Changes at Clemson–Chronicle of Higher Education this week excerpt
When Tucker Hipps, a 19-year-old Sigma Phi Epsilon pledge at Clemson University, died during a run with members of the chapter in 2014, the university quickly took action, suspending all 24 of its fraternities’ initiation programs and hiring a consulting firm to review the Greek system. At the time, the Clemson Fraternity and Sorority Life department consisted of two full-time staffers and three graduate assistants.
While the additional fee was initially met with grumbling from students, Gary Wiser, director of fraternity and sorority life at Clemson, said it transformed how much programming and support his office could actually provide. “After the first semester it was implemented, after the students saw how much they were getting out of it, I think it just became part of the experience,” Wiser said.
