Official end of Greek Life @ Dartmouth

[PenguinTrax]

The Dartmouth
>February 15, 2000
>
>Dartmouth faculty votes 81-0 to end recognition of greek houses
>
>By Omer Ismail, The Dartmouth
>
>Monday night the faculty of the Dartmouth College of the Arts and Sciences
>unanimously approved a resolution, voting 81-0 to urge the administration
>and Trustees to withdraw College recognition from all Coed Fraternity and
>Sorority organizations once additional living space is made available.
>
>Recognizing that many Greek houses are independently owned, Associate
>Professor of Religion Susan Ackerman - who moved the resolution - told The
>Dartmouth that she hoped the houses would financially buckle without
>College support, if the administration accepts the faculty mandate.
>
>Faculty members argued that the system is a discriminatory one that can not
>be reformed, and called senior College officials to make the construction
>of new residence halls - which will enable the College to withdraw their
>support from Greek houses - their highest priority to ensure the
>derecognition occurs latest by June 30, 2005.
>
>Two faculty members abstained from voting on the resolution.
>
>Faculty members addressed a number of problems within the current Greek
system.
>
>Raising concerns that the CFS system is highly exclusive, professors argued
>that it does not conform but interferes, with the academic mission of the
>College.
>
>The Greek system "stands so antithetical to our academic message of
>openness," Ackerman said.
>
>Citing figures from the steering committee report which shows affiliated
>students tend to be mostly white and more affluent than other students,
>Ackerman called the system one of "power and privilege."
>
>Faculty members also said the Greek system promotes excessive alcohol use
>which interferes with students' academic work.
>
>Professor of History Mary Kelly said the number of students who have
>admitted to alcohol interfering with their schoolwork, to have blacked-out
>and to have taken part in "boot and rally" is disturbingly high.
>
>Faculty members said that the "substantial changes" to the Greek system
>recommended in the steering committee report will not reform the
>residential and social life at Dartmouth. They argued the complete
>withdrawal of College support is necessary.
>
>"The reality is that this is an unfixable institution," religion professor
>Kevin Reinhart said.
>
>Professors argued that plans to reform the system have been undertaken
>previously, all of which have failed to improve Dartmouth's social life.
>
>"Isn't it clear by now that reform has not and will not work?" comparative
>literature department chair Marianne Hirsch said.
>
>Faculty members expressed concern that even if the Greek houses are able to
>achieve the stringent requirement set by the Initiative recommendations,
>Dartmouth's social problems will continue to exist.
>
>Reinhart said ensuring that the Greek houses consistently maintain the
>standards will be a constant fight for the administration.
>
>English professor Tom Luxon had other concerns, arguing that the
>recommendations are sending the wrong message to the CFS houses.
>
>The administration is saying "that if they behave well enough, they can
>have the privilege of discrimination," Luxon said.
>
>The faculty of Arts and Sciences unanimously supported the principles
>behind the first three recommendations of the steering committee report -
>which call for the creation of a greatly enhanced residential cluster,
>other spaces and programs for general use and improving residential and
>social life for graduate students.
>
>The faculty agreed the residential cluster should serve educational
>functions as well as recreational, dining and social purposes. Some said
>the educational spaces will improve the out-of-classroom experience and
>encourage student-teacher interaction.
>
>Concern was raised about the costs of implementing the Student Life
>Initiative. However, College President James Wright assured the faculty
>that the Board of Trustees's decision on financing these changes "won't be
>at the expense of academic programs or the financial aid program."
>
>Before deliberating on the steering committee report, Wright also informed
>the faculty about the Trustee meetings held over the weekend - most notably
>the decision to increase the tuition fees by 3.5 percent for the 2000-2001
>academic year.
>
>The faculty voted 82-0 in favor of the Initiative last Winter term after
>the document's release.
>
>(C) 2000 The Dartmouth