By next year, all greek chapters must have alcohol-free housing if they want to continue to be affiliated with the University. This announcement came as a surprise to greek system student leaders at a meeting Wednesday night.
“We knew we were going to have to go dry eventually, but it came on so suddenly,” Kappa Sigma fraternity president Jordan Sezler said. “It was pretty much a shock to everyone who was there.”
While the decision may have been unexpected by some members, administrators and Greek Life advisers and alumni have been considering the change for the past year, Associated Vice President for Student Affairs Anne Leavitt said. Students have been involved in that discussion in the past as well, she said, but current chapter presidents may not have because of turnover in student leadership.
As it is now, all the University’s sororities, but not even half the fraternities, have alcohol-free housing. This disparity has created a confusing social policy and a “double standard” within the greek system, Leavitt said.
“The social policy is completely mysterious now to students who are living under it,” she said. “It’s too hard to enforce.”
In May, she said, University President Dave Frohnmayer plans to write a letter to national fraternity offices advising them of University policy. Chapters that do not comply will not be able to receive Greek Life services or participate in Greek Life events and councils.
The University will work with fraternity members to educate them about the new policy and help them make the switch to alcohol-free housing, she said.