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Greek Life Task Force Report

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Introduction

Task Force

Defining the System

Managing Specific Greek Life Issues

Identifying the Nature of the Problem

History of Greek Life at FSU

Conclusion Statement

Introduction
The Greek Life system at Frostburg State University appears to be at a crossroads. As local organizations continue to thrive our national organizations have been feeling the impact when trying to recruit and maintain membership. In addition to the national vs. local issue, it is time to look at the additional issues of scholarship, leadership & service as they apply to the levels at which our groups currently function. As a university we need to focus on our commitment to our Greek organizations and how we support their efforts. In order to reach our conclusion we must look at and identify those external and internal forces that are impacting the breadth and depth of our program. We have reached a time when it is imperative to conduct a quality assessment of our Greek Life system. In 1986 the Task Force on Fraternities & Sororities identified a number of areas that were in need of study. Given the significant amount of time that has elapsed since the previous task force report we find that many of the issues addressed at that time need to be reexamined. The Greek Life Task Force, assembled in the Fall 2001 semester, was created with the purpose of examining the current challenges and positives highlighted in the following pages. The Task Force is nearing its end and through this endeavor many new/revised systems, policies, and structures are presented to assist FSU in reestablishing the strength, prominence, and importance of our Greek system.

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Task Force
We have reached a time when it is imperative to conduct a quality assessment of our Greek Life system. In 1986 the Task Force identified a number of areas that were in need of study. Given the significant amount of time that has elapsed since the previous task force we find that many of the issues addressed at that time have become outdated or ineffective. It has become readily apparent that national organizations are much more of a business than they were 10 years ago. Unfortunately, national systems have become largely about fundraising and donations. We need to work with our students to understand the lifelong commitment inherent to affiliation, and to focus on what affiliation offers them personally (leadership, involvement, networking opportunities, etc.). We also need to focus on developing the commitment and dedication of our advisors. Are we providing them with the information and resources that they need? How can we get more advisor buy-in, and a desire by faculty to become involved with and assist in guiding our organizations? These issues are the beginning of a complicated and intertwined set of issues facing our current Greek system. In order to gain a full understanding of our current situation the Task Force constructed a systematic outline to explore the cumulative picture of our current situation.

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Defining the System

a. Greek Identity

1. What does it mean to be Greek at Frostburg State University?
2. What do we mean by Scholarship? Leadership? Service?
3. What role(s) do we play as a community?
4. What role(s) do we play within the larger FSU community?
5. What do we want people to think and say about us?

b. Number of Greeks

1. How many current members?
2. How many new members during Fall 2001 & Fall 2002?
3. How many new members during Spring 2001 & Spring 2002?
4. How many groups do we want to have?
5. Size & number of groups at like institutions?

c. Locals vs. Nationals

1. Differentiating between national & local organizations
2. Strategies to minimize impact of local organizations

d. Predominantly Black Greek Organizations

1. Understanding our similarities and differences
2. Size of current groups

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Managing Specific Greek Life Issues

a. Purpose & effectiveness of Greek Council & individual governing bodies

1. What is the purpose of Greek Council?
2. What role does Greek Council play within the larger structure
3. Membership of Greek Council
4. Meetings

b. Evaluation of Minimum Expectations

1. Update of minimum expectations to fall in line with Task Force proposals

c. Impact of Deferred Pledging

1. Benefits of deferred pledging
2. Perceived complications with deferred pledging
3. What are other universities doing?
4. Academic implications studied

d. Scholarship Initiatives

1. Current academic information
2. Grade monitoring program
3. Academic enhancement programs (study skills, test taking, time management, etc.)
4. Academic standards (what they are, consequences, rewards)
5. Programs offered at other universities
6. Academic averages at other universities – how do we compare?

e. Hazing

1. Current educational program
2. What are other universities doing?
3. Looking within

f. New Member Education Programs

1. Purpose?
2. Standard components for new member programs?
3. Repercussions for non-submission or failure to follow?

g. Housing

1. Are groups interested?
2. Benefits & drawbacks
3. What opportunities may be available in the future?

h. Leadership Development Opportunities

1. What are we offering?
2. What should we be offering?
3. What are other universities offering?
4. Funding needs

i. Fiscal Responsibilities of Chapters

1. Cost of insurance
2. Cost of dues & fees
3. Impact on abilities to provide campus programs
4. Impact on members
5. Do other universities offer any support? If so, what?
6. What could FSU do?
7. Monitors and controls groups should have in place

j. Role & Expectation of Advisors

1. Role of advisors
2. Expectations of advisors
3. Training for advisors
4. Incentives for advisors?

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Identifying the Nature of the Problem
In order to begin examining the breadth and depth of the issues that lie before us, the Task Force began with the following set of questions:

Is a Greek system what we want?

