08.31.16

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Since 1919

Emory University’s Independent Student Newspaper

The Emory Wheel

Volume 98, Issue 01

Printed Every Wednesday

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

FREE SPEECH

COMPLEX CONQUERS

UChicago Dean Calls For Total Free Speech

LAWSUIT

Employees Sue Emory Over Retirement Plan Fees

By Jacob Durst Breaking News Editor A provocative letter sent last week to all incoming freshmen at the University of Chicago (Ill.) recently became the center of a national conversation about freedom of expression. The letter, which describes the University’s freedom of expression policy, condemned “trigger warnings,” “canceling controversial speakers” and “the creation of intellectual safe spaces.” The letter has generated both praise and criticism nationwide, while prompting a broader conversation about freedom of expression on college campuses. While the letter is not announcing policy change, it reiterates the University’s already stated and practiced policy regarding academic freedom of expression. In addition to the letter, every incoming student received a booklet intended to serve as a primer to the University’s “history of debate, and even scandal, resulting from [their] commitment to academic freedom,” the letter said. Last semester’s “Trump chalkings” catapulted Emory into the center of a similar national conversation about the role of free speech on college campuses, and at Emory in particular. On March 22, about 40 Emory students protested chalkings around campus that referred to the current Republican presidential nominee. “Emory is committed to open expression,” Interim Dean of Emory College Michael A. Elliott said.

See UCHICAGO (EL), Page 2

By Anwesha Guha News Editor

S

Service Remembers Emory Students Killed in Bangladesh Attacks By Anwesha Guha News Editor

On Aug. 21, hundreds of Emory community members filled the Allen Memorial United Methodist Church at Oxford College to remember the lives of Abinta Kabir and Faraaz Hossain, who were killed this summer in the July 2 Dhaka, Bangladesh, terrorist attacks. This year, Kabir would have been an Oxford College sophomore and Hossain, a Goizueta Business School junior.

Michael Mandl will transition out of his role as Emory’s executive vice president for business administration today after 13 years of leading the University’s financial initiatives, he said in an interview with the Wheel. Peter Barnes, who currently serves as Emory’s vice president for human resources, will serve as interim executive vice president for business and administration, Mandl said. Barnes has worked at Emory for 11 years and expressed confidence in University operations. Mandl plans to create a client-driven company with Jack Tillman, who will transition out of his own role as Emory’s associate vice president for corporate development. The company, titled Mandl & Co., will “help institutions identify opportunities and then actually help to execute them,” Mandl

said. “We want to be part of the leadership and part of the institution and help guide them through taking action and getting things accomplished.” Both Mandl and Tillman will maintain relationships with Emory through Mandl & Co., which will be headquartered in Midtown Atlanta, Mandl said. He added that he and Tillman plan to remain involved with identifying Emory’s financial opportunities and suggesting strategies for asset allocation. University President-Elect Claire E. Sterk addressed the future of Emory’s partnership with Mandl & Co. in an all-Emory email. “I am pleased to report that Emory will contract with Mandl & Co. in order to have access to [Mandl’s] unique ability to identify value-creating opportunities that advance the institution’s mission,” Sterk wrote. Mandl’s and Tillman’s company will work to develop relationships with

NEWS family, friends

EMORY LIFE

... PAGE 3

See EMORY, Page 3

MEMORIAL

Mandl Leaves Emory

honor deceased alumnus

See MEMORIES, Page 3

Julia Munslow/Executive Editor

ophomore Advisor (SA) Joshua Barbosa (19C) leads The Complex residents, SAs and Resident Advisors to victory in Songfest, an annual singing and dancing competition between freshmen residence halls.

The ceremony began with a call to prayer and included stories by friends, teachers and family about Kabir and Hossain. Holding vases of yellow flowers, members of the Oxford Student Activities Committee, a programming organization in which Kabir and Hossain held leadership positions, then led a procession to the steps outside of Seney Hall, where an impromptu memorial was constructed immediately after the attacks. As community members walked through the Oxford Quadrangle, the bell tolled 39 times — 20 times for Hossain, who was 20 years old, and 19 times for

ADMINISTRATION

By Emily Sullivan News Editor

Kabir, who was 19. The procession from inside the church into the natural world symbolized Kabir’s and Hossein’s journeys into a spiritual world, said Oxford College Chaplain Lyn Pace, who helped to organize the procession. The memorial service followed the July 7 vigil, which followed the attacks. The Aug. 20 memorial was held largely for the student community, many of whom were off-campus during the summer, and live streaming was available for those not at the memorial.

A class-action lawsuit filed Aug. 11 alleges that Emory University breached its fiduciary duties under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to more than 41,000 employees by incurring excessive fees and retaining poor investments in retirement plans. The suit alleges the University failed to consider low-cost, highperforming alternative investment options and that its use of multiple recordkeepers resulted in excessive administrative fees. Schlichter Bogard & Denton filed the lawsuit in federal court on behalf of 12 employees who represent participants of the University’s 403(b) plans — retirement plans similar to 401(k) plans available for certain government and taxexempt groups and other non-profit organizations. The defendants are Emory University, Emory Healthcare, Inc., Emory Pension Board, Emory Investment Management and Vice President of Investments and Chief Investment Officer Mary L. Cahill. With this suit, Emory joins the list of several top universities also recently sued for allegedly mishandling their employees’ retirement plans, including Duke University and New York University (N.Y.U.). Emory’s retirement plans held over $3.5 billion in investments as of Dec. 31, 2014, and are considered “jumbo plans” for being

freshman guide to success

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Forman Moves to Tulane; Elliott, Zola Join Admin. By Zak Hudak Editor-in-Chief

Between former University Provost Claire E. Sterk taking former President James W. Wagner’s seat and the departure of Dean of Emory College Robin Forman and Executive Vice President for Business and Administration Michael Mandl, a game of musical chairs took place in Emory’s administrative offices. Forman, who oversaw the College since 2010, begins work today as senior vice president and provost at Tulane University (La.), a vertical move within the hierarchy of academia. Winship Distinguished Research Professor in English and American Studies Michael A. Elliott, who served as senior associate dean of faculty from December

OP-EDS editorial ...

THE FUTURE Elliott, who has worked at Emory for 18 years, said he plans to refine and implement a faculty strategic plan that was headed last year by Forman. Included in that proposal is a cluster hire in the natural sciences and mathematics of faculty who have demonstrated success mentoring underrep-

resented students in their respective fields, Elliott said. “The strategic plan is really about the aspirations of Emory College in terms of supporting faculty research in new ways and teaching in innovative ways out of classroom,” he said. “It’s a road map for the College’s future.” The English and American Studies professor said, too, that the liberal arts are guaranteed a safe place at Emory during his time in the position. “One reason I accepted this role is because there is a broad debate going on in the United States today,” Elliot said. “It’s important that we don’t defend the liberal arts so much as we demonstrate the value the liberal arts brings to our teaching and our scholarship.” A timeline for selecting a perma-

A&E The Wheel interviews SPORTS volleyball

Young the Giant drummer ... PAGE 8 PAGE 13

board responds to the uchicago letter

2009 to July 2014, will serve as the interim dean. Meanwhile, Sterk’s empty provost and vice president for academic affairs seat was filled in an interim capacity Aug. 15 by Stuart Zola, Yerkes National Primate Research Center director emeritus and professor emeritus of psychiatry and behavioral science in the Emory School of Medicine.

team hopes to take national championship

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