibition on all substances which are illegal to possess or consume in the State of Missouri. • The chapter must have at least four members of the executive board who live in the chapter facility and who also have completed at least 60 credit hours of coursework at the university. • The chapter must not have been found responsible by the university, national office, or any university-sanctioned disciplinary body for violating the university’s/HQ hazing policy within the past 18 months. 11 • • • • The chapter must not have been found responsible by the university or any university-sanctioned disciplinary body for violating social event or alcohol policies within the past 12 months (including violations of the substance-free requirement, as articulated above). The chapter must have at least four alumni advisers who are registered with the university and who have each attended at least three chapter or executive council meetings and have attended a university-sponsored adviser training or meeting within the prior six months. The chapter must have a written member education plan that has been approved by the chapter’s national organization and the university. The chapter must have a written diversity plan approved by the chapter’s national organization and the university to recruit and retain diverse membership in their organization as well as educate their membership about diversity. The chapter must be able to demonstrate progress towards the achievement of goals outlined in that plan. Recommendation 2 – Annual review process and incorporation of Chapter Experience accreditation program It is recommended that a committee of the Fraternity & Sorority Advisory Board meet on an annual basis to review these tiers and, in particular, that the OFSL Chapter Experience accreditation program be incorporated into these tiers once that program is developed and implemented. Focus Area 5 – Social Event Risk Management As values-based student organizations that are social in nature, members of Mizzou fraternities and sororities have a responsibility to adhere to espoused values while providing a safe and structured social setting for their members and guests. In collaboration with the university and fraternity/sorority alumni, fraternities and sororities must take steps to address behaviors that negatively impact student health and safety. Recommendation 1 – Partner with chapter housing corporations who choose to not permit registered social functions in their facilities Some chapter house corporations may choose not to allow their chapters to host registered social functions on chapter premises. In such cases, that house corporation should notify the university in writing of the specific parameters of those restrictions (e.g., tailgates on the property permitted but no social events inside the house) by Aug. 1 of each calendar year. In such cases, the university should work in partnership with that chapter/house corporation to develop a plan related to enforcement of that policy. Social event policies should be altered to include a specific violation related to chapters hosting unregistered social events in chapter premises without the authorization of the property owner, and chapters should be disciplined accordingly if found in violation of that policy. Deadline – August 2018 Recommendation 2 – Develop parameters regarding social events with alcohol on chapter property For those chapters in which house corporation AND national policies permit social events in a chapter facility, we recommend the following parameters: • Continue to utilize third-party vendors to serve alcohol for on premise social events with nonresidents and alcohol. The expectation would be that vendors would comply with the following to ensure their preparedness: 12 • • • • • o Server training certified by Missouri Alcohol and Tobacco Control o Alcohol served at fraternity events should be restricted to an ABV of 15% or less Require chapters to have security provided by licensed and bonded security firms that have been approved and trained by the university regarding social event policies. o Minimum of two security guards per event, plus an additional guard for each additional 100 guests beyond 100 Restrict event size to fire code or a ratio not to exceed two guests per member, whichever is smaller. o Post fire code permanently and visibly Registration for these events must be approved by both university and chapter house corporation/property owner. During social events, alcohol should be allowed in only one designated assembly area, not in residential areas. Events designated as parent or alumni events, while social in nature, may be exempt from portions of this policy if the events are restricted to only chapter members and parents and/or alumni. Deadline – January 2019 Recommendation 3 – Develop specific parameters related to tailgates at chapter facilities If chapters seek to host tailgates on the chapter premises, the chapter leadership and a representative of the chapter house corporation/property owner must submit a risk