Is there a value to a Greek system? If so, what is it?

Why does the University want a Greek system?

Is a national system what we want?

A Greek system brings with it an excellent way for students to make ties to the University, to find a sense of belonging, and when done well, to gain leadership skills, a commitment to serving their community, and a dedication to scholastic success. Although we are not currently hitting the mark in these areas, as a university we need to re-institute a sense of caring about the Greek system and a clear program for addressing the issues we are currently facing.

Being part of a Greek organization is a high honor, one not to be taken lightly, or discarded when policies and procedures are not to a group’s liking. The personal, scholastic, moral and community values and ideals developed within the fraternal system are long standing, and at Frostburg State University we need to ensure that our students are receiving the support, programs, services, and dedication needed to carry on the Greek tradition toward the foundation upon which it was originally founded. We must ask ourselves if our current Greek system is molding leaders who will become one of these statistics, provided by the National Panhellenic Conference, National Interfraternity Conference Research Initiative, and if not where are we falling short?

More than 80% of Fortune 500 executives are Greek.

Every U.S. President, except for three, born since 1825 have been Greek.

More than three-fourths of the United States Congress is Greek.

Forty of the 47 Supreme Court Justices since 1910 have been Greek.

Eighty-five percent of the Presidential Cabinet members since 1900 have been Greek.

Seven out of 10 people in Who’s Who are Greek.

Every U.S. Vice-President, except for two, born since 1825 and three Canadian Prime Ministers have been Greek.

Of North America’s 50 largest corporations, Greeks head 43.

More than $20 million was contributed to the national philanthropies of the 26 National Panhellenic Conference member sororities between 1990-1995.

There are more men in fraternities today than any time since Phi Beta Kappa was founded in 1776.

Nationally, fraternity members acquire grade point averages above all other college men’s scholastic rankings.

Many members of the FSU community identify the problem with our current Greek system as the proliferation of unrecognized organizations. While we readily recognized that these organizations have adopted practices and values which in no way are reflective of the true meaning of a Greek community, we also recognize that unrecognized organizations are not the sole or most detrimental concern. Our most detrimental concern is the apparent loss of focus of the purposes and foundation upon which Greek organizations were founded and established: scholarship, leadership, and service. Having identified the true nature of the problem, the Task Force recognized that we only have three viable options:

1. Eliminate the Greek system
2. Maintain the status quo
3. Create a new approach that will combine different types of organizations into a unified system while at the same time having an open period for new nationals to colonize

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History of Greek Life at FSU
Before we can decide exactly where we are going it is essential for us to remember where we have come from as a Greek community. The following history was created by Jim Limbaugh for the Centennial Celebration and has been updated to add history that has occurred since 1997. Additionally, family tree diagrams can be found as Attachment D to this report.Working history of FSU Greeks by Jim Limbaugh...July, 1997

Frostburg Normal’s rural location and singular focus on teaching did not restrict students’ interest in establishing clubs unique to college campuses: the Greek-letter fraternity and sorority. Iota Alpha Sigma was chartered as a local fraternity on May 23, 1931, becoming the institution’s first Greek-letter organization and building on the roots of the Men’s Club that had been established in 1927. Recruiting only men who were considered to be “friendly, outgoing, and popular,” the fraternity rapidly grew in membership and prestige.

By 1939, Greek life at FSTC (now Frostburg State Teachers College) was pointedly one-sided. Iota Alpha Sigma Fraternity boasted of offering the “biggest dances and social affairs since the days of Barnum and Bailey,” unabashedly stating that a date with an Iota Alpha Sigma member was “worth any girl’s date with two non-fraternity members.” However, eight women, deciding that it was time for FSTC females to reap the benefits associated with a Greek organization of their own, banded together to create the first sorority, Phi Omicron Delta. Initially organized as the Euterpe Club while the sorority’s constitution was developed, official recognition was granted by President (formerly Principal) Dunkle on December 14, 1938.

