 1 ARROW • week of Jan. 30 - Feb. 5, 2013
SPRING BREAK CHALLENGE. PAGE 3 +
Softball team prepares. Read more on page 2 +
FACULTY CHOICE EXHIBIT. PAGE 4 +
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT PUBLICATION JAN. 30 - FEB. 5, 2013 Student run since 1911
Southeast designs Greek accreditation process ANDREA GILS COPY EDITOR
Southeast Missouri State University is implementing a new mandatory Greek accreditation process to better evaluate and monitor organizations on campus. Greek chapters have a national accreditation process that assures national standards are followed, but Southeast officials are only given detailed information about sororities or fraternities if a chapter applies for a President’s Award given to one or two outstanding student organizations each year. Because of this, director of Residence Life Bruce Skinner, former assistant director of fraternities and sororities Teena Reasoner and Michele Irby, the director of Campus Life and Event Services, designed a new mandatory accreditation process last year to ensure that chapters meet Southeast’s standards, according to Christine Loy, the interim assistant director of fraternities and sororities. Skinner, Loy and Irby will assess the standards on a score-based system. The standards include academic achievement, chapter operations and management and philanthropy and service, among others things. All 18 Greek chapters must show they meet at least the minimum standards each year to earn acceditation. Loy said the new accreditation process will give Southeast a snapshot of how Greeks organizations are doing and can motivate Greeks to apply for awards. Accredited chapters will receive the awards, but Loy said she did not want to speculate as to which type of awards there will be since it depends on the kind and amount of information the applicants submit. According to Loy, Reasoner developed the idea of the new accreditation process last year with Irby before Loy took over the accreditation process and informed Greek organizations’ presidents about the new process at the beginning of the fall semester. The deadline for fraternities and sororities to submit the application with information pertaining to 2012 was set for Jan. 30, but
Areas of evaluation for the accreditation process Academic achievement Chapter operations and management Membership education and development Recruitment and sustainability Philanthropy and service Stakeholder relationships Risk management multiple Greek leaders said they knew little about the process last week. Amber Cason, a sophomore majoring in mass media and history, is the new president of Alpha Chi Omega. Cason, who has been in office just two weeks, said she had little information about the new accreditation process. “I haven’t talked to anybody from the head of Southeast Greek organizations about accreditation,” Cason said. “Everything I’ve heard has been kind of word of mouth, that might happen, might not, so honestly I don’t know. But I feel that they won’t be outrageous standards that we won’t be able to meet.” Cason added that she has talked about the new accreditation process with her sorority’s executive board but, since she had not heard from Loy, did not announce it to the other members. “When someone comes to me and says ‘This is what we are doing’, then I’ll be happy to announce it to my chapter,” Cason said. Loy said accreditation will be especially helpful during recruitment, when students interested in joining a sorority or fraternity will see some organizations are accredited and some are not, inclining them to apply for those accredited. She also said that the reputation of non-accredited organizations could be hurt. Cason didn’t agree that accreditation will affect Greek organizations’ reputations. “I think the people of an organization
make the reputation,” Casen said. Cason said that having academics as part of the accreditation is important to her, and her chapter takes pride in having a good academic standing within her own chapter and within the university. Cason agreed that the new accreditation would affect recruitment because when it comes to any organization or program, if a program is accredited, it is good and people want to be involved in it. “I don’t think the end result will be negative,” Cason said. “Some organizations might realize that they are not as organized or doing as much as they thought they were. But I feel accreditation would help them reach their potential, help them get more organized and help them realize the things they need to do. … It might show some problems within the organization, but I think it would definitely help.” Alpha Xi Delta president Jamie Teague said in an email that her chapter would be in favor of applying for accreditation, although she also said she was not very aware of the process. “I think the new accreditation process is a good thing because [it] exemplifies the Greek system and shows others that we really are a strong community on campus,” Teague said. “It’s not just having fun,” Loy said. “It shows at levels we’ve got at stake, and how they’re doing, make sure they’re doing what they should be doing.”
BRIEFS Director Southeast still is searching for a director of Recreation Services The search for a new director of Recreation Services has not yet begun, according to Dr. Bruce Skinner, assistant vice president for Student Success and the director of the Office of Residence Life. Troy Vaughn, director of Recreation Services for seven and a half years, resigned from his position on Aug. 31, 2012, which left the department of Recreation Services without a director last year. Mike Buck stepped in as interim director on Sept. 3. “It has been very rewarding for me,” Buck said. “I have enjoyed every second of it. We have a great staff, both professional and student, who have made the transition a very smooth one.” Skinner said typically searches to fill positions in Student Affairs, which includes Student Recreation Services, begin in mid to late spring. Once a position is available, Skinner said a hiring committee is selected that is made up of a variety of faculty, staff and students. Read the full story at southeastArrow. com.
Chartwells Subway opens on campus Jan. 25 Subway opened on Jan. 25 in Scully Building. Students can use their meals plans to buy Subway. “We Proudly Brew” also opened on Jan. 25 in Scully Building and students can use their meal plans and flex dollars to purchase Starbucks coffee served at “We Proudly Brew.”
Donate Faculty hosts blood drive Feb. 13 Members of the CTS Council, Professional Staff Council and Faculty Senate are organizing a blood drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 13 in the University Center’s Ballroom B. Anyone can give blood. People can schedule an appointment by visiting redcrossblood.org or contact Marge Phillips at 573-651-2460 or mphillips@semo.edu.
A Partnership with Southeast Missouri State University and Rust Communications • To advertise, call 573-388-2741