Alright, so we have a problem...
 

I go to a Catholic Jesuit school that is now in the process of trying to get rid of the Greek system. We have been under review all quarter and tomorrow night we find out if the Greeks will be able to remain as school organizations....its really stressful for us and we ahve already had to postpone rush!!
Wish us luck tomorrow!! I will let you guys know how it goes.
It does help, however, to have our national president on our side and supportive of us http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif
HOpefully it'll turn out well!!
DZLOve, Justy

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DZ sisters never end!

I will be praying for you and your chapter, hon! Good luck, and remember that all of your sisters are with you on this! Let me know if there is anything I can do! And please post the outcome of the meeting tomorrow!

DZ Love and Mine,
Carrie

dzjusty,

though i am not a dz, i wish you the best of luck, and i hope you and your greek family will prevail!

Bad news. Father Locatelli has demanded that we close all the greek chapters by June 2003 http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/frown.gif
For those of us who have dedicated all of our college life to Delta Zeta- this is really devastating and really unfair.
I, for one, am really angry...
Anyways....so thats the result of the meeting. When will people stop blaming University problems on Greeks?? That is a good question.

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DZ sisters never end!

You have every right to be upset! How did the issue first come up? What did the university cite as their reasons for closing down the Greek system? And what information was offered in opposition of the closing? (Sorry for so many questions - I just can't believe that the university would make this drastic change!) Is there anything that you can do to appeal the ruling? I would definitely fight as hard as possible, right up until the cut-off date!

In the flame,
Carrie

Do you get any federal money at all? Does the school accept federal student loans?

If so, the school is violating your rights and breaking the law. Get some rich alums to drag their butts into court.

The law I'm referring to is on http://www.greekpages.com

OK, here is the story...
Our school is run by Jesuits-so ultimately they have the last say...
Our president has a reputation for hating the Greek system.
So, every how ever many years each org. on campus goes through a review process. This year was IGC's year, but this time they went crazy on us. Thhey cancelled rush and had a committee evaluate us for almost 2 full quarters.
The committee was made up of profs and some students (like the student body pres. and senate chair).
The review was presented with information from all sides, including IGC's and came to the conclusion that it was in the school's best interest to keep greeks on campus, but to make a few changes in the way we run things...
Our president chose to pretty much ignore the review committee's suggestions and make the decision that he was planning to make from the beginning- to get rid of us.
It really really sucks and makes me lose all respect for him and any consideration that he may claim he has for the students. He is just really biased, and there is no evidence that tells us that he knows anything about the greek system here. Its sad. really sad. But, unfortunately people still chose to see us as nothing but organized drinking clubs who exclude people- and for anyone who is greek- we know that is so not true. We tried to show him what we are really about and he would not listen. As of what will happen as a result- we are not sure about anything right now. We are still in shock and not really ready to deal with it bc its finals week and everyone has been stressing about school for the past few days and all of a sudden this came up...
I really don't know what to say. I am just sad and disappointed. But no matter what happens he can not take away our sisterhood, our friendship and our membership. No one will take my badge away from me. Not him not anyone.
Thanks for the concern, I will keep you updated http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/frown.gif
In the Flame, Justy

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DZ sisters never end!

Could you still be Delta Zeta if you go sub-rosa?

Hey Billy,

I'm not familar with the term "sub-rosa". Do you mean going underground?

Thanks,
Carrie

You'll always be a Delta Zeta. It doesn't matter what the college decides, they can never take your membership away. If you're forced to go alumni by the school--one solution might be for your chapter to form an alumni organization. You won't be able to have it on campus and you won't have things such as rush, but it's a 'legal' way of 'operating' a chapter of Delta Zeta. The college also has no say in this--so you won't need to worry about them interfering in your business.

At least, I don't see why you wouldn't be able to do this--of course Nationals will have to clear it.

Hi Justy,

I wanted to let you know that the news about Santa Clara phasing out Greek organizations has been posted on the Delta Zeta Surfing Sisters board, a site for DZ alumnae to meet and chat with each other. We have hundreds of DZ's on this particular board, and we are all thinking about you right now! What is your chapter's address at school? Please e-mail it to me at dzrose93@yahoo.com THANKS!