The rapid departure of men from the campus at the onset of World War Two left in its wake gaping holes in Iota Alpha Sigma Fraternity’s roster. While the fraternity languished for want of participating males, Phi Omicron Delta Sorority became the most active social organization in a college with an enrollment of virtually all women. Each year, new members were initiated after a requisite pledge period of donning white dresses and purple bows, carrying a baby doll to all classes, and wearing the organization’s Greek letters emblazoned on each woman’s forehead in bright red lipstick.

With the war’s end, many FSTC students developed a particular interest in “going Greek.” The local sorority, Phi Omicron Delta, continued as “the most active social organization on campus;” however, its male counterpart, Iota Alpha Sigma Fraternity, had barely maintained its existence through the war was defunct by 1949. Succeeding it as the local fraternity was Omega Sigma Phi, chartered on December 14, 1949, for the purpose of “raising scholastic standards and promoting school spirit.” Alpha Tau Alpha joined FSTC’s local fraternity ranks in the spring of 1951, noting a constitutional requirement that “initiations be of some constructive nature for the campus,” and further challenging other student groups to take the same approach. By 1951, Omega Sigma Phi was absorbed into FSTC’s first national fraternity chapter, Delta Kappa. Established primarily at teacher training institutions, Delta Kappa specifically focused on “promoting scholarship, fellowship, and professional standards of teachers.” Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity became the second national Greek organization to be represented at FSTC when its local chapter was chartered in May, 1960, with the brothers of Alpha Tau Alpha listed as “founding fathers.” FSTC women were soon represented by a national Greek sorority, as members of Phi Omicron Delta affiliated with Alpha Xi Delta on May 20, 1961.

As the student population grew at FSTC, so too did the presence of various Greek organizations, each responding to specific interests, concerns, or philosophies of its founders. Delta Kappa Fraternity disbanded in 1961 to become a local fraternity, Sigma Phi, “in order to provide the campus with a more active fraternity [and] to seek membership in a larger, more active, and more widely known fraternity.” By 1961, Sigma Phi had affiliated with Tau Kappa Epsilon, and was officially recognized on April 7, 1962. A third fraternity--Alpha Delta Chi, a local group--was recognized in March of 1965, while Theta Delta Pi, a local sorority, was granted organizational status as of May 7, 1965.

Unfortunately, Greek activities during this period--especially among the fraternities--confirmed for many the archetypal “frat boy.” Complaints were voiced about pledging and hazing activities, including kidnaps, paddlings, and feeding members of pledge classes “an obnoxious combination of foods to test their willingness to be a member.” A pledge class was reprimanded for auctioning off a bottle of liquor at an on-campus dance, while brothers of another chapter were disciplined for “grabbing an ‘unpopular’ student and shaving off his beard.” Meanwhile, FSC’s “Fraternity Row” (the third floor of Allen Hall) provided its own share of diversions, which could be termed interesting or annoying, depending upon the viewpoint of the participant or spectator.

Deciding that the Greek system was not functioning in the best interests of the college, Dr. John Morey, FSC’s president, announced in the fall of 1967 that the development of any new Greek organizations would be frozen until such time that inappropriate activities were curtailed and “petty rivalries” were addressed. During the next two years, only one Greek organization was approved: a service sorority, Delta Alpha Iota. By 1969, Dr. Nelson Guild (who had succeeded Dr. Morey as president) lifted the ban on Greeks by approving the petitioning of Lambda Phi Delta to form as a new local sorority. Dr. Guild indicated that he would entertain the possibility of more Greek-letter social groups, especially those interested in affiliating with a national Greek organization.

Although it was common knowledge that Greeks still had “questionable” pledging policies and hosted the best socials in town, the early years of the Vietnam War witnessed an emphasis by Greek organizations on service to the campus and the community. Rather than spend dollars reserved for its entry in the 1970 Homecoming Parade, for example, Alpha Delta Chi Fraternity opted to contribute these funds and members’ labor to the construction of a community playground. Virtually every fraternity and sorority sponsored some sort of award at the Honors Convocation, recognizing achievements by students and instructors in a broad field of endeavors. The Greek Council paid particular attention to the image of the Greek system, working to eliminate “loud and obnoxious” pledging in the residence halls and across campus even as students and administrators questioned the relevancy of such organizations. One local sorority, Lambda Phi Delta, opted in 1971 to disassociate from the college and continue its operation as an off-campus sorority, noting that its service goals were best met as a community organization.

