Robert E. Joseph RMF Award Application

Transcription

1 Robert E. Joseph RMF Award Application Chapter Name: Alpha Omega School Name: Stanford University ESSAY 1: 1. In 500 words or less, describe your chapter's top three risk management priorities and the best practices implemented at your chapter to ensure these issues are fully addressed in the pledge education program, in the member education program (e.g., chapter retreats) and within your campus community. (5 points) 1) All Campus Parties: In order to neutralize the risk when opening our doors to the entire Stanford community, our chapter has outlined an extensive Party Planning Policy (included in the Risk Management Policy). Historically, the two greatest risks involved at all campus events are intoxicated guests and general crowd control. To combat the former, the brothers acting as sober monitors together with the security guards work to identify guests who are overly intoxicated at the door and deny them entry to the event before they can cause a problem for our guests and our house. The large crowds that inevitably gather outside of the house waiting to gain entry to the event also become an issue, especially if they crowd around the door, preventing exit for those wishing to leave. To alleviate the effects of the crowd, cattle guard fencing has been used so that the line for entry is far removed from the door, allowing those wishing to leave from the front door to do so freely and safely. 2) Consumption of Alcohol: The chapter has attempted to combat this problem through both education and prevention. The chapter hosts the university s Office of Alcohol Education educator every fall in an effort to educate its members (and particularly its pledges) regarding alcohol consumption. Additionally, this past fall the chapter also incorporated OAPE alcohol servings size limits to minimize excessive drunkenness among party guests. Practically, the chapter has installed bylaws that stipulate that brothers who over consume alcohol in a way that could endanger their fellow brothers, their guests, or the reputation of the house are subject to strict judicial board action. 3) Drunk Driving: Along with the issues accompanying alcohol comes the specific case of driving under the influence. To combat the risk of brothers or guests driving under the influence of alcohol, our chapter has installed a designated driver system in which each member of the house signs up for a shift on a weekend night (Thursday through Saturday) and nights during the

2 week when our chapter has events. On the given night, the Risk Manager provides the driver s phone number to all brothers in the house, who may call on him to drive them to their destination should they have been drinking that evening. The designated driver policy is outlined in greater detail in the Risk Management Policy. ESSAY 2: 2. In 250 words or less, describe any innovations in risk management developed and implemented at your chapter this past year. (3 points) The main risk management technique developed at Alpha Omega this year further improves our security policies at all campus parties. We found that a large part of our recurring issues at these events stemmed from unwanted guests entering our personal living areas and becoming excessively drunk inside our parties. In order to alleviate these problems and bar unwanted or over intoxicated guests from access to the house, the chapter has started stationing additional security guards inside the house during parties to oversee alcohol consumption and protect living spaces. The house has also partnered with Stanford's alcohol office to provide only standard size servings of beer at events to limit alcohol consumption by guests. Additionally, the house has now installed brand new magnetic locks on all external doors and automatic door closers on all internal doors to prevent unwanted entry into the house and to individuals' rooms. Our system proved very effective in improving the safety and security of the house. ESSAY 3: 1. If your chapter receives a Robert E. Joseph RMF Award grant, what will you do with the grant funds? (2 points) If our chapter were to receive the Robert E. Joseph RMF award grant funds, it is likely they would be spent toward managing risk at our all campus events. Specifically, they could be used to purchase retaining fencing and the hiring of additional security guards to assist in alleviating our crowd control issues at these events. Hiring two additional guards at each of our 3 yearly all campus events would cost approximately $650. Recently though, our Housing Corporation has been helping pay for additional security guards to go above and beyond university requirements and minimize as much risk as possible. If this continues, we would like to use the funding on a CPR and first aid training session for our new members to ensure that everyone in the house is certified. We think it would be a great investment to train the whole house in CPR practices to complement their current training in alcohol and drug crisis workshops that we do each year. This will make the house as a whole more educated, proactive, and involved in the event that an emergency or crisis arises and would be money well spent. SECTION 3: RECOMMENDATION FORMS 1. Upload the recommendation form completed and signed by your Chapter/Alumni Advisor here. Attached separately.

