Wesleyan chapters: coed or good-bye
 

Wesleyan Frats change policies

By Amy Feigenbaum
News Editor


Working with new program housing rules, two fraternities has had to alter their previous policies. Not allowing women to live in its house has forced Psi Upsilon (Psi U) off campus while Delta Kappa Epsilon (DKE) has actively recruited females, and been granted on-campus status.

Program house consideration is especially important next year as the number of students granted off-campus housing has decreased from approximately 200 students to an estimated 45, according to Rich DeCapua, the Assistant Director of Residential Life.

"[Frats] must meet program housing status to be allowed to remain on-campus," DeCapua said. "The University policy is that all housing must be equal and equitable. We do not exclude parts of the student body for any reason."

Psi U remained a program house until now even though it did not allow female boarders because brothers and key alums had asked for a grace period this year to resolve the coed question while remaining on campus, according to Michael Whaley, Dean of the College. When they made the decision not to go coed, the brothers were aware of the cost.

"Nationally Psi U has chapters that are coed," Whaley said. "They have chosen to exclude women here. And including women has always been a criterion of program housing. The basic philosophy is that any student who wishes to be a part of a program house should have that option."

Psi U contends that it is not trying to exclude females and that its main priority is maintaining the right to self-determination.

"We want to make the decision to become coed ourselves. We don't want it imposed and we've decided that now is just not the time," said Tim Radcliff '07, Psi U's Vice President.

According to Radcliff, current brothers and alum discussed the issue and expressed mixed sentiments.

Radcliff also asserted that the question of boarders did not focus on excluding females; rather space was the main consideration. Psi U can only house 18 brothers at a time, which they easily fill each year. Psi U is also fortunate enough to have alums that are willing to contribute enough financial support that the fraternity does not have to be concerned about the money they will be losing.

The substantial decrease in the number of students who will be allowed off-campus means that brothers will have to pay for on-campus housing and then squat at Psi U.

"About half of the active brothers live in the house and they will have the extra space," Radcliff said. "How they choose to use each space is their own decision."

According to DeCapua, the University is not concerned at this time by the possibility of students having two rooms. Since this is the first year this phenomenon has been an issue, he said, that the administration will have to wait and see in the fall how things develop.

"[Psi U] was an excellent program house," Whaley said. "They contributed a lot to the campus. I would hope that they will return."

DKE, on the other hand, lacking Psi U's financial resources, fought to regain on-campus status. After being kicked off campus last year, it has been allowed to return on the basis of two conditions— first, that the house be open to female borders and second, that fraternity brothers reexamine their alcohol violations and organize community service initiatives.

This agreement meant that DKE had to actively recruit women to live in the house. With the assistance of Residential Life, brothers hung fliers around campus and went into classes to encourage female applicants. In total three women applied to live in DKE and in fall 2006, one will be a resident.

"There are many advantages associated with being a program house," said Matt Barbera '07, Vice-President of DKE. "Most importantly, it ensures that the house is filled, ensuring it income. And without income it's hard to exist as a frat."

According to Whaley, Beta, which is also off-campus, is a completely different story because it has not made any effort to return to campus. For the last few years, he notes, the frat has have distanced itself from the University. If it wanted to become a program house again students would have to adhere to the same criteria.

While next year's off-campus policy appears to make it more difficult for frats, Psi U, DKE, and Beta maintain that their recruitment has not suffered. Each organization has a long history on campus and believes that it will continue to thrive.

I'm confused...do they need to have INITIATED women there, or just women LIVING there, with no ritual involvement with the fraternity?

I *think* it is that they just want women LIVING there... i could be wrong though.. I remember seeing a thread sometime back about a fraternity house and a school that was trying to force them to have co-ed housing... this could be the same one or a new case...

Sorry to the guys here, but my first question when I read this was "Who would want to live in a fraternity house???" And then "Whose parents would LET their daughter live in a fraternity house?" If it were up to my dad, I'd have been living in a convent! He didn't even like that I was in a co-ed dorm!

Dee

ETA: Sororities implemented strong house rules about men not being in the sleeping areas of their houses to protect their single sex organization status. Something like that could potentially jeopardize all of our organizations.

I also am confused.

There is a:

Texas Wesleyan
Ohio Wesleyan
Illinois Wesleyan
Nebraska Wesleyan
Connecticut Wesleyan
Indiana Wesleyan
North Carolina Wesleyan
Kansas Wesleyan
Kentucky Wesleyan
Dakota Wesleyan
Oklahoma Wesleyan
Southern Wesleyan
Tennessee Wesleyan
Virgina Wesleyan

So hoosier, care to cite which one of these schools the article is actually about, or ya wanna leave us hanging in the dark?

I'd also like to remind you of the John's policy regarding posting of news stories that are copyrighted (like I imagine this one is), you may post an excerpt, but it has to have a link to the story.

I'm sure you'll have no problem following his policy. On the mods behalf, THANKS.

All I can tell you is that it is not Texas Wesleyan.

lifesaver: I did a google search and found it was the wesleyan in CT :)

I suppose the School is named after one of the founders of the Methodist Church, John Wesley. (and his brother the hymn writer)

If so, they certainly have no connection with the good thoughts and memories I have from years of membership.

Of course, it is a private school, and they can do about anything.

Wesleyan University (Connecticut) was originally affiliated with the Methodist church, but that association ended in 1931. It is an elite private liberal arts college. Wesleyan is currently known for being rather "out there" in terms of political correctness.

