Student veterans attended
orientation in the Pond room of
the Michigan Union Thursday
evening and learned about
the various resources and
initiatives to support them on
campus. The orientation was
led by Psychology Lecturer
Eric Fretz, Philip Larson,
program
director
for
the
Student Veterans Assistance
Program, and members of
the Peer Advisors for Veteran
Education.
The
incoming
students
had
the
opportunity
to
familiarize themselves with
various community members
and programs dedicated to
ensuring
their
success
—
specifically Fretz’s Veteran
Success course.
Fretz
combined
his
background
in
education
and
military
service
and
collaborated with Larson and
others to develop a series of
modules intended to teach
student veterans necessary
skills, such as study strategies,
financial
tips
and
health
and safety guidelines. He
emphasized the importance
of his modules and explained
how learning these skills at
young age can help prepare
for the future.
“I already taught a Learning
How to Learn course for
psychology and of course the
vets need it as much as any
other incoming first year, so I
started taking chunks of that
and delivering it to them at
the meeting,” Fretz said. “I
also have a large, self-taught
background with finance, and
I’ve learned a lot of lessons
the hard way and I figured
this could be used to clarify
to people that you can have a
secure retirement--you have
to know about it and start
early, but most people don’t
know about it and don’t start
early.”
The
Veteran
Success
course
has
been
praised
not
only
because
of
its
straightforwardness but also
because of Fretz’s ability to
connect with the student
veterans.
Larson
himself
applauded
Fretz
for
his
no-nonsense
and
relatable
tone.
“I think he relates well
When LSA sophomore Leah
Weinstein entered college last
year, like many, she didn’t
know exactly what she wanted
to do after graduation. She
knew she wanted to work
abroad in some capacity, but
it wasn’t until later in the year
that the Peace Corps became a
real option in her mind.
“I always knew what it was
but I met a few people who had
done or were going to do it and
it just kind of became more
prevalent to me as an option,”
Weinstein said. “I’m interested
in human rights and women’s
health and so I would love to
work abroad teaching English
or in a community center or
something like that, and the
Peace Corps allows you to (do
that).”
Weinstein is certainly not
the only University of Michigan
student to express interest
in the program. Since former
President John F. Kennedy
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Friday, September 8, 2017
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INDEX
Vol. CXXVII, No. 85
©2016 The Michigan Daily
N E WS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
O PI N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
S U D O K U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
CL A S S I F I E DS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
See CORPS, Page 3A
‘U’ begins
new Peace
Corps prep
initiative
ACADEMICS
International Center to
offer preparation courses
in cultural competence
MAYA GOLDMAN
Daily Staff Reporter
RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/DAILY
Dr. Eric Fretz presents to students at the New Student Veteran Initiatives in the Michigan Union on Thursday.
New student veteran initiatives aim to
increase support, resources on campus
Faculty, Peer Advisors for Veteran Education present opportunities for engagement
AMARA SHAIKH
Daily Staff Reporter
michigandaily.com
For more stories and coverage, visit
See VETERAN, Page 3A
The University of Michigan
Sexual
Assault
Prevention
and Awareness Center named
Kaaren
Williamsen
its
permanent director, according
to an email sent by E. Royster
Harper,
vice
president
for
student life, to her office
Thursday afternoon.
Williamsen will head the
office
beginning
Oct.
23,
replacing
interim
director
Nadia Bazzy. Bazzy has been in
office for little over six months
— since March 3 — after the
departure of longtime director
Holly
Rider-Milkovich
for
a senior position at EverFi,
an
educational
technology
innovator firm. Both Rider-
Milkovich and her successor
have
worked
with
EverFi;
Williamsen served on EverFi’s
national
Sexual
Assault
Advisory
Council
in
2016,
in addition to roles with the
American College Personnel
Association Presidential Task
See SAPAC, Page 3A
Director
for SAPAC
to start this
October
BUSINESS
Kaaren Williamsen
set to replace interim
director, Nadia Brazzy
RIYAH BASHA
Daily News Editor
Martin
Philbert,
new
University
of
Michigan
provost, thanked University
President
Mark
Schlissel
and the provost team for his
position and spoke on the
importance of academia on
a national scale at his hiring
reception in the Michigan
League Thursday afternoon.
About 75 students and faculty
members
attended
the
reception and address.
The University has been
without a permanent provost
since former Provost Martha
Pollack was appointed the
14th
president
of
Cornell
University
last
spring.
Between Pollack’s departure
and Philbert’s hiring, Public
Policy Prof. Paul Courant
acted as interim provost.
Philbert has served as dean
of the School of Public Health
since 2011 before becoming
provost and Vice President for
Academic Affairs.
In his opening remarks,
President Schlissel described
the provost position as one
of great significance at the
University, since the provost
presides over all academic
initiatives and oversees the
University’s budget.
“The
beauty
and
the
challenge and the importance
of the provost position is it
sees the whole playing field,”
Schlissel said. “The value of
being able to see that whole
playing field and make good
decisions in a world where
resources are always limited,
putting
the
right
people
together, making the right
New provost
emphasizes
dedication to
academics
DESIGN BY JACK SILBERMAN
Martin Philbert expresses gratitude to
Schlissel, administration for position
MATT HARMON
Daily Staff Reporter
U.S. Secretary of Education
Betsy
DeVos
announced
Thursday
afternoon
the
Department
of
Education
will replace what she called a
“failed” system of addressing
sexual misconduct on campus
with a new focus on due process
and
the
rights
of
accused
students. Some cheered the
change of course on enforcing
Title IX, but many — including
sexual assault survivors and
advocates at the University of
Michigan — read Thursday’s
announcement as a rollback of
Obama-era guidelines, with no
clear plan of action in sight.
In a speech at George Mason
University,
DeVos
railed
against “kangaroo courts,” or
the complex legal processes
many universities have in place
to redress reports of sexual
misconduct. All parties — but
especially accused students, she
said — experience violations of
their due process rights during
investigations.
“The notion that a school must
diminish due process rights to
better serve the ‘victim’ only
creates more victims,” she said.
“Any perceived offense can
become a full-blown Title IX
investigation. But if everything
is harassment, then nothing is.”
Under
former
President
Barack Obama, the Department
of
Education’s
Office
of
Civil
Rights
wielded
Title
IX
to
pressure
campus
administrations
into
RIYAH BASHA
Daily News Editor
See TITLE IX, Page 3A
One final year
Last season, Mason Cole
could have left for the
NFL Draft. Instead, he’s
taking the field as the
Wolverines’ captain in its
home opener.
» Page 1B
See PROVOST, Page 3A
Betsy DeVos announces new DOE
process to address sexual assault