My chapter....
Here is what is going on at Oshkosh:
Fraternities retain recognition
Strict rules about recruitment cited in new guidelines
by Eric Merryfield, of the Advance Titan Issue: Wednesday, April 14, 2004
Added: 4/14/2004 4:54:47 PM
UW-Oshkosh will continue to recognize its six fraternities following a review of the system, although the organizations must comply with new guidelines defined in an April 8 memo sent to the Interfraternity Council president and all chapter presidents.
Dean of Students James Chitwood, who spearheaded the fraternity review, placed all fraternities on a two-year probation to comply with the guidelines he established for the organizations.
“No one is looking for a way to cancel the fraternity system. This is just a way to take care of some of the ills we’ve had over the last few years,” Chitwood said. “So I would hope that we could work together and resolve any issues through some of these new guidelines.”
The most conspicuous changes caused by the guidelines are the requirement of a formal recruitment process collectively organized by the IFC, the governing body of Oshkosh fraternities, and deferred recruitment, which bars the recruitment of incoming freshmen. Under the new system, freshmen must first earn 12 UW-Oshkosh credits with a minimum grade point average of 2.5 in order to pledge.
“Incoming freshmen have many pressures and many things that will pull them in different directions, and even without pledging a fraternity, these pushes and pulls will be out there,” Chitwood said. “So, therefore, show us a grade point and then pledge.”
He said the more systematic and stringent recruitment process would help fraternities achieve another requirement—by June 2006, the all-fraternity GPA will be at a minimum equal to the all-university male GPA average—included in the guidelines.
However, at the Monday IFC meeting, some fraternity members expressed misgivings about deferred recruitment and its possible effects on fraternity growth
at Oshkosh.
“Our numbers are going to go way down,” Delta Chi President Chad Kazel said.
There is a possibility that freshmen may lose interest in joining a fraternity or join another student organization if they are forced to wait a semester, said Theta Chi President Josh Dillenburg.
In the Fall 2003 semester, Delta Sigma Phi recruited eight pledges, four of whom were first-semester freshmen. Delta Sigma Phi President Ross McDowell said deferred recruitment would not help increase a fraternity’s numbers. He said if the number of fraternity members decreases, the Greek system as a whole will weaken.
McDowell, however, said he thought highly of the remainder of the guidelines.
“I’m very happy with the document,” he said.
Not all fraternity members view deferred recruitment in a negative light.
Jacob Sherman, IFC secretary treasurer and Beta Theta Pi member, said he does not see a problem with the 12-credit requirement.
“Next fall, we’ll get more quality than quantity,” he said.
Chitwood said the ultimate goal, along with an increase in GPA, is unrelenting self-governance within the fraternity system, specifically the IFC.
“That’s what this whole experience is about—helping young leaders take responsibility for leadership, which includes sanctioning and disciplining in their own area,” he said.
Furthermore, the guidelines provided by Chitwood require formal recording of fraternity activity on forms previously not required.
Joe Baggot, IFC adviser, said the new recording requirements included in the guidelines will provide accountability, oversight and better planning.
“We need a better communication process—a more formal one—to show what fraternities are doing,” he said. “This is setting a foundation for the IFC to become a strong governance group for the individual chapters on our campus.”
Sherman said there is going to be a lot more paperwork required of the fraternities, but they will be getting back to effective communication with the Dean of Students office. Baggot said the new guidelines Chitwood drafted will help fraternities live up to their promise.
“People who join our fraternities will have good grades, they’ll be involved in leadership roles across campus and they’ll be involved in service to the greater community,” he said.
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