Ok, I'm reading about the program houses on their website, and found this one:

Open House:
Open House is a safe space for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Queer, Questioning, Flexual, Asexual, Genderfuck, Polyamourous, Bondage/Disciple, Dominance/Submission, Sadism/Masochism (LGBTTQQFAGPBDSM) communities and for people of sexually or gender dissident communities. The goals of Open House include generating interest in a celebration of queer life from the social to the political to the academic. Open House works to create a Wesleyan community that appreciates the variety and vivacity of gender, sex and sexuality.



But, you can't have a fraternity house???? :rolleyes:

Dee

Hoosier, your signature is bigoted and disgusting. But then again, that's par for the course :rolleyes:

Yes, its (by far) the best of the Wesleyans. Its simply called Wesleyan University.

Also, and not surprising considering the author, the title of this thread is WRONG. The article does not say that the chapters have to go co-ed. The article says that housing of the chapters has to be co-ed. There is a huge difference.

Sheila, you made me turn signatures back on. You're right, and back off they go.

It's no crime to be bigoted (my dictionary defines bigoted as "intolerant") about smokers, tattooees, or free speech.

The US Constitution provides no protection for you, and there is no law banning infliction of disgust (defined as "profound repugnance")

33 girl, your usual posts are not very interesting.

Faint defense.

I'm reminded of Tevye: "I realize, Oh Lord, that it's no shame to be poor. But, it's no great honor, either."

Not liking something does not make you bigoted. It probably makes you enlightened.

Now most guys want girls to have tattoos on their lower backs but a lot of times it just works out that you don't marry that girl. Know what I mean, g? Like if she had "princess" in old english letters right on her butt, you know what it means. 'Naw mean?

-Rudey

I'm totally lost by this entire story.

What is a program house. Why do people have to live on campus/why is the school not allowing poeple to live off campus.

Why is DKE going coed and Beta not? How is Beta not affiliated with the college?

OMG I'm gonna CWY. Hoosier thinks I'm boring! I guess that's because I don't try to stir up crap with everything I post.

Coramoor - a program house is like a fraternity house only it's revolving around a common interest (like maybe French majors or something) and is coed. If it's a private college (which it is) they can have a rule that everyone has to live on campus for all 4 or however many years.

Well, this little tear love jerker is getting to friggen much for me!

Not sure if an egg crate or soap box someone is standing on?:rolleyes:

Repeating the news that is put on Cyber Space is fine. Eye catching may be Tabaloid, but the stories are true in the info passed on.

Maybe I should start posting them along with TSSteven, exlurker and take the heat of of Hoosier.:rolleyes: :)

OKAY, HOOSIER is a dick! Make everyone Happy!!!!!!;) :p

Tra La, Tra La, fuddy duddy do wop wop!:D

Why would the frats there even live in a program house if that was the case? Was it originally built for the frats or did they decide to sort of take it over?

Why don't they just build their own house so the college has no say?

Hey... I'm famous. Or is that infamous. ;)

My understanding is that Wesleyan has a *new* program housing rule that has forced Psi Upsilon and Delta Kappa Epsilon to change their previous policies. (Got that from the very first sentence of the original post.) As such it seems like the fraternities were there "first" but *now* must abide by university policy if they want to remain on-campus.

As to why they just don't build their own house, my guess is that it has to do with the lack of finances to do so.

According to the reading I've done, 45 students from the school will be granted permission to live off campus, therefore, if they get an off campus house, they would have to pay their room and board to Wesleyan AND pay for their house, since they probably won't get permission to live off campus.

That's fine that the university wants to secure the entire on-campus living to ensure that all rooms are full, but they shouldn't force the fraternities to recruit people to live in the dorm, house, whatever it is.

If students want, they could sign up to live there and be chosen through a lottery like every other college. Or if no one signs up, they can force people to live there by luck of the draw. If they don't want to live near fraternity members, they can move off campus.

It always seems schools want to do things the hard way that goes and makes everyone upset or uncomfortable.

Of course it doesn't. I don't like tatoos or smoking either. But I don't label anyone who has a tatoo an idiot -- unless of course the tatoo in question leaves no reasonable doubt of idiocy.

What indicates bigotry is statement suggesting that people should be judged "idiots" based on single aspects of their entire personality, such as whether they smoke or have tatoos.

Two thoughts...
 

First...Like NebraskaDelt said, why is DKE and Psi U FORCED to find females to live in? What if they are willing to accept females, and no one applies? Is that their fault?

Second...forcing females to live in a fraternity house could very well bring up "auxillary organization" problems.

and a bonus thought...ONE female living in a fraternity house kinda looks bad, don't ya think? Hopefully these DKE members will be gentlemen, but one female in a fraternity house of all males might be more liability than it's worth.

PsychTau

Do people really use that word as a legitimate descriptor nowadays, or are these people just trying to be funny?

:rolleyes:
PsychTau

33girl personally tattooed my name with a hot bic pen over her left breast.

-Rudey

Then why is Beta not having to abide by the new rules? Do they have their own house and pay for that and also pay for the on campus living costs?

At the rate the girls are shrinking lately, all that's going to be left is the R and an amorphous squiggle.

-33
-yeah I know, TMI, but this really sucks.

http://headrush.typepad.com/photos/u...blondegirl.jpg

-Rudey

From the original post.