Although integration of public institutions had been mandated as of 1963, Frostburg State College’s “traditional segregation” restricted for the next decade the influx of African-American students in numbers large enough to support historically black Greek organizations. The establishment of local chapters of African-American national fraternities and sororities began in 1974, each bringing to FSC its own particular contribution through national history, goals, and philanthropies. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority became the first African-American Greek organization at FSC, chartered on January 16, 1974. Closely following were Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority (December 18, 1976), Omega Psi Phi Fraternity (January 22, 1977), Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity (April 6, 1977), and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity (1978).

By 1984, the roster of Greek organizations had added three local fraternities (Kappa Zeta Chi and Delta Phi Omega, both in 1975, Delta Beta Chi in 1982), a local sorority (Phi Sigma Chi, in 1975), a national fraternity (Pi Kappa Phi) and a variety of fraternity “little sister” organizations. The establishment of “Minimum Expectations for Fraternities and Sororities” in the fall of 1984 slowed the growth of the system and enunciated specific guidelines for operation and management of each group based on a series of “development points.” A moratorium on Greek growth followed, with the further recommendation of a 1986 campus task force and visiting consultant that the college aggressively pursue national affiliation for local fraternities and abolish auxiliary groups (commonly known as “little sisters”).

For several years after the announcement of the college’s intent to court national affiliations, it was often difficult to know the true status of the Greek system. Little sister organizations disbanded or became local sororities with the intention to affiliate with a national sorority; local fraternities were developed (Xi Delta Phi, Phi Sigma Kappa, Kappa Delta Rho) ostensibly for the purpose of petitioning a national chapter. At the same time, the college was refining and aggressively enforcing its policies on hazing, including in its “Standards for Personal and Group Conduct” specific sanctions for violation of hazing policies. Both national and campus recognition of the local chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon was suspended in 1988 as a result of infractions related to hazing; a second national chapter, Theta Chi (the successor organization to the local fraternity, Sigma Phi Delta, which was in turn made up of former Tau Kappa Epsilon members) suffered the same fate in 1995.

During this re-building period, FSC Greeks still maintained attention to their philanthropies and local community service initiatives. After the devastating West Virginia and Maryland floods of 1985 and 1995, Greeks collected food and provided on-site assistance for flood victims. Non-profit organizations such as the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association were supported with activities as diverse as dance marathons and blood drives. Greeks played an active role in city cleanups, volunteer programs for senior citizens, and canned food drives for the local food bank.

On campus, the three governing bodies--Inter-Fraternity Council, National Panhellenic Council, and Pan-Hellenic Council--focused on enhanced communications within the local Greek system, working with the University to create such programs as the Greek Leadership Conferences. In an effort to improve community relations, the IFC developed the “Three-Point Plan” for the management of off-campus social events. Within the social arena, Greek Week was resurrected and contests for “Greek God” and “Greek Goddess” became a popular activity.

Eventually, virtually every local sorority or fraternity selected a national organization and completed various colonization requirements that lead to the awarding of a national charter. [trace here the “family trees” of Delta Chi, Alpha Chi Rho, Pi Lambda Phi]. Kappa Tau Epsilon, a local sorority originally comprised of members of the defunct Tau Kappa Epsilon Little Sisters, affiliated with Phi Mu Sorority in 1992, while Delta Zeta Sorority colonized directly (without a local sorority’s invitation), becoming an official FSU chapter in 1993. The drive toward a Greek system comprised of nationally-affiliated chapters drew to a close in the fall of 1996, with the installation of FSU chapters of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity (1996) and Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity, chartered on November 16, 1996 with brothers of the former local fraternity Alpha Rho Epsilon. Meanwhile, a number of local fraternities opted for “non-recognized” status and maintained their organizations within the community.

As FSU Greeks dealt with re-building their system, several national trends related to fraternities and sororities impacted their activities. Questions of relevancy began to surface on a regular basis; in fact, some institutions were eliminating their Greek system completely as an example of a social structure out of step with current academic environments. Greeks were often put on the defensive, in community meetings and the campus press, to justify their value and their continued existence. For FSU Greeks, concerns reached the boiling point in the fall of 1996 when eight members of a local fraternity were indicted for manslaughter in the alcohol-related death of a male freshman student, attracting national attention to FSU and applying additional pressure to the local Greek system to justify its existence.