management plan associated with tailgates to OFSL by Aug. 1 of each year. Once received, OFSL staff should meet with chapter/house corporations to review the plan and ensure compliance with all university and council policies. This plan should be approved by OFSL before a chapter is permitted to host/register tailgates on chapter premises. Furthermore, registered tailgates should be subject to all parameters outlined in Recommendation 2 (no alcohol in residential areas, private security, etc.) Deadline – August 2019 Recommendation 4 – Edit social audit policy to address concerns outlined in Dyad report The Dyad report unveiled a number of challenges associated with the current social audit policy and standard operating procedures. The following edits to that policy are recommended: • • • • The audit process should be funded and managed by the collective house corporations/property owners instead of IFC, as is the current practice. Auditors may observe individual rooms if there is reasonable suspicion of policy violation, including but not limited to loud music and people yelling. Each house corporation/property owner should provide written protocols to OFSL regarding the specific circumstances under which an individual room will be entered by an auditor, and this language should be included in members’ lease agreements with the house corporation/property owner in order to address any privacy concerns. Audits should focus on relevant party days. Under the current model, audits are distributed evenly over the course of the week. This should be adjusted to have regular audits on Thursday– Saturday and random, spot-check audits on Sunday–Wednesday. Audit letters should be sent to house corporations/property owners, IFC, chapter presidents, and the Office of Student Accountability & Support. Currently, audit letters are only sent to the IFC 13 • and the chapter president of the house that was audited. Sending the audit letter to more stakeholders will increase transparency and allow both the university and house corporations/property owners to take appropriate disciplinary action. Allow auditors to begin inspections without escort and without delay. Currently, auditors are greeted and then must wait outside until a member of the chapter’s executive board returns to give them a tour of the house. The policy should be adjusted to eliminate this waiting period and allow for the audit to begin immediately, regardless of who answers the door, or if the door is answered. Deadline – August 2018 Recommendation 5 - Joint-governing documents All four Greek councils, OFSL and the Office of Student Accountability & Support should develop a set of uniform policies to replace the current system of social policies incorporated into various governing council bylaws. This will eliminate confusion and ensure that all are fraternities and sororities held to the same standards regarding social events with policies endorsed by the university. Deadline – August 2019 Recommendation 6 - Create preferred venue list that follows safety and pricing guidelines As chapters transition away from social events held on chapter premises, identifying and partnering with off-campus venues for these chapters to host social events will become increasingly important. A committee of students, university staff and alumni should be identified and charged with the responsibility of creating a framework for a preferred venue list and then working in partnership with local venues to provide affordable and safe environments for chapter social events. Deadline – August 2019 Recommendation 7 – Explore developing an MOU between University of Missouri and City of Columbia police departments related to policing and enforcement in Greek town. Deadline – August 2019 Summary and Conclusion The Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life and the University of Missouri value the support and recommendations of the Fraternity & Sorority Life Advisory Board. The challenges facing the Mizzou fraternity and sorority community are not unique to the University of Missouri. Addressing these issues and opportunities requires broad input from a variety of dedicated stakeholders. We are fortunate to have a group of passionate individuals who volunteered their time and expertise to help us review the current landscape of Mizzou fraternity and sorority life. This ongoing advisory role is essential as we work together to build a community of excellence and responsibility. The board’s recommendations provide invaluable information to the leadership of the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life and will help guide our efforts to provide the resources necessary to maximize a positive, successful and inclusive experience for our students. Recommendations and proposed deadlines from the working groups will be implemented as resources are available. The University of Missouri is committed to providing resources to foster a successful fraternity and sorority experience for prospective and new students, as well as celebrate the accomplishments