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Originally Posted by Alphagamuga
Hum, I think the institution is mistaken in it's impression that the situation only benefits the Greek Organization. I tend to think that your institution has to believe that the overall effect of Greek Life on the university is beneficial or you would terminate your relationships with the GLOS. A healthy balance of the university helping the GLOs and the GLOs helping the institution would be good overall. If the university takes a only "what's in it for us" attitude, I think you'll have more problems between groups and that will spill over into campus life at large.
I can see the liability point on some level, but after a person appears listed as a member in a yearbook, it's hard to make a claim about privacy. There would be ways around the idea that you got the info. only from the confidential student file.
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From an administrative point, we have to look at all student organizations the same. We can't pick and choose which ones we will protect the student's privacy on, and which ones we won't. It's an all or none deal. The only reason schools even have a Greek Advisor is because it tends to be the largest of all of the organizations, and it takes someone who has participated in the system on how it works. Other than the sheer numbers? They wouldn't bother with the staffing.
I cannot think of a single reason, how a couple of students every few years, that may initiate in in two NPC sororities, is going to destroy Greek Life as a whole at our University. In the instance that it happened at our school, more people knew that it happened rather than know who it happened with. Our school is so large these girls sometimes disappear between semesters and over the summer....they just don't re-enroll.
You make a good point regarding the yearbook, however, it has to be initiated by the students not by me. I cannot launch a campaign to apply the rules on the students that I know about. I have to be fair to all. I don't look for ways, "around the system"...we follow the rules that are handed down to me by my superiors, that is how I keep the lights on.
We have to consider all of the groups, not just Greek Organizations.
With us, even the yearbook isn't a good source. Less than 25% of the student population bother to show up to have their picture taken.
On student applications for recruitment, there is only one "status" classification: Your Class (Freshman, Sophomore, etc.). So unless a student mentioned it, you wouldn't know she was a transfer. She just puts down which class she is a member of. We participate in deferred recruitment, so Freshman have to be verified at completing a minimum of 12 semester hours in order to be considered "second semester" Freshman.
As far as my job is concerned, and my role in the process, I am not willing to put the University, or myself, at risk and gamble on whether or not someone can make a "claim" against the University.
You don't have to win a lawsuit in order to permanently tarnish a University's reputation, all you have to do is file one.