3 2. Upload the recommendation form completed and signed by your House Corporation President or Officer (if chapter has a residential facility) Attached separately. 3. Upload the recommendation form completed and signed by your Greek Advisor here. Attached separately. 4. Upload the recommendation form completed and signed by your Grand Praetor here. Attached separately. 5. Upload the recommendation form completed and signed by your Grand Trustee here. Attached separately.

4

5 TO: RISK MANAGEMENT FOUNDATION RE: ALPHA OMEGA CHAPTER S APPLICATION ROBERT E. JOSEPH RMF AWARD-2014 FM: CHET MOORE CHAPTER ADVISOR ALPHA OMEGA CHAPTER, SIGMA CHI FRATERNITY STANFORD UNIVERSITY DT: 30 APRIL 2014 SUPPLEMENTAL ANSWERS 1. Did the chapter receive an award or recognition that the committee should be aware of regarding risk management? Yes Robert E. Joseph RMF Award-Honorable Mention 2013 Robert E. Joseph RMF Award 2. Did the chapter sponsor an educational risk management event/seminar this year? Yes. During this past academic year, Alpha Omega has hosted various Stanford Student Affairs led events at its house including workshops on save alcohol consumption, anti hazing, sexual assault and maintaining safe and open spaces where all students can feel comfortable and safe. RECOMMENDATION: As Chapter Advisor to Alpha Omega, I once again wholeheartedly endorse the Chapter s application for the Robert E. Joseph RMF Award. AO has been honored the past two years with an Honorable Mention (2012) and The Award in The chapter utilized the grant monies in 2013 to improve security for a May all campus event (required by the Residential Education Department) by adding additional security which in turn resulted in a safe, sound, and sober event. Keep in mind that the attendance is about 1,500 undergraduates. For the past academic year, the grant money was again used to increase security at the all campus

6 functions. The Chapter utilizes snow fences to control ingress and egress, has uniformed security at all exterior doors, checks all university identification and enforces a wrist band system to identify those over 21. In addition to the sober brother team, the security personnel also monitor the attendees for excessive alcohol consumption and remove those who are at risk both inside and outside the residence. As indicated in the above supplemental response, the Chapter works closely with the ResEd Department in sponsoring on their property a wide variety of RMF related programs for the University. They do wear their RMF Award Badge proudly. Sigma Chi is the sole Greek organization at Stanford that owns its own house. The University owns the land, the AOHC the structure. The AOHC retains the services of a professional property manager who inspects the house on a weekly basis, usually in the company of a member of the House Corporation and the undergraduate House Manager. Chapter leadership and members are held accountable for the condition of the house as well as any deviations from good risk management policies. The manner in which the house is managed includes many tasks, requirements, and expectations that would constitute best practices, the most important of which is that each member is personally responsible for the condition of the house, which in turn instills a sense of ownership. All undergraduates including pledges live in the house. All are charged with maintaining it on a daily basis, including seniors. Maintenance of common areas and the kitchen are assigned on a rotating basis. Failure to perform your assigned task is not an option Social events at Stanford must be registered with the Greek Advisor at Res Ed. All social events mut comply with the University s party planning guide...and the University does confirm compliance. This Chapter, on its own volition has banned hard alcohol for approved social functions. Of note is that Stanford mandates the use of kegs and bans bottles and cans. I believe that the rationale is that you can not throw a keg and it keeps litter down. This Chapter continues to maintain a safe physical residence in which to live and continue to conduct themselves in a responsible risk averse manner. Alpha Omega is unique and its risk management program is an integral part of being a member of the Chapter. It is very much deserving of the Robert E. Joseph RMF Award.

7 Thank you for your kind consideration to this application. In Hoc Signo Vinces, Chet Moore Chapter Advisor Alpha Omega Chapter

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15