University of Virginia fraternities face stricter rules

After a near eight-week suspension, Greek life at the University of Virginia resumed in time for the spring semester, but not without a price: a set of new, stricter policies regarding social events at fraternities and sororities.

UVa. President Teresa Sullivan and UVa.’s Inter-Fraternity Council shut down Greek activities on Nov. 21 in light of a now largely discredited story in Rolling Stone magazine. Fraternities and sororities have until Friday to sign the new agreement, which was signed by Sullivan but created by four Greek leadership councils.

But some Greek organizations at UVa. are unhappy with the changes. Among them are a ban on all pre-mixed drinks, guest lists for every function and third-party security agents when at least 50 percent of the fraternity brothers are present and the number of guests exceed brothers.

Two fraternities, Alpha Tau Omega and Kappa Alpha Order, announced Tuesday they would not sign the new agreement, according to ABC News.

The identical statements from each fraternity read, “The system-wide suspension, which was initiated for reasons that were found to be untrue, unfairly punished all members of fraternities and sororities.”

A UVa. spokesman said no further action will be taken until after Friday.

Still, if the fraternities fail to sign the new agreement, the university will not recognize them as an official part of the Greek system.

Faith Lyons, director of university relations in UVa.’s Student Council, said many students welcome the rules.

“Even though the article wasn’t totally true, we still feel that sexual assault is a problem on many university campuses,” Lyons said. “Anything we can do to increase student safety is a positive thing.”

But Katie Rouse, a UVa. freshman participating in sorority rush, fears the rules will only put students at risk.

“If there’s less alcohol at the fraternities, more students will probably buy fake IDs and drink at the bars or go to less monitored parties off-campus,” Rouse said.

The policy doesn’t include enforcement provisions beyond the IFC.

Greek institutions at UNC are mainly accountable to Greek councils, not the University, said Aaron Bachenheimer, director of the UNC Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life and Community Involvement.

“The only university policies UNC has in regards to fraternities and sororities are the ones that are applicable to all student organizations,” Bachenheimer said. “The councils’ policies are much more applicable.”

Still, Bachenheimer said UNC does help to make sure the accountability processes available are followed.

“We are not an enforcement agency ... but we certainly aren’t going to ignore a violation,” he said.

UVa.’s Inter-Fraternity Council President Tommy Reid told UVa.’s student newspaper, The Cavalier Daily, much the same thing.

“Fraternities are accountable to themselves,” he said.

Reid said there would be an IFC monitoring system administered to help enforce the new policies.

UNC IFC president Peter Diaz said he’s proud of their efforts to be proactive without any external pressure.

“That being said, no fraternity system at any school is perfect. Underage drinking and sexual assault are important problems on any campus,” he said. “But that’s a college issue, not a Greek issue.”

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