Clay R. Warren

History of Clay R. Warren Programming:

In September of 2002, Clay R. Warren was traveling back to Lubbock from a fraternity-sponsored event when the driver of his vehicle fell asleep at the wheel. Clay died due to injuries sustained from the car accident.

Clay was a vivacious young man who loved life, his family, Texas Tech University, and his fraternity. He had only been at Texas Tech for five weeks before he passed away.
After Clay's death his parents, Freada and Mark, became advocates of providing risk management education to other college students. Their message is simple. No parent, or loved one should have to go through what they went through.

The Warrens teamed up with Senator Robert Duncan, the current Chancellor of Texas Tech University to create legislation that would require risk management education for all student organizations in the state of Texas.

The early efforts of the Clay R. Warren Risk Management Education were created in a collaboration with the Fraternity & Sorority Life staff in the fall of 2006.
Today, Freada and Mark want to do their best to make others aware of the potential risks college students face. Most importantly they want to ensure that students are making better choices and are taking care of one another.

Philosophy Statement on Clay R. Warren Programming:

Fraternity & Sorority Life believes in the benefit of fraternities and sororities, and advocates for the organizations and students in their pursuit of fraternal ideals. We strive to provide opportunities to create life-long bonds through the principles encompassed in the shared values of scholarship, leadership, service, and fellowship within fraternity and sorority life. Our mission is to provide a quality undergraduate fraternal experience enhancing student development with a commitment to [...] prevention with all community stakeholders. Fraternity & Sorority Life is most committed to providing a safe fraternal experience for members and guests. Fraternity & Sorority Life believes that risk management and harm reduction education is necessary to provide our students and any guests a safe environment to thrive within.

Our staff believes very strongly in the betterment of men and women through our organizations. Fraternity & Sorority Life upholds the following philosophy specifically related to risk management education:

• Fraternity & Sorority Life collaborates with inter/national headquarters staff to address the issue of risk management education.
• Fraternity & Sorority Life strives to prevent the negative behaviors and attitudes associated with poor risk management techniques.
• Through education, training, and partnerships, we provide the tools to help students make good choices, and to understand the consequences of their choices. Fraternity & Sorority Life will hold organizations and individual members accountable for the choices they make.
• Fraternity & Sorority Life expects personal responsibility from its members and accountability through local self-governance.
• Fraternity & Sorority Life supports and enhances the mission of Texas Tech University through application of student development theory.
• Fraternity & Sorority Life follows a consistent and progressive discipline strategy with our organizations in partnership with students, advisors, inter/national headquarters staff, and the Office of Student Conduct.
• We are concerned for the safety and well-being of our members and guests.

Today, Freada and Mark want to do their best to make others aware of the potential risks college students face. Most importantly they want to ensure that students are making better choices and are taking care of one another.

Click here to view the legislation that applies to risk education in the state of Texas.

Click here to view Mark Warren's Testimony - Coming Soon

Purpose of Policy:

The purpose of the Clay R. Warren policy is to allow Fraternity & Sorority Life staff the ability to work with organizations and student leaders to better understand risk management, areas of risk that apply to the organizations and/or its members, harm reduction, and current events surrounding the fraternal movement. This policy will ensure that the Texas Tech fraternity and sorority community receives education to develop a community of care. Moreover, this policy outlines expectations to ensure that Fraternity & Sorority Life and its organizations are a better partner to the Texas Tech University community.

The Policy:

The Clay R. Warren policy shall apply to all student organizations listed in the category of Greek Organizations by the Center for Campus Life and all levels of fraternity/sorority membership.

Clay R. Warren Risk Student Organization Education Summit Training:

CRW Risk Education Summit is hosted early every spring semester to equip organization leadership with tools and skills focused around prevention models, problem identification, response, self-reporting, accountability, and Ladder of Risk. The CRW Risk Education Summit is developed to satisfy the requirements outlined in the Texas Education Code (§ 51.9361).
• The invitation and reminders of the event to the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life (FSL) community will be distributed through the email from the FSL Office.
• Required Attendance for each Fraternity & Sorority chapters:

o President
o Social Chair
o Risk Management Chair
o New Member Educator
o Organizations without these positions or with students serving in more than one of the above positions will seek approval from Fraternity & Sorority Life for substitutions.

• There will also be a mandatory online training for the president, judicial/standards chair, social chair and risk management chair to complete during the summer or within the first two weeks of the fall semester.
• Every FSL Advisor, both the faculty/staff advisory and the lead alumni advisor, must complete advisor online training within the first two months of serving as an advisor of an FSL organization.
• Sanctions for Failure to Meet Attendance Requirement could include but are not limited to:

o Referral to the Office of Student Conduct, which may result in a status change for the organizations, and additional sanctions, which should be developed in a way that meets the desired learning outcomes for the missed event, such as one-on-one training with the appropriate council advisor for the student to make up the missed material or watching the recording of the event, if the event was recorded. 

Substitution Policy:

Substitutions may be made if a required officer is unable to attend. Notification should be made to the appropriate council advisor at least two weeks in advance of the program via email The organization must replace the required attendee with an elected officer that is next in command of the organization, and/or supervises the chair position that is required to attend. If the person is not approved by the appropriate council advisor, the organization does not get credit for attendance and the appropriate sanction listed above could be applied to the organization.

The Procedures:

All semester requirements will be announced during the first two weeks of the semester. Fraternity & Sorority Life will then notify organizational leadership and advisors of the additional requirements at least two weeks in advance by email. Attendance will be taken by an officer roster or an identification card scanner. Attendance will be crosschecked with the roster currently on file with Fraternity & Sorority Life for each organization.

The Education:

Fraternity & Sorority Life staff will educate organization leadership and advisors on this policy annually through email notification and postage to the website. For more information, refer to the Fraternity & Sorority Life website.

The Enforcement:

Failure to meet the expectations of any part of this policy will be a violation of the Student Code of Conduct, Section B., 16. Violation of Published University Policies, Rules, or Regulations and will be referred to the appropriate governing council judicial board or the Office of Student Conduct at the discretion of the Office of Student Conduct staff.

CRW Risk Education Programs 

Each semester the FSL Staff in coordinate programming on behalf of the Warren's to address the critical conversations needed in the community. CRW Risk Education is currently made up of two signature formats. 

CRW Summit

CRW Risk Education Summit is hosted each winter to equip organization leadership with tools and skills focused around prevention models, problem identification, and response, self-reporting, accountability, and Ladder of Risk.

CRW Speaker Series

All members of the fraternity and sorority community are engaged twice a year in the CRW Speaker Series. Active and new members from each council are required to attend and engage in relevant and timely topical information.  Past speakers include: 

• Dan Wrona 
• Dr. Lori Hart
• Ross Szabo 
• Dr. Mari Ann Callais
• Mike Dilbeck
• David Stollman