and milestones of our chapters. This renewed focus on 14 partnership and commitment to Mizzou’s values ensures a bright future for fraternity and sorority life at the University of Missouri. Acknowledgements The following groups and individuals provided information, expertise, and feedback throughout this process. They deserve recognition for their investment in this process and thanks for their many hours contributing to the future of Mizzou fraternity and sorority life: ● Fraternity & Sorority Life Advisory Board o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o Aaron Allen, BJ ’18, NPHC current president, reporter for the Delta Omega Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Dr. Botswana Blackburn, MU School of Health Professions associate professor, Alpha Kappa Alpha adviser (Mizzou chapter) John Dean, Delta Tau Delta assistant adviser for academic excellence, MU Fraternity Alumni Consortium member Jake Eovaldi, senior accountancy major, current IFC President, Delta Tau Delta member Brian Fenimore, Western District of Missouri judge, MU Parent Leadership Council co-chair, FarmHouse Gabbie Gresge, BJ ’18, PHA president (2016), Chi Omega Andy Hayes, ex officio, MU assistant vice chancellor for Civil Rights, Title IX & ADA Dr. David Kurpius, Missouri School of Journalism professor and dean Ed Knollmeyer, ex officio, University of Missouri System assistant vice president for management services and director of risk and insurance management Shelby Lofton, senior broadcast journalism and Spanish major, current PHA president, Sigma Sigma Sigma Bruce McKinney, president of the Delta Upsilon International Fraternity Board of Directors and president of the Mizzou Alumni Association Governing Board Paul Maguffee, ex officio, University of Missouri System deputy general counsel Mike Nagy, BS EE ’93, Phi Delta Theta, MU Parent Leadership Council member Shannon Nagy, BS BA ’91, Delta Delta Delta, MU Parent Leadership Council member Kathryn O'Hagan, ex officio, MU Fraternity & Sorority Life assistant director Dr. Tom Prater, BS Ed ’76, MA ’83, PhD ’03, Zeta Beta Tau house director Jonathan Rummel, ex officio, MU Fraternity & Sorority Life coordinator Doug Schwandt, BS ’80, MU Police Department chief Cara Stuckel, JD ’16, Missouri assistant attorney general, Kappa Delta Devin Tarantino, BS ’18, IFC president (2016), Delta Kappa Epsilon Ben Trachtenberg, MU School of Law associate professor, former president of the Sigma Chi chapter at Yale Huong Truong, BJ ’18, MGC current president, Alpha Phi Gamma Dr. Mark Van Zandt, ex officio, University of Missouri System general counsel Robin Wenneker, BS BA ’91, Mizzou Alumni Association Governing Board treasurer, Kappa Alpha Theta Christian Wiggins, FarmHouse chief executive officer, chair of Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisers Foundation and the Coalition for Collegiate Women’s Leadership Dr. Lynda Wiley, executive director of the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisers (AFA) and the AFA Foundation 15 o o ● Donell Young, MU Division of Inclusion, Diversity & Equity assistant vice chancellor for student engagement and success Dr. Jeff Zeilenga, MU Dean of Students Fraternity & Sorority Life Working Group o Jack Schimpf, BS BA ’18, Beta Theta Pi o Josh Chodor, senior strategic communications major, IFC vice president of risk management, Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity past president o Karrington Scott, senior English major, PHA vice president of risk management, Delta Delta Delta o Julie Johnson, Kappa Delta National Panhellenic Conference delegate, and University of Missouri Panhellenic Association area adviser o Mark Bremer, junior health science major, IFC vice president for inclusion and brotherhood, Delta Chi o Sean Olmstead, MU LGBTQ Resource Center coordinator, Alpha Kappa Lambda o John Kurpius, junior journalism major, IFC vice president for member development o Elizabeth Frogge, BJ ’99, Missouri School of Journalism associate professor, Pi Beta Phi o Daphne Yu, BJ ’18, Alpha Phi Gamma past president o Adam Dexter o Scott Swafford o Ted Hellman, BS BA ’71, MBA ’72, MU Fraternity Alumni Consortium, Phi Kappa Theta o John Hofman, BS Acc ’82, MU Fraternity Alumni Consortium, Beta Theta Pi 16 Appendix A University of Missouri Fraternity & Sorority Advisory Council Working Group Descriptions and Charges Overview and Description The Dean of Students Office, in conjunction with the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life, has developed a Fraternity & Sorority Advisory Board. This advisory council was established to assist university leadership in the implementation of recommendations made in the Dyad Strategies external review report, published in November 2017. In moving forward with many of the recommendations outlined in the Dyad report, the university has developed five working groups that will be tasked with developing specific recommendations and implementation plans in key areas addressed in the external report. Those five areas