Two new members joined K-State’s Student Support and Accountability team, expanding resources for students facing legal issues and hazing-related concerns. According to K-State Today’s Sept. 30 press release, the positions were necessary to enhance and expand how K-State supports both its students and community.
Corinne Petrik, K-State alumna and new legal services attorney for Student Legal Services, offers education for students about their legal rights and responsibilities. She assists in resolving legal issues and supplies students with skills necessary to handle future legal situations — all while remaining free of charge.
Common issues students face include misdemeanors, landlord-tenant issues and accidents, Petrik said.
“If someone picks up a minor charge or misdemeanor, we guide them throughout what that process looks like, whether they want to go to trial or seek other options and what those are,” Petrik said. “Housing is [also] one of the most important needs that [students] have. So we assist in giving information that we can in order to get through issues like repairs, lease violations and so forth.”
Petrik said she focuses on making resources accessible to both students and the K-State community.
“I want to build this [program] so that we have as many resources as possible for the students, and let everybody know that this is a free, confidential service that exists,” Petrik said.
Andy Thompson, assistant vice president of Student Support Accountability and senior associate dean of students, said that continued funding and support from the Student Governing Association (SGA) allowed the university to hire Petrik full-time.
“SGA continued the funding and helped us get to a … level that was more competitive,” Thompson said. So, we were able to hire Corinne [Petrik] full-time. Getting a lawyer in town or anywhere can be pricey … it was a no-brainer to continue that position.”
Thompson said he would’ve benefited from the service when he was a college student.
“I actually ended up in a landlord-tenant issue … and I look back and absolutely could have used that service when I was a student,” Thompson said.
Students and staff alike have described legal aid, education and representation as important resources. Jaxi Mitchek, junior in psychology, said understanding her rights could benefit her and her peers.
“I think that it is very important to understand and know your rights and to have somebody who is free of charge teach us them,” Mitchek said. “It would help us in more ways than one. I think with what’s going on in the world right now, you never know what’s gonna happen … it would be very beneficial to have somebody help us.”
Petrik said that students should utilize her services, no matter the scale of the issue.
“If they have a question, then they should absolutely reach out to see if we can help,” Petrik said. “Whether it’s something they think is little or … something that’s just absolutely terrifying.”
Alea Billingsley is the second new member of the Student Support and Accountability staff. Specializing in prevention education, K-State designated her as the hazing prevention and conduct coordinator. Her role is to educate the community about hazing, lead hazing prevention and awareness initiatives and serve as an advisor for those with questions or concerns.
Billingsley said 70% of her focus is on hazing prevention and 30% on student conduct. She acknowledged that hazing and reporting can be scary topics, and said that, through her role, she wants to demystify that feeling for students on campus, focusing on educating students to combat the widespread prevalence of hazing.
“Hazing absolutely happens here,” Billingsley said. “It happens everywhere. It’s definitely not anything new … that’s why education is so important. I think people are starting to understand more and more that [hazing] doesn’t just happen in fraternity and sorority life; it happens everywhere.”
Thompson said most students don’t understand what qualifies as hazing, pointing out how a lack of education commonly leads to a lack of awareness.
“I think there are sometimes … things that occur that students don’t realize could be a definition of [hazing], and they just haven’t identified it yet,” Thompson said.
Billingsley said K-State created her position specifically to combat the increase in hazing nationwide and that she is currently the only hazing prevention and conduct coordinator in Kansas and one of very few in the nation. She said her role is separate from broader student conduct offices to face the spread of hazing head-on.
“Our driving force was trying to think of [students’] overall well-being,” Thompson said. “And to be proactive in that work. We are always trying to think about our students … and how they’re engaging with each other.”
Hailey Biswell, junior in elementary education and member of Gamma Phi Beta, helped advocate for this role as both a sorority and SGA member.
“When [Billingsley] came and spoke to the senate, she did an amazing job explaining exactly how she handles situations, education and much more,” Biswell said.
Billingsley said she has already reached out to fraternity and sorority chapters to discuss expectations and reporting procedures and aims to become a familiar face.
David Gott, junior in political science and member of Alpha Sigma Phi, said the university could benefit from a hazing coordinator.
“I think hazing can get out of hand quickly, and making sure that you have a handle on it before it spirals is always a good thing,” Gott said. “I want to see a friendly face who has made their presence known. Everybody has their contact information. And knowing what’s gonna happen after you reach out to them and see where your claim is gonna go.”
Thompson said his goal is to make hazing prevention a part of K-State’s community and culture.
“In year one, we’re hoping … we ingrain the education of hazing prevention in campus culture across the 400 student organizations the university has,” Thompson said.
