Assistant Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life plans to leave UVM for another program amidst clashes between FSL and the UVM student body.

Christina Vega will begin her new position as Associate Director of Sorority and Fraternity Life at Ohio State University on Sept. 27, stated Dave Isaacs, OSU communications and media relations manager in a Sept. 15 email to the Cynic. Vega’s hiring was announced Aug. 5.

FSL has received backlash from the student body since the spring semester after hundreds of sexual assault survivors shared their stories on Instagram. 

Instagram account @shareyourstoryuvm was created as a place for UVM survivors of sexual assault, abuse and harassment to share their stories anonymously on their terms, according to their bio.

The account has over 200 survivor stories posted, 17% of which pertain to fraternity members.

After the Instagram account posted an anonymous submission of Pi Kappa Phi’s “brotherhood survey,” several vehicles were damaged at the Pi Kappa Phi Lambda Iota house on May 1, according to a May 17 email from Matthew Sullivan, Burlington Police Department’s deputy of administration. 

The survey contained language many viewed as misogynistic and perpetuatory of rape culture, according to the comment section of the post.

The Student Title IX Advisory Committee last spring, according to founder and senior Caroline Shelley.

The committee’s purpose is to gather student perspectives on the handling of sexual harassment, misconduct processes, prevention efforts and to apply the feedback received to create meaningful change, according to the committee’s list of demands April 30.

“I think we’ve been due for a change in some administration at UVM for a long time,” Shelley said.

When Vega begins her role at OSU next week, UVM’s FSL department in Student Life will have two openings, the other being the Coordinator role. When former Coordinator Vinicius Vargas stepped down, Vega said she took on his responsibilities.

“We’re still in the process of hiring a coordinator so we’ll finish that and then move on to the assistant director,” Vega said.

Student Life staff members will share Vega’s responsibilities while UVM hires a new Assistant Director for FSL, stated Lina Balcom, interim director of Student Life, in a Sept. 16 email. 

With Vega and Vargas gone, the only person left in the FSL department of Student Life is graduate student Lexi Kane. Kane will continue as the adviser for the Panhellenic council, said Kayla Goldenberg, president of the UVM Panhellenic council.

Kane is an adviser to Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Delta Pi, Delta Delta Delta, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Delta, Pi Beta Phi, Alpha Gamma Rho and Sigma Phi Epsilon, stated Balcom in a Sept. 21 email to the Cynic.

Kane did not respond to the Cynic’s request for comment. 

“We feel really, really confident about her working with the next term in the coming semester,” Goldenberg said.

Kane serves as an adviser to some fraternity chapters but not all, Goldenberg said. 

Vega said she looks forward to her new role at a larger university, especially because of its closer proximity to loved ones in Chicago. 

“I’ve been in this role for almost four years in terms of student affairs,” Vega said. “I really just want to be able to see family and friends more. And Ohio State is a bit larger so it’s a good stepping stone for me.”

Goldenberg said Vega’s absence is going to be an adjustment, but she and the rest of the Panhellenic board are excited for the new opportunity Vega is pursuing.