In response, members of FSU Greek organizations accelerated their community service and philanthropic activities to disprove the traditional perception of fraternities and sororities as “cliques” and “buy-a-friend” societies. To further illustrate the rapidly changing world in which Greeks existed, several national fraternities and sororities announced their decisions to eliminate the pledging period (also known as the “associate member” phase) and to mandate alcohol-free chapters. For FSU Greeks to continue their existence as an adjunct of student life, numerous fundamental questions regarding the true meaning of brotherhood and sisterhood demanded a response, for the “traditional” Greek experience was rapidly drawing to a close.

The fundamental questions regarding the true meaning of brotherhood and sisterhood never have received an appropriate response at Frostburg State University. The foundation of Greek Life has further eroded, groups have not stepped up to the National trends, nor understood exactly what they were, and when rules and regulations became too bothersome we have continued to see the proliferation of unrecognized “local” organizations. Since 1997 FSU has lost or eliminated 4 groups, and had one group split. Phi Sigma Sigma was removed from campus due to hazing and has become Delta Delta; Phi Mu left campus and has become Kappa Tau Epsilon; Delta Zeta had a split within their organization – some members stayed on campus and the other members left to form Kappa Gamma Delta; Sigma Tau Gamma has left campus and uses the name Sig Tau; and Phi Kappa Tau has left campus and uses the name Phi Tau. The proliferation of these groups has drastically changed the complexion of the Greek system at FSU (see Attachment C for a list of recognized and unrecognized organizations). We now have an abundance of unrecognized organizations who simply choose Greek letters, print shirts, and identify themselves to the campus and greater Frostburg community as Greek organizations. Many of these organizations are involved in hazing activities, misrepresent their status to incoming students, are detrimental to students academics, and provide no community service. The bottom line is that most of these unrecognized groups are wearing Greek letters and provide nothing more than drinking clubs to the students who are uninformed enough to become affiliated with these organizations.

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Conclusion Statement
In order to have an improved system at Frostburg State University we need to stand for what it means to be Greek, and to ensure that all students associated with Greek letter organizations are actually involved in organizations with standards, values, and purpose, we must find a way to bring worthwhile groups into the fold of the Greek system, and eliminate those organizations who have no interest in true fraternal life.

The following areas are those in which we have identified as essential to reshaping the structure and direction of FSU’s Greek system in order to make it viable and successful into the future.

Structure and Support from the University
Despite the efforts and resources put forth by the University throughout the years, the current system at FSU is lacking in a sense of dedication and involvement from the University, as was acknowledged in the Middle States Report. The Middle States visiting team suggested that the University should “strengthen the connection between Greek organizations and FSU, acknowledging the role of Greeks as local community ambassadors for the University and placing additional responsibility on the Greeks to provide positive leadership within the student population.” We need to continue to work to educate the campus community about the fraternal system. A strong system will be built upon shared expectations and understandings of support. The Task Force recommends that the University accept the Statement of Relationship and updated Minimum Expectations which can be found as Attachments A & B to this report.

Scholarship
One of the hallmarks of the Greek system is to strive for academic excellence. We at Frostburg State University encourage our Greek Life members to promote, encourage, and demonstrate scholarship through the following:

• Meeting the minimum Grade Point Average requirement as set forth in the Minimum Expectations.
• Creating and maintaining a Greek tutoring network.
• Planning, implementing, and attending programs and events that support scholastic issues (time management, study skills, etc.).
• Working with University departments to obtain information and services members need to pursue academic excellence.
• Requiring a minimum GPA of 2.30 for a member to hold any executive board position whether in a chapter or governing body.
• Working with advisors to explore scholastic issues, resources, and programs.
• In conjunction with the Diversity Center, implement the Grade Monitoring Program.

Advising
One of the most important and influential roles with FSU’s Greek organizations is that of on-campus advisor. However, as our Greek system has declined so has the interest and involvement of advisors. The University needs to provide ongoing training and support for advisors, in addition to recognition for their dedication and service to our Greek organizations.
The University needs to ensure that advisors have continual training and workshops for advisors focusing on the expectations as stated in the new advisor contract (see Attachment E). Trainings and workshops would focus on topics such as:

• Legal liabilities
• Time commitments
• Expectations of chapters
• Current recruitment strategies
• Chapter development topics

Arena for advisors to discuss common challenges and successes
Given the time commitment and expectations that the University needs to place on advisors, how do we find qualified and interested advisors? The key lies in recognition and appreciation by the specific organization, which is already happening, and the University. The University needs to recognize the dedication and tremendous time and effort involved in being a chapter advisor. One immediate recommendation is to initiate an Advisor of the Year Award at the annual Greek Awards Banquet. This award will be instituted for the 2001-2002 celebration. More importantly is the recommendation that the Faculty Senate consider examining the issue of including chapter advisement in the evaluation process for faculty members as community service, and that administrators receive consideration for their involvement during the annual PMP process. Both of these acknowledgements provide professional credit and reward for the time and dedication of FSU fraternal advisors.

