Ron Stump, vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and Greek Adviser Laura Strohminger met last night with student fraternity leaders to discuss the university's future relationship with the Greek system, including plans to shift rush activities for freshman new members from the fall to the spring semester.
A change in the timing of rush was included among several campus expectations and support programs for fraternities and sororities outlined by Stump and Strohminger.
Discussion centered on the development of a "fraternal organization agreement," which will spell out expectations that must be met in order for Greek organizations to receive university benefits. Fraternities and sororities are independent entities that exist off campus, but have access to many university services and benefits.
University services and benefits to Greek organizations include office and meeting space on campus, access to student lists for recruitment purposes, access to the campus's full-time Greek Adviser and use of campus fields and facilities for recreational and sports activities.
"Our goal is to foster a long and mutually beneficial relationship with the Greek system," Stump said. "I believe that the entire campus environment can be enhanced by Greek organizations that follow their core principles of leadership, scholarship, service and brotherhood/sisterhood. The agreement is intended to strengthen that relationship."
Nate Ushio, president of Interfraternity Council, said, "We are currently consulting our national organizations, chapter advisers and the North American Interfraternity Conference on ways to enhance our core values while also maintaining a positive relationship with the university."
The new campus expectations will apply equally to fraternities and sororities, Stump said. In a recent letter to sorority groups, he announced plans for instituting the fraternal organization agreement, after several meetings with Greek leaders throughout the fall semester.
Under the fraternal organization agreement, fraternities and sororities will be expected to:
∑ Engage a full-time, live-in staff member in the chapter house
∑ Prohibit underage consumption of alcohol at events
∑ Schedule rush activities according to a date determined by the university, which will be the spring semester of the freshman year beginning with the 2005-06 academic year
∑ Abide by federal, state and local laws as well as CU-Boulder's Student Code of Conduct
∑ Meet the national organization's academic standards
The agreement also will prohibit discrimination, any form of hazing and use of alcohol in new-member programming.
In addition, the agreement will spell out the university's commitment to supporting Greek organizations, including a listing of benefits, programs and services related to fraternities and sororities.
Ushio noted that discussions between Interfraternity Council and the university are ongoing. "After an extensive review by our national organizations and chapter advisers, we will be in a much better position to continue a process of positive change for members of fraternities and evaluate the positive and negative aspects of deferred recruitment," Ushio said.
Stump said he will work with fraternity and sorority leaders to finalize the agreement document by mid-February. After discussions are completed with the Interfraternity Council, chapter advisers and the national organizations, he and Strohminger plan to meet with individual chapters to clarify all elements of the agreement.