are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Diversity and inclusion Hazing prevention and member education Academic calendar and recruitment Social event risk management Freshmen in Greek housing Each work group will consist of a core leadership group (including a chairperson) comprised of members of the advisory board, with additional members selected from interested students, alumni and other constituent groups. The chairperson will be tasked with synthesizing the group’s recommendations into a written report, which will be presented to the entire advisory board and, once adopted, presented to the vice chancellor for student affairs. It should be noted that the board and work groups are advisory in nature. Ultimately, it is the role of university leadership to develop and implement policy, but university leadership understands that the suggested changes outlined in the Dyad report will require buy-in and support from students and other stakeholders in order to be effectively implemented. Therefore, the university seeks input from those constituent groups as we develop the plans to implement these changes in our community. The primary objective in all of this work is the health, safety and well-being of Mizzou students and all other considerations will be secondary to this objective. Diversity and Inclusion Work Group This work group is charged with developing recommendations associated with diversity and inclusion efforts within the fraternity/sorority community. In undertaking this effort, the group should specifically outline recommendations associated with the following: ● ● ● ● ● The university’s support of NPHC and MGC organizations and other culturally-based fraternities and sororities Identification of alternative funding sources for culturally-based fraternities and sororities Diversity and inclusion efforts among PHA and IFC fraternities and sororities Diversity and inclusion education for all fraternity and sorority members Inclusivity of programs/events aimed at engaging entire Greek community (i.e. Greek Week, homecoming, etc.) 17 Hazing Prevention and Member Education Work Group This work group is charged with the responsibility of suggesting revisions to the university’s hazing policy and procedures to bring them into compliance with the recommendations outlined in the Dyad report, including the development of policy language related to amnesty/self-reporting. This group should also identify gaps and areas of concern with current new member education practices and outline recommended actions associated with improving chapter membership education. Academic Calendar and Recruitment Work Group This work group is charged with undertaking a high-level examination of the university’s academic calendar and its connection to fraternity/sorority events. In addition, this committee should investigate and benchmark the university’s recruitment processes and timelines, and make recommended changes in light of other recommendations in the Dyad report (e.g., the elimination of freshmen in Greek housing). In particular, this committee should investigate and address the following: ● ● ● ● Social event “dead periods” during high-risk times (i.e., syllabus week, finals week, etc.) The timing and structure of IFC and PHA recruitment and MGC/NPHC membership intake Recruitment policies, with an increased emphasis on enforcement of alcohol-free recruitment The timing of other major fraternity/sorority community events Social Event Risk Management Work Group This work group is charged with the responsibility of suggesting revisions to relevant university policies and procedures in order to bring them into compliance with the recommendations outlined in the Dyad report. In developing recommendations, this work group should consider and address the following: ● ● ● ● ● Utilization of technology to monitor guest entry Identification of event security firms Appropriate limits on number of social events per semester Outlining roles of campus vs. local law enforcement in Greek housing Plan for educating fraternity/sorority community on changes to social event policies Freshmen in Greek Housing Work Group This group is charged with developing an implementation plan related to the Dyad recommendation of gradually removing freshmen students from Greek housing. In developing this plan, the work group is encouraged to consider the following: ● ● ● Gradual implementation (2–3 year plan) Incentivizing chapter performance during transition (i.e., a percentage of beds can be filled by freshmen for chapters at a certain level of academic/behavioral performance during transitionary period) Opportunities for Greek freshman learning communities in university housing This work group should prepare a report outlining an implementation plan prioritizing the safety and well-being of students and the health of our fraternity/sorority chapters, but should also consider the financial implications and put forward a plan that minimizes the risk of any adverse financial impact on fraternity/sorority chapters or housing corporations. 18