Dr. Joseph Siebold, director of UD's Student Health Services, talks about UD's health-care program for undergraduate and graduate students.

Q Is UD's Student Health Services (SHS) program accredited, and what does that involve?

A UD's Student Health Service is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care for three years, AAAHC's best rating. We submitted documents and materials about our services and staff qualifications and had an on-site visit by an AAAHC survey team. Our staff meets every two weeks to review what we are doing and to seek ways to improve patient care as we prepare for reaccredidation and another visit from AAAHC in the fall.

Q Do all schools seek accreditation?

A There are no national standards for college health-care facilities, and accreditation is not mandated, so many schools do not bother. However, some states, such as California, now require college health services to be accredited. The number is growing.

Q Has UD Student Health Services received other recognition?

A The SHS Laboratory recently received a Laboratory Excellence Award from the Commission on Office Laboratory Accreditation (COLA).

Q How is SHS organized?

A There are two components to SHS--the Laurel Hall facility where medical treatment and services are available and a Sports Medicine Clinic at the Bob Carpenter Center, which offers care to all involved in University-sponsored sports and to other students referred by SHS.

Q How available is SHS for students?

A During the fall and spring semesters, and during Winter Session, SHS is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. During semester breaks, SHS is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. During the summer period, SHS is open weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. SHS is closed during University holidays when the residence halls are closed. In addition, we have links with Christiana Care and also work closely with Public Safety and UD's Emergency Care Unit.

Q What kind of health-care coverage does SHS provide for students?

A We have physicians who are specialists in internal medicine, family medicine, adolescent medicine, sports medicine, pediatrics and gynecology on our staff. In addition, there are nurse practitioners and AAAHC-certified college health nurses. Interns and residents from Christiana Care and Thomas Jefferson Hospital also come here for training, which is another indication of the quality of our program.

Q What is the SHS fee and what does it cover?

A The fee is $172 per semester. Students may have as many visits to SHS as they require. Most of the medical, mental health and health education services provided by SHS and the Center for Counseling and Student Development are paid for by the semester or Winter Session health fee with no additional charge to the patient or user of the service. This includes outpatient walk-in visits and appointments, some routine laboratory work, immunization service visits, minor surgery and related non-operative orthopedics, inpatient (bed patient) care, gynecology services, psychiatric/counseling services and substance abuse counseling services.

Q What does the fee not cover?

A Diagnostic X-ray services are provided at SHS in cooperation with an off-campus radiology group. Billing for this service is routinely accomplished through the student's health insurance carrier. Charges for pharmaceuticals at the SHS dispensary or off-campus are not covered. Special procedures through the Gynecology Clinic, lab work processed at outside laboratories, tuberculin PPD tests, some serum injections and certain specialty procedures are not covered. In addition, the cost of receiving medical care and psychiatric/counseling services beyond that provided by SHS and the Center for Counseling and Student Development, including referrals to specialists, use of the Christiana Hospital Emergency Department or the Newark Emergency Center and hospitalization, is not covered.

Q How many students use the SHS each day and what is the total for the year?

A We average 150 to 250 per day--more if it's the flu season. According to our records, we had 37,456 outpatient visits in a year's time as of June 2002.

Q What programs do you have for promoting wellness and healthy living?

A The Wellspring Program at the Counseling Center promotes healthy living and preventative health care. It offers health education programs across campus and sponsors a peer support program.

Greek chapters assessed for academics and citizenship

Fraternity life at the University of Delaware is 97 years old, with the first fraternity established on campus in 1904. The first sorority was founded at the University in 1972. Today, there are 14 active fraternities and 17 sororities on the campus.

Marilyn Prime, director of UD Student Centers, works to assure that these organizations fulfill the basic principles of leadership, scholarship, philanthropy and friendship. Here she answers some questions about changing Greek life on campus.

Q Seven fraternities and one sorority have been suspended by the University over the last two years. Four of the seven fraternities are no longer recognized by their national organizations. Is the University now cracking down on Greek life and, if so, why?

A The campus community has taken a new direction in supporting fraternity and sorority chapters. Many chapters do exceptional work, but those efforts are often overshadowed by unacceptable actions and behaviors of individuals within a chapter. The goal has been to create positive, healthy and safe chapter environments that promote good citizenship and model organizations. In doing so, chapters that continued to violate the Code of Conduct have been appropriately identified and processed through the judicial system.Simply put, inappropriate behavior is not tolerated or negotiable.

Q Was the Code of Conduct strengthened or was the Student Judicial System streamlined?

A The Code of Conduct has not changed; it is now being enforced more specifically. Over the years, endless second chances were allowed and negotiated sanctions were extended, allowing bad performers the opportunity to pass "traditions" on to the next freshman class. Several years ago, the Five Star Evaluation System was introduced to help chapters assess their overall performance and promote academic achievement. Last fall, the evaluation program was redesigned with continued emphasis on academic success and greater recognition for outstanding chapter performance. The new system is called Chapter Assessment Program, or CAP. Building a strong campus fraternity and sorority system is not only a University goal, but our efforts also are receiving national attention. Permitting chapters to fail and/or repeat negative behaviors is detrimental to the future of Greek letter organizations.

Q Of the fraternities that have been put on probation or lost their charters, have any been able to come back on campus?

A The Kappa Alpha order is currently in the process of reestablishing its chapter status at the University and is renovating its house to meet today's standards, which allow no alcohol use and require adult supervision. Pi Kappa Alpha also has recently returned to campus and is working with the city of Newark to establish residency. In addition, Alpha Phi Alpha is looking forward to recruiting members this fall.

Q Have the social rules been changed? For example, are large fraternity and sorority parties held outside the city, possibly to hold down noise and disruptive conduct in the community? Have the Panhellenic Council and the Interfraternity Council become more strict about informal gatherings such as mixers?

A No, social rules have not changed. There are no more parties sponsored off campus by chapters than before. But, where there is a will, there will be a way for students to find a place to hold social activities when alcohol is involved. In working with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to curb binge drinking, our efforts have had an impact on how these events are managed by chapters, but the perceived "rite of passage" is a societal behavior that is difficult to eliminate. Sororities must use third-party vendors and may not hold mixers in their houses as indicated by National Panhellenic policies. Fraternities returning to campus now are reviewing their policies for in-house alcohol use. Two good examples of this new approach are Kappa Alpha and Alpha Gamma Rho fraternities. Each has taken a major leadership role in establishing alcohol-free house environments. In addition, fraternities returning to campus must now have an adult living on the premises. The live-in adult will attend hall director training provided by Residence Life in August. Kappa Alpha is one of the first chapters to establish this new position.

Further information on fraternity and sorority life at the University may be found at [www. udel.edu/student-centers/FandS/index.html].