Colorado returns to "Hands On" with GLO's

[DeltAlum]

Looks like the University of Colorado has decided to change its hands off approach to the Greek System after an alcohol related death this year...

The following is from Fraternal News:


"CU sets new Greek policies
By Dave Curtin

Denver Post Staff Writer

Fraternities and sororities at the University of Colorado at Boulder
would push back freshman recruiting to the spring semester and would be
prohibited from using alcohol and hazing in new-member initiations,
under a proposed new contract announced by CU on Friday.

Greek organizations that want to continue to be associated with CU have
until mid-February to accept the contract, said Ron Stump, vice
chancellor for student affairs.

The contract also requires each Greek house to have a live-in CU staff
member and prohibits underage drinking by members and pledges.

Stump had detailed some of the changes in a letter to sororities earlier
this month. But Friday he listed more detailed prohibitions and
confirmed that fraternities will be expected to abide by the same rules.

There are 15 CU fraternities and 11 sororities.

The proposed contract comes after several alcohol-related deaths this
fall at colleges in the state and marks a departure from a perceived
"hands-off" approach CU has taken with Greek organizations that exist
independently off campus.

CU freshman Lynn "Gordie" Bailey died from alcohol poisoning Sept. 17,
the morning after he and other Chi Psi pledges were told to drink as
part of an initiation ritual.

Bailey's stepfather, Michael Lanahan, ripped CU administrators in a
letter this month for inaction in controlling alcohol and hazing abuse
after Bailey's death.

"Every day we regret sending him off to college without teaching him
about forced drinking at fraternities and alcohol poisoning," Lanahan
wrote in the Jan. 6 letter to outgoing CU chancellor Richard Byyny.

NEW RULES POSTPONE RUSH
Under the fraternal organization contract, CU fraternities and
sororities will be expected to:

# Have a full-time, live-in staff member in the chapter house.

# Prohibit underage consumption of alcohol.

# Schedule rush in the spring semester of the freshman year beginning
with the 2005-06 academic year.

# Abide by federal, state and local laws as well as CU's student code of
conduct.

# Meet the national organization's academic standards.

# Prohibit any form of hazing and use of alcohol in new-member programming.
Student Greek leaders were noncommittal Friday about accepting the contract.

"After an extensive review by our national organizations and chapter
advisers, we will be in a much better position to continue a process of
positive change for members of fraternities and evaluate the positive
and negative aspects of deferred recruitment," said Nate Ushio,
president of the Interfraternity Council at CU-Boulder.

While fraternities and sororities are independent off-campus entities,
they are dependent on university services such as office and meeting
space on campus, student lists for recruitment, a full-time campus Greek
adviser and use of campus fields and facilities for sports.

"Our goal is to foster a long and mutually beneficial relationship with
the Greek system," Stump said. "I believe that the entire campus
environment can be enhanced by Greek organizations that follow their
core principles of leadership, scholarship, service and brotherhood or
sisterhood. The agreement is intended to strengthen that relationship."