A committee made up of greek chapter presidents, alumni and university officials hopes to meet Wednesday to discuss and possibly revise the new policy regarding greek social events.

‘We’re going to look at everything and make amends, and meet somewhere in the middle,’ said Bobby Atkins, Sigma Alpha Mu president.

The Social Responsibility Committee, formed in response to the proposed social event restrictions, is run out of SU’s Office of Residence Life. Regardless of any discussions or agreements made at the meeting, the new policy is in effect for all events hosted by greek organizations this weekend, said Eddie Banks-Crosson, SU’s director of fraternity and sorority affairs.

‘We just want to make sure that our groups are providing a safe environment to have fun in,’ Banks-Crosson said.

Banks-Crosson held a meeting last week with greek chapter presidents and their risk management chairs to explain the new policy.

University officials characterized the rules passed out last week as simply ‘new emphasis’ on long-standing practices, including 150-member guest lists and requiring any list to include a guest’s birth date.

SU moved these new rules to make a single codified document governing the social policies for the five greek organizations: the Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council, National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations and the Multicultural Greek Letter Council.

Banks-Crosson said the outcry from some greek organizations — mainly those in organizations governed by IFC or Panhellenic Council — is not warranted because some members do not realize many of the rules already exist.

A general greek member may lack the same level of familiarity with the social policy as chapter presidents or greek organization student officials, he said.

‘I think the general members are — they’re not really educated at that level,’ Banks-Crosson said.

Thomas Wolfe, senior vice president and dean of student affairs, said the new policy is a symbol of a continuing effort to improve greek social events at the university.

Aside from the need to create a single body of rules, SU also hopes the new rules will prevent any greek organization from having issues with liability insurance.

‘I think that the overarching problem is compliance,’ Wolfe said.

Wolfe declined to comment on whether any greek organization faced recent problems with liability insurance.

Other policies outlined in the guidelines restrict the type of drinks available at parties and the times and places where fraternities and sororities can hold parties. For instance, fraternities can no longer serve beer at parties, but guests over 21 years of age are allowed to bring six beers or four wine coolers to a party. Also, fraternities and sororities can no longer travel to Canada for their formals or hold overnight events at all, according to the new guidelines.

With the new policies going in effect for this weekend, greek organizations needed to register their events eight to 12 days in advance and will have to file their guest lists Thursday or Friday, according to the new guidelines.

While greek organizations hope the committee will work with the university on the new policy, the question comes down to enforcement and whether the greek organizations put the rules into practice.

SU continues to employ a private company, Chestnut Street Security, Inc., to attend greek events and to make sure the organizations follow the social policy.

adbrow03@syr.edu

 

Published on September 7, 2010 at 12:00 pm