In the Flame,
Carrie

Something similar happened at my university, but it was so long ago that I can't remember what year. At the University of Tampa, we had a president come in and get rid of the football team and the Greek system because he though our school was too much a party school. The good news is that Greeks were re-instated in the 1980s, so they can come back. This probably doesn't make you feel much better right now, but I hope it helps somewhat :-)

Hi Jen,

Thanks for the positive info! Just goes to prove that there's always a chance for us Greeks to make a comeback, regardless of the odds against us!

dzjen27-
How ironic- our president recently got rid of our football team too...
He thinks this is too much of a party school and many of my friends, greek and non-greek, think that he wants to turn Santa Clara into another Stanford (which is also in our area)-and the ironic thing about that is that Stanford has a huge greek system. ugh.
Anyways thanks for the positivity...

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DZ sisters never end!

I think getting rid of our football team was a bad move. We have no school spirit, and our homecoming game is a soccer game, and it's just pathetic! On another note, we are still not allowed to have Greek houses, but I can walk around town near out school and tell where they used to be. They're professional offices now. How ironic!

SCU students don't have any school spirit either, except for the few soccer fans out there.
Anyways, thank-you all for your support. This has been really hard for us but all of the support and letters and cards that my chapter has been getting has been great!!
I will keep you all updated on the specifics here. Thanks again!!
justy

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DZ sisters never end!

This is something I've been thinking about for a while. If I was a Greek at Santa Clara, I would get together with all the other Greek organizations and send out a mass mailing to every Greek alumnus who attended the school, telling them what the president has just done to the GLO's on campus, and asking them to please send letters, e-mails and phone calls to the university stating that they will not support the school in any way, shape or form unless the decision to remove Greeks from campus is reversed.

I would also send as many letters and e-mails to your local newspapers, radio and TV stations as possible and let them know what's going on. Tell them the positive things that Greeks have done on campus. Give them statistics about how much higher the Greek GPA is compared to non-Greeks, and how Greeks are usually more supportive of their alma mater than non-Greeks. (All of these numbers and percentages can be located with a little research.)

Send notes individually and also as a group, and when I say group I don't mean just as a Delta Zeta chapter- I mean ALL the Greek chapters on campus. If you make enough noise, somebody might listen. It's at least worth a shot, and you can never say that you didn't try! Good luck!! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif

DZ Love,
Carrie

Hmmmm . . . remind me not to write replies in the wee hours of the morning on the day after the last final and partying with graduating friends.

Woven in the advice all of your friends have given seems to be your answer.

Assuming your question is how can you have your chapter survive.

1. Form a club if possible . . . Turtle Club?

2. Call your National Headquarters and see if you can be recognized as off campus, it should be easy Fraternities do it all the time. And you didn't get in trouble.

3. Form a house corporation if you can because it gives you a local incorporatd status also . . . in fact you can form such a corporation and run most of your chapter through it.

4. Try the alumni idea mentioned above.

Whar are your numbers?

I think people still "fear" greeks and the reputation they will bring to a college. It is unfortunate that we are protrayed in such a party-party-party type of attitude by the press. However, the press can be an amazing tool.
If you just finished a review, then you have a massive list of all the good that is contributed by the greek system. Greek organizations bring Nation wide recoginition to a school. AKA FREE ADVERTISEMENT. They positively impact the local community in volunteer services, economy, and reputation. They can also negatively impact the community in the same area's.
I would suggest you contact your local paper, as well as your campus paper. See if there is someone who will do an artical on the Pro's of greek life. Sisterhood, Academic support system, community service, school pride (read alumni contribution after Graduation)
If the newspaper won't do an artical, then write an informed and unbias ( or a close as you can come to it) view of the pro's of greek life. Touch briefly on the negative aspects, but combat them with things such as learning communities that all greeks attend or host to reinforce the positive.
Good luck ( and may the turtle be with you! LOL)
Chasity

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KCAM