FIJI alleged hazing update
The City of Moscow’s investigation into alleged hazing activity at the University of Idaho’s Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) chapter has concluded and no charges will be filed, according to Lt. Dave Lehmitz of the Moscow Police Department.
“It was left to the determination of the prosecutor as to whether there would be any criminal charges and if it really rose to that level of crime,” he said. “The prosecutor came back and said she had denied prosecution and there was not enough there
to prosecute.”
The UI Dean of Students Office originally sanctioned FIJI Feb. 19 for allegedly conducting hazing activities. But after review and concern from FIJI alumni, the sanctions were dropped a few weeks later for further review. Dean of Students Craig Chatriand resigned from his position as a result, citing an inability to resolve a conflict with FIJI alumni.
The university reinstated an investigation into the hazing allegations, and the incidents in question have been reviewed by the Greek Community Standards Board.
The board has made a recommendation to Interim Provost and Executive Vice Provost Katherine Aiken regarding potential sanctions based on their review. Aiken is expected to make a decision in the coming weeks.
Whooping cough on campus
The Idaho North Central District of Public Health has confirmed a University of Idaho student has contracted pertussis, also known as whooping cough.
Greg Tatham, assistant vice provost for Student Affairs, said he was notified late Monday afternoon and was told the student was on antibiotics and chose to isolate herself at her home outside Moscow.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory disease. People who contract whooping cough often experience uncontrollable, violent coughing, which makes it difficult for them to breathe. Whooping cough is most common in young children or infants, and the best preventative measure is vaccination.
Tatham said the student’s case was caught early, so she will recover. He said the university checked the people she was in close contact with in her living situation and workplace, and gave treatment to anyone who showed symptoms.
Public Health said people can protect themselves and others from respiratory illnesses like whooping cough by covering their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, throwing away used tissues and washing their hands regularly.
Tatham said if anybody feels they are showing signs of whooping cough or other respiratory illnesses they should go to the Student Health Center.
Summer parking at UI
Students hoping to store their bike or car in Moscow for the summer should think twice before leaving them on campus, according to the University of Idaho Parking and Transportation Services (PTS) summer policies.
While vehicles can be stored during fall, winter and spring breaks, many parking lots and streets are subject to summer maintenance and must be cleared of all vehicles for the summer.
PTS advises students to avoid fines by storing their vehicle elsewhere or taking it home for the summer.
For those who will be in town for the summer, overnight parking is not allowed on campus streets including all purple and silver permit on-street parking. Students who need to park on campus overnight can park in any regular off-street purple or silver parking lot, but should stay up-to-date with summer construction projects and parking restrictions in these lots via the PTS Facebook page.
Day parking is allowed without a permit in most lots on campus during the summer, but gold lots will still require permits.
Bicycles left on campus that appear abandoned or disabled will also be impounded at the end of the semester.
A full map of allowed academic break parking areas can be viewed on the University of Idaho website. For questions regarding summer parking and bike storage regulations contact PTS at (208) 885-6424 or email [email protected].
Cyber security in CDA
The University of Idaho Coeur d’Alene campus has been awarded a two-year grant by the Idaho Department of Labor valued at more than $231,000 per year to support cybersecurity workforce training.
The university partnered with fiber optics and broadband services company Fatbeam, as well as Idaho Power, Kootenai Health and Highpoint Medical to propose an educational training program for security analyst work.
The grant will fund structured on-the-job training, a security operations center lab provided in part by Fatbeam and classroom learning. The program will also provide short-term training and certification exams to information technology professionals with at least two years of experience beginning in August.
UI CDA business development analyst Karen Thurston, who applied for the grant, said the university is lucky to have won.
“Both employers and employees will benefit from this training,” she said. “This grant came about as the result of an increasing need for cyber security.”
She said although the advancement of technology has increased cyber capabilities, it has also made us more vulnerable, and institutions should train a workforce to combat new threats.
The grant is for two years and is renewable for a third year, but the program is designed to become self-sustaining upon reaching enrollment capacity. “This program will build on the foundation of excellence in cybersecurity,” Thurston said.