Educating Campus about Recognized & Unrecognized Organizations
As a University community we need to make a concerted effort to educate our campus community about the realities of our Greek campus culture. These realities need to be communicated to students, faculty, and staff members. All members of the community need to understand the difference between recognized and unrecognized organizations, realities to watch for in relation to hazing activities, as well as the benefits and potential for students involved in recognized organizations.

The Task Force recommends that the University develop a team of educators to go out and make presentations to the campus community. Topics would include:

• List of Recognized and Unrecognized groups
• How to confront & deal with students in bad situations when they see or recognize one.
• Understand the effect that involvement has in the classroom and in the campus community.
• Educate students about how to report what they see.
• Educate about the benefits of involvement in a strong fraternal system

Presentations should be given to:

• Department Chair Counsel
• Faculty Senate
• 1st Class Meetings
• Orientation Classes
• Department Meetings
• Summer Sessions

In addition to information given through these presentations, the Task Force recommends that the University adopt the following programs, activities, and marketing campaign for the summer 2002 and beyond:

• Write letters in September warning parents that if their freshmen are pledging they are not affiliated with a recognized organization
• Only recognized organizations will be permitted to assist in move in day to promote Greek Life. Residence Life will ensure only recognized organizations participate and that only shirts with the names of recognized organizations are worn.
• Hold a Greek 101 information session the first two days of the fall semester to promote recognized organizations and inform students of the dangers of unrecognized groups. Unrecognized groups will be discredited as Greek because they do not stand for Leadership, Scholarship, and Service and their letters have no symbolic meaning.

Periodically place articles in the Bottom Line and State Lines establishing what it means to beGreek and their current activities

• Display banners and flyers in residence halls listing recognized and unrecognized organizations
• Have public service announcements broadcast on the Frostburg State University channel via the Mass Communications Dept. and on WFWM radio. (Students would receive credit for creating service announcements)
• Begin a campaign “There’s Nothing Greek About These” and/or “That’s Not Greek”.
• Banner for the fall: “If its not one of these…It’s NOT Greek!” Hang in Lane University Center. Names of Recognized Organizations along with their slogan/theme/motto.
• Fall program with national presidents who are willing to come to campus to speak about what it means to be Greek.
• Work with Physical Plant to develop an adopt-the-campus cleanup program where recognized organizations clean designated areas of campus and have signs in those areas recognizing their service to the University.
• Tables in each residence hall during move-in day that promote recognized organizations and warn about unrecognized groups.
• Enforce accordance with Residence Life housing contract policy regarding signs in residence hall windows (only recognized organizations).

Independently Recognized Organizations

Throughout our discussions the group continued to come back to the issue of “Is a national system what we want?” Much of the discussion focused on the idea of somehow creating a system that embraces both National and Independently Recognized organizations. Jim Limbaugh brought excellent insight to the group on the philosophy that if personal growth and leadership growth are the fundamental reasons to belong to a student organization, is there a way to bring some of our unrecognized organizations back into the fold in order to assist in their development as students and as members of the larger community. Bringing unrecognized organizations in through high standards may be more fitting with the culture of the institution. As an institution we can then truly promote the differences between recognized & unrecognized groups. We may be able to pull back in, monitor, and control some of the currently unrecognized organizations.

Independently Recognized organizations would be identified as those who applied for recognition, agreed to the Universities set of standards, and wanted to truly be a part of a unified Greek system. Any unrecognized organization applying for recognition would be given the same scrutiny and standard set forth for the national organizations. The positives of a combined system are seen as: a way to bring groups who have “gone astray” back into the fold, a chance to embrace the concept of Greek unity, the ability to monitor the activity of all approved groups, and a way to truly differentiate those organizations who want to be part of a Greek system from those who want to be “drinking clubs”.

