Penn State enforces strict reforms to Greek-letter orgs
Beginning this fall semester, Penn State is issuing a university-wide reformation of Greek-letter organizations, allocating new measures primarily focused on student safety.
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Penn State’s announcement on June 2 marked a new set of reforms aimed at dangerous drinking, hazing, sexual assault, and other negative behaviors that have been recognized among Greek life organizations across the nation.
The combination of new reforms intend to re-establish safety among sororities and fraternities, which have been previously private and self-governed.
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Penn State President, Eric Barron, addressed these initiatives as only the beginning to improving student safety on college campuses.
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“We plan to continue to roll out measures and adjust as needed, with the Greek Life Response Team and its advisory group evaluating each measure and recommending adaptations as necessary to promote and produce responsible behavior,” said Barron.
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The disciplinary supervision of fraternities and sororities has officially been transferred from these independent organizations to the responsibility of the University on Aug. 21.
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Previously, the monitoring of these Greek-letter organizations has been under governing councils, Interfraternity Council (IFC), and Panhellenic Council, which were also responsible for monitoring chapter violations. With the new set of reforms taking place, all student organizational conduct will now be handled by the University, in an attempt to make the process uniformed across the nation.
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The new reforms are designed to implement advancements among all Penn State campuses, however, some reforms are being implemented in different ways to adapt to all Greek Life organizations in the Penn State community.
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Associate Director of Student Activities, Lindsey Hopkins Hall, had the opportunity to meet with councils and addressed the University wide reforms as well as the specific reforms which will impact the Greek Life organizations at Behrend.
The first University wide reform addresses no tolerance for hazing.
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“Any hazing that involves alcohol, physical abuse, or any behavior that puts a student’s mental or physical health at risk will result in permanent revoking of their university recognition,” Hall said.
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The second reform which represents a University wide policy addresses the Organizational Conduct process, where governing councils will still have a judicial board and will adjudicate their own policies and the University will adjudicate any violations of Penn State policies, rules, and procedures. This reform will implement the investigations regarding hazing, alcohol abuse, sexual assault, and other allegations reported within Greek Life organizations, benefiting students who may be placed in a position of investigation involving their peers.
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“I think that’s going to be helpful for the chapters and give them an opportunity to feel comfortable coming forward, knowing that it may not be their peers who are finding out exactly who is saying what,” said Hall. “I’m hopeful that this will be a good change for them.”
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The third reform addresses the deferred recruitment or enhanced eligibility requirements. In order to be eligible to join a Greek Life organization, a student must earn 14 credit hours at Penn State and sustain a 2.5 cumulative GPA, or have 24 transfer credits.
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According to Hall, the cumulative GPA status within Greek Life organizations at Behrend is higher than the student body as a whole.
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For the spring of 2017, the all undergraduate GPA was a 2.96. The fraternity GPA was a 2.96 and the all male GPA was a 2.88. For sororities, the GPA was a 3.16 in the spring of 2017, in comparison to the all female GPA, which was a 3.14.
“It’s a pillar of all the organizations to promote and uphold high academic standards,” Hall said. “Nationally, they would all have programs within their chapters that are monitoring their chapter members academics and making sure that they are making their priority here to be a student first, while helping them through that process.”
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The remaining reforms vary based upon each Penn State campus, however, still addressing the same issues found in Greek Life organizations.
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For the spring semester of 2018, Behrend chapters are expected to transfer over to a maximum eight week new member process, in which University Park has issued this fall. Most of the chapters at Behrend are already at a six week new member process, which will progress in the spring. Chapters are also required to turn in their new member process and education plan to both the institution and national organization for review.
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A second reform being addressed to Behrend chapters is the Informational Greek Chapter Score Card. University Park has already addressed this reform to students, which will trickle down into Behrend’s set of reforms once adapted. The reform will provide an easy accessibility to all the data of the chapters in one place. It will provide information regarding chapter size, chapter GPA, new member GPA, and whether they are at or below the all student GPA.
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Reports of hazing, alcohol abuse, sexual violence, or other violations will also be issued in the score card. However, the score card will also be used to showcase accomplishments and improvements the chapters make within their organization and community, including their community service and philanthropy.
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The third reform being issued to Behrend’s Greek Life is a relationship statement. The document will clarify the rights and responsibilities of the chapters and their members. As this statement develops further into Greek Life organizations, more information will be released throughout the semester.
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“We want to make sure we are also providing good parent education,” said Hall. “We are going to do a session during parents and family weekend if a student is interested in joining a sorority or fraternity, it will be helpful to have the parents there to learn about the chapters on our campus, but also learn about the benefits and the challenges of being involved in a fraternity or sorority and how we can help them through that process.”
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In spring of 2018, the new members process will involve a survey which will help collect information and provide chapters with the opportunity to report any misconduct anonymously.
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“We want to make sure we are being transparent,” Hall said. “We know, nationally, fraternities and sororities, are one of our highest populations at risk, so we want to make sure we are being transparent with the community and we want to make sure we are also celebrating the many great things that the chapters are doing.”
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President of The Delta Chi Fraternity at Behrend, senior Ayden Hanes, weighed the advantages and disadvantages he feels towards the new reforms.
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“It’s a shame that some freshmen who are interested in joining our fraternity will not have the opportunity this semester,” said Hanes. “However, it will benefit all chapters by letting us take a deep breath and be educated about how to safely operate as a Greek organization while learning of the dangers of hazing and alcohol abuse that has plagued the Greek culture.”
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In order for these reforms to proceed with action at Behrend, President Barron encourages the initiatives to be accepted by not only fraternity and sorority chapters, but by their individual members as well. True change will not happen without the support of Greek-letter organizations, alumni boards, private housing corporations, and national organizations.