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 

michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Friday, September 8, 2017

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIX YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

GOT A NEWS TIP?
Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail 
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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