Key issues to address with this idea are: the need to have a very defined set of standards, closely scrutinizing any currently unrecognized organization when they apply for recognition (knowing from the beginning there are some organizations who would never be granted recognition!), and how the University would approach organizations attaining the appropriate insurance. The Task Force strongly believes that being an all-national system is not manageable here, as history and tradition have allowed local organizations to form in the past. Would it not be better to try to work together than to continue to fight one another? Instituting a system that would incorporate both national and independently recognized organizations would allow the University to take a VERY strong stance against those groups who still continue not to come into the fold.

The Task Force identified interconnections that this proposed idea would bring. 1) Independently recognized organizations could become affiliate members of either Interfraternity or Panhellenic Councils. 2) Greek Council could become the Inter-Greek Council and bring together presidents of all of the organizations to focus on common issues. 3) Greek Judicial system could be instituted with representatives from national and independently recognized organizations. 4) Establishment of a Greek Alumni Council that would incorporate members of national and independently recognized organizations. 5) The ability to provide incentives to our national organizations to encourage groups to remain national and for new nationals to colonize (idea of $200 per semester for national organizations to sponsor programs on campus). 6) Future ability to house Greek organizations?

The idea of independently recognized organizations was presented to 15 chapter and governing body officers on April 11, 2002 at the Greek Council meeting and had overwhelming support from all members to move forward with the idea. Students believed that this new system would work, given the roots of the Greek Life system at FSU, and that bringing groups in as independently recognized organizations would help to strengthen the system. Additionally, the Office of Greek Life has been approached by three currently unrecognized organizations during the spring semester with questions relating to obtaining recognition by the University, leading the committee to be encouraged at the prospect of having groups interested in being part of this new system. Attachments F, G, H & I are examples of materials from SUNY-Plattsburg and SUNY Oneonta who have instituted similar systems.

Independent Review Process
The Greek Life Task Force recommends the immediate implementation of the Independent Review Board. This Board should be comprised of the members of the Greek Life Task Force as well as the addition of 2 faculty members. The student members of the committee would continue to be comprised of one representative from Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council, and Pan-Hellenic Council.

Prior to meeting with the Independent Review Board a group must submit:

• Chapter constitution and bylaws
• Roster of members
• Goals and objectives of the group
• The groups involvement in leadership, scholarship, and service programs and events
• History of the organization and its relationship with Frostburg State University.
• Statement expressing why the group wants to be a part of the Greek system at FSU

The Independent Review Board, in conjunction with the Office of Student Educational Services, will make a decision regarding a group’s status based on the material presented, the group’s interview with the board, and how the group meets the minimum expectations of the University. The Independent Review Board will make the final decision regarding the status of all Greek organizations.

Deferred Recruitment
The Task Force reaffirms the University’s policy that students with less than 12 credit hours and a cumulative and previous semester GPA of 2.0, should not be permitted to join a Greek-letter organization. The Task Force recognizes that affiliation and a sense of connection benefits student’s adjustment to the University, and we understand that some students want immediate satisfaction and therefore will turn to the unrecognized organizations to find that affiliation. However, the group also appreciates giving first-year students the opportunity to experience the University before they choose a Greek organization. There is no question that the recognized organizations would benefit in numbers by being permitted to recruit first-year students in their first semester, however we believe that this topic should be approached only after the Phase 1 and Phase 2 steps have been implemented and examined in terms of impact and minimization of the unrecognized organizations. At the point where we are ready to examine deferred recruitment, we acknowledge that quality evaluative data would be needed.

Recommendation of a system to put in place to engage students in learning and exploring Greek Life options during their first semester on campus is to put together a series of programs and events that provide information and exposure to the Greek system prior to students engaging in the recruitment process. The system would connect events such as: Greek 101 during fall orientation process, presentations to ORIE classes, workshop on the foundations of Greek Life, and attendance at an anti-hazing workshop. Students could glean information, engage in conversations, and be provided with information and involvement in learning about organizations and the structure of the system without being formally engaged in a recruitment process.

In our efforts to conform to the University’s stance on cult-like behavior (as described in the “Before You Join” brochure), this recommendation would support the University’s efforts to minimize unrecognized groups.

Issues of Hazing

• Educate local police and park police on what to look for when they come across hazing situations.
• Meet with police chief regarding issues of mutual assistance.
• Bring in a speaker in September to discuss dangers of hazing.
• Continue to require anti-hazing workshop.
• Definition of hazing found in Pathfinder needs to be corrected to change “pledges” to “member” or “new member” so that it is inclusive of all clubs/organizations and sport teams.
• Promote definition of hazing as found in Pathfinder