Harvard's Policies Toward GLOs and social clubs

[Kevin]

Students of private universities absolutely have rights as consumers to consume their education elsewhere. The school can't discriminate based upon race, sex, religion, nationality, and in most places, sexual orientation. Aside from that, those universities are only subject to whatever requirements of federal law are in place to allow said schools to be eligible to receive student loan disbursements.

Disaffiliating doesn't have to have all of the negative risk management implications and with any quality national group, disaffiliation would come with concerned and careful supervision by the HQ and local alumni. In most of the cases where you have disaffiliation it is done specifically because the organization doesn't want to follow rules imposed by the school or interfraternal community. Those rules are probably in most cases dealing with drugs, alcohol and hazing.

When the school or IFC, however, ups that ante and instead of just proscribing, hazing, drugs and underage drinking, they proscribe gatherings of three or more members, pledging and initiation activities and any kind of organized activities of any time, unless we're talking about that only being for a short period of time as it looks to be in these recent examples, we may experience a crossing of the Rubicon in that chapters aren't disaffiliating in order to engage in risky conduct, but rather they are disaffiliating to engage in some--any--kind of conduct. If the school presents the option of disaffiliation or relinquishing recognition, the later seems to be the safer bet.

And the police aren't going to start coming after you as if you are gang unless you are actually acting as a gang. Disaffiliation doesn't necessarily have to include going off the rails and in fact the same institutional safeguards which keep most chapters from hazing or having other issues can still remain in place and work well without help from the university.

[DaffyKD]

Alpha Phi along with the Harvard Collegiate Panhellenic wrote this response:
https://alphaphi.org/Portals/0/Press...t%20121217.pdf

DaffyKD

[Sciencewoman]

GREAT letter! I'm really glad to see these sororities stick up for the benefits we offer and the values we share, and recognize our historical foundations.

[clemsongirl]

Harvard's Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter is not a signatory of the letter, but it doesn't look like they've closed the chapter-the Krimson Kappa Facebook page is still active. A news article from September said the local chapter was exploring closing down pending the final outcome of the policy. Does anyone know what their status is?

[oldnorthstate]

Nationals released a statement today that Eta Theta chapter will not be participating in recruitment this year, but does not say anything else about the chapter’s status. The full statement is here: https://www.kappakappagamma.org/Kapp...d=3633&id=5701

[LaneSig]

The Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter at Harvard has reportedly disaffiliated from their national organization to form a co-ed group called " Fleur-de-Lis".

https://www.thecollegefix.com/post/40747/

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2...ender-neutral/

[TLLK]

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...ndM/story.html

Alpha Phi, Delta Gamma and Kappa Alpha Theta have chosen to continue their recruitment of freshmen women.

[Kevin]

The notion that these women's groups believe they get to exist, but that they don't seem to have a dog in the hunt as to whether men's groups get to exist is amazingly hypocritical. Yes, women's groups are being punished essentially for the action of men's groups--but much to the same extent that innocent men's groups are being punished to the same extent that guilty men's groups are being punished.

[PhilTau]

"All for one - and every man for himself." - The Black Adder circa 1490.

These groups (and others) have apparently made a rational calculation based on the fact that the sanctions imposed will impact only a very small percentage of students.

[dukedg]

The women's groups are explaining the benefit they provide to women on campus; I don't see why they should have to defend all single-sex organizations just so that women can meet.

[33girl]

Because Greek life is a Greek SYSTEM. I hate the whole "bad boys/good girls" fiction. I'm sure some of those girls have no problem drinking and attending parties at fraternity houses. If they don't interact at all, then why are they in social sororities to begin with? Why don't they just call it a women's support club? It would be a lot cheaper.

No, the one and only purpose of our groups is not to interact with fraternities. But using my own GLO as an example, we have four aims: to develop intellectually, spiritually, physically AND socially. I'm guessing most groups are similar.

[dukedg]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Because Greek life is a Greek SYSTEM. I hate the whole "bad boys/good girls" fiction. I'm sure some of those girls have no problem drinking and attending parties at fraternity houses. If they don't interact at all, then why are they in social sororities to begin with? Why don't they just call it a women's support club? It would be a lot cheaper.

No, the one and only purpose of our groups is not to interact with fraternities. But using my own GLO as an example, we have four aims: to develop intellectually, spiritually, physically AND socially. I'm guessing most groups are similar.

I agree that it's not fair that fraternities take on so much more liability for social events. I don't see that they've incentivized NPC to be part of the solution, though, unless they are hoping NPC backs down from their no alcohol in houses concept. Otherwise, how can the liability be shared equally unless they don't allow women to party at their houses?

Of course I think most sororities would like fraternities on their campus to continue to exist, but we don't have enough say in how they are run to then have to defend their behavior.

[Kevin]

Most fraternities are well run and perfectly safe. We are not all raping drug addled alcoholics needing anyone to defend our behavior.