UCF Halts Greek Life

[jazing]

This is a shame

http://fsl.sdes.ucf.edu/

Fraternities and sororities are prohibited from holding social, new member education or initiation activities. Organizations are permitted to hold organizational business meetings. Participation in philanthropic activities must be specifically approved by the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.

Chapter activities will resume when we are satisfied that our Greek culture reflects the values of the UCF Creed and, more importantly, that we can ensure compliance with laws and university regulations governing hazing and alcohol. For many chapters, we are hopeful that will occur before the end of the spring semester.

[IUHoosiergirl88]

This personally seems a bit overbearing without details on what happened. You can't play intramural sports? Jeez

[TSteven]

Fraternities and sororities are prohibited from holding social, new member education or initiation activities.

I suspect that few - if any - chapters are ready to hold initiation at this time. Thus they will simply postpone it until the new member education period is completed. But how does that work?

Do the chapters simply stop the whole education process and pledges (new members) "put down" the pledge book? Are new members allowed to "learn on their own"? How would something like that be monitored?

While I understand that the UCF administration may be concerned that hazing and alcohol might be included in the "pledge process"; it seems counterproductive to completely stop the new member education - especially when it comes to teaching about the GLO's values and beliefs etc.

"For many chapters, we [UCF] are hopeful that will occur before the end of the spring semester."

So if this isn't resolved by the end of spring semester, the whole pledge class is “held over" until the fall semester? If so, it seems possible that some chapters (mainly thinking fraternities here), could continue with an unapproved "new member education" over the summer - especially since they might not be under the watchful eye of the University.

Originally Posted by IUHoosiergirl88

This personally seems a bit overbearing without details on what happened. You can't play intramural sports? Jeez

No kidding. Something "big" must have happened.

[PiPhiERDoc]

How can they prohibit chapters from initiating members? This really seems to be overstepping their boundaries...I would think that national organizations would be the only ones who could enforce this. Any word on how the NPC is responding?

[IUHoosiergirl88]

http://www.centralfloridafuture.com/...7#.USVXCI6NJpc

UCF's student newspaper blames "six incidents regarding hazing and 15 alcohol-related cases, several of which involved new members" in the past years, and two recent incidents involving fraternities and underage drinking/hazing.

I still don't quite see how a campus wide ban on everything outside of chapter and wearing letters is productive for organizations who do follow the rules. If anything, it just makes abiding GLOs more bitter--like when you were in elementary school and the teacher punished the whole class just because a few stupid kids threw spitwads

[FSUZeta]

Originally Posted by IUHoosiergirl88

http://www.centralfloridafuture.com/...7#.USVXCI6NJpc

UCF's student newspaper blames "six incidents regarding hazing and 15 alcohol-related cases, several of which involved new members" in the past years, and two recent incidents involving fraternities and underage drinking/hazing.

I still don't quite see how a campus wide ban on everything outside of chapter and wearing letters is productive for organizations who do follow the rules. If anything, it just makes abiding GLOs more bitter--like when you were in elementary school and the teacher punished the whole class just because a few stupid kids threw spitwads

This!

[WCsweet<3]

So two orgs have gotten in trouble and the whole community gets more or less shut down?

I feel like this is overstepping. I would not be a happy HQ.

[adpiucf]

Yup.

[jazing]

I know a big more info about this but it isn't released officially. It's still in development. The university isn't too kind to Greek Life since it seems there is always an issue each semester.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by IUHoosiergirl88

I still don't quite see how a campus wide ban on everything outside of chapter and wearing letters is productive for organizations who do follow the rules. If anything, it just makes abiding GLOs more bitter--like when you were in elementary school and the teacher punished the whole class just because a few stupid kids threw spitwads

If the article is to be believed, at least some students, presumably in chapters that have kept their noses clean (though it doesn't come out and say that) have told the school the restrictions are needed to change the "Greek culture" on campus:

Recent events have demonstrated that UCF’s Greek community needs a culture change, specifically when it comes to issues related to alcohol use and abuse and hazing. Even some student leaders have expressed to us that an action that impacts our entire Greek community would be the best way to change our culture.

Many Greek chapters and students exhibit model behavior, and we hope they will share best practices with each other and hold their peers responsible for acting appropriately. This is an opportunity to be part of the solution.

That could just be school spin, though.

[amIblue?]

It's a shame that the actions of a few can ruin things for everyone, but isn't that what ends up happening most of the time? For example, scavenger hunts used to be harmless fun until a few jerks ruined them for everyone else. People drink irresponsibly, so now buses have to be chartered for sorority events. So many of our standard risk management practices today stem from the boneheaded actions of past active members.

If anything, those of us who advise chapters should use this as a concrete example of what consequences the stupid actions of just a very few people can be for the group as a whole.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

If the article is to be believed, at least some students, presumably in chapters that have kept their noses clean (though it doesn't come out and say that) have told the school the restrictions are needed to change the "Greek culture" on campus:

Recent events have demonstrated that UCF’s Greek community needs a culture change, specifically when it comes to issues related to alcohol use and abuse and hazing. Even some student leaders have expressed to us that an action that impacts our entire Greek community would be the best way to change our culture.

Many Greek chapters and students exhibit model behavior, and we hope they will share best practices with each other and hold their peers responsible for acting appropriately. This is an opportunity to be part of the solution.

That could just be school spin, though.

I read that quite a few times, trying to interpret what that meant. They didn't say Greek student leaders expressed that. They said "student leaders". That could be student government, other organizations, etc.

We've had discussions before about public vs. private universities and their ability to restrict the right to assemble. It seemed like, during previous discussions, the private schools could do what they wanted but the public ones couldn't really control this legally. Am I remembering that correctly?

I'm curious whether chapters were given specific directives on HOW they show that the culture has changed. The article doesn't say how they are supposed to do it.

Using the "peer pressure to make each other behave" philosophy can really backfire too. The only thing the other greek groups can really do is agree to not socialize with the groups engaging in the risky behaviors. They can't pull charters or suspend members for other groups. They have very little control of each other. And some of them may say "We might as well do what THEY do if we're going to get punished for it anyway."

[Kevin]

A public school has some discretion to ensure student conduct falls within accepted norms, but they don't really have the power to break up a student organization, except to withdraw university recognition and the ability to participate in IFC if IFC is run by the school.

We had this same situation happen with TKE on our campus. They were kicked off of campus for some pretty egregious alcohol and hazing and grade violations. They continued throughout that time to maintain a chapter house, recruit new members, etc., all under the auspices of their national organization, which apparently was okay with a .6 GPA and allowing a 14 year old to serve alcohol at a philanthropy.

It's my experience that when national organizations aren't interested in enforcing any membership standards or have a more lax view than the school, the school can risk having any semblance of control whatsoever.

[badgeguy]

Two words -- "sub rosa"

BG

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AGDee

I read that quite a few times, trying to interpret what that meant. They didn't say Greek student leaders expressed that. They said "student leaders". That could be student government, other organizations, etc.

I read and re-read, too, and I had thoughts similar to yours.

Originally Posted by Kevin

A public school has some discretion to ensure student conduct falls within accepted norms, but they don't really have the power to break up a student organization, except to withdraw university recognition and the ability to participate in IFC if IFC is run by the school.

We had this same situation happen with TKE on our campus. They were kicked off of campus for some pretty egregious alcohol and hazing and grade violations. They continued throughout that time to maintain a chapter house, recruit new members, etc., all under the auspices of their national organization, which apparently was okay with a .6 GPA and allowing a 14 year old to serve alcohol at a philanthropy.

It's my experience that when national organizations aren't interested in enforcing any membership standards or have a more lax view than the school, the school can risk having any semblance of control whatsoever.

If I had to guess, I'm thinking that the unspoken basis here is that these are conditions of maintaining recognition. The school doesn't want to come out and say that because doing so would basically be admitting that's the extent of its leverage. It also invites a chapter that can do so with it's inter/national HQ's blessing to call the school's bluff and decline recognition.