Lateral move means Greek adviser no longer Wiser

Caitlin Carter

Editor’s note: Due to a Herald error Delta Zeta was misidentified in this story as a sorority that will be added at WKU in the fall. Alpha Xi Delta sorority will instead be recolonizing next year. The Herald regrets the error.

Charley Pride, director of Student Activities and Organizations, announced over spring break that Gary Wiser had been reassigned within Student Activities.

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Though Wiser’s title hasn’t changed, the coordinator of Student Activities will no longer handle Greek affairs.

Wiser’s previous position involved helping advise fraternities and sororities, as well as assisting in recruitment, coordinating Greek Week and planning the academic banquet, Pride said.

“Part of the reassignment is to create new opportunities for both him and our students,” Pride said.

Pride said Wiser’s move was lateral  — he was neither moved up in rank nor down.

When reached at his office, Wiser declined comment on this story.

Pride said that moves within departments, such as Wiser’s, are common throughout the university.

He said while the switch in Wiser’s position may have seemed sudden to Greeks, the transition had been taking place for weeks.

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“It was a quick change for some of the students,” Pride said. “They were on spring break and hadn’t heard anything about it before.”

For a short period of time, other personnel within Student Activities have been reassigned to assist with Greek Affairs, Pride said.

Kenneth Johnson, assistant director of Student Activities, will be assisting the Interfraternity Council, and Kristen Smith and Aubrey Holt, both graduate assistants, will be assisting Panhellenic sororities.

Stacey Forsythe, Kappa Delta sorority’s Chapter Advisory Board Chair, said these interim positions were created in order to finalize other matters before recruitment in the fall.

While it may seem that three people are doing the same job that one person did previously, she said that’s not the case.

“Right now they’re splitting the responsibilities until they find someone to hire,” Forsythe said.

She said a new sorority, Alpha Xi Delta, will be added next year, and new Rush rules will be in place for sorority recruitment, which will entail a lot of work over the summer.

Nicholasville junior Tyler Goble said his experiences with Wiser have always been positive.

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Goble, Delta Tau Delta fraternity president, said Wiser was always very accessible and would make time to speak with Greeks about anything.

“He was available after hours if you really needed something,” Goble said.

Goble said Wiser was also a heavy proponent in promoting Greek unity.

This year, the historically black fraternities and sororities, part of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, will compete in Greek Week for the first time at WKU.

“That’s something that from my understanding isn’t done on any other campuses,” Goble said.

Wiser had many achievements while serving as head of Greek Affairs, Goble said.

Goble said his implementing a dry Rush week was the most substantial.

“He worked really hard to completely move away from the typical fraternity image,” Goble said. “And he took a lot of heat for it, but I think that was a great thing that he did.”