Leaders of Greek organizations presented a proposal to administrators Thursday drafting preliminary details of the ban on Greek organizations’ freshman fall rush period.
Since the ban was announced last month, an implementation committee composed of administrators, fraternity leaders and sorority leaders has met on a weekly basis to sketch out details of the new regulation. The proposal, which was approved by all fraternity and sorority members on the committee, marks the first time members of the implementation committee have produced a written document outlining suggested guidelines for the ban. The implementation process is still in its early stages, and administrators have yet to review the document.
Fraternity and sorority leaders came together Wednesday to draft the proposal, which aimed to begin a concrete discussion of the rush ban’s details. They presented the document to Dean of Students Affairs Marichal Gentry, Associate Dean for Student Organizations and Physical Resources John Meeske, Assistant Dean of Yale College Rodney Cohen and Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs Pamela George.
Gentry said the implementation committee is “moving toward” a finalized set of guidelines, which should be finalized by the end of the academic year.
“We keep the conversation moving,” he said.
Fraternity leaders from Alpha Epsilon Pi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and Alpha Delta Phi declined to comment because administrators asked members of the implementation committee not to speak with the press.
The fraternity and sorority leaders’ proposal attempts to define a “recruitment event” as one that occurs during a rush period with the express purpose of selecting new members, and as exclusive to students interested in and eligible for the Greek organization. The proposal states that events open to students other than those interested in joining the group or those targeted for solicitation should not be defined as a recruitment event, nor should “an event that is co-sponsored by a non-Greek organization or hosted by more than one Greek organization.” Events with the primary purpose of religious observation or philanthropy should also be excluded from the recruitment definition, the proposal says.
The definitions in the proposal contrasted with a policy floated by administrators at a March 29 meeting of the implementation committee, which would have banned freshmen from attending any events held by Greek organizations during the fall. Princeton University implemented a similar policy in March after banning all freshmen from rushing Greek organizations last August. After the suggestion met opposition from Yale’s fraternity and sorority leaders, administrators said the policy was only a tentative idea, and that discussion was ongoing.
With regard to recruitment activities, the students’ proposal states that members of a Greek organization may not “exert pressure” on freshmen to join their group during the spring, when rush will be allowed. The proposal also says freshmen may not request membership during the fall semester, and Greek organizations cannot offer an informal or formal solicitation of membership to freshmen during this period.
The document does not define what constitutes a “Greek organization,” noting that the definition will be “clarified” after additional discussion with administrators.
The implementation committee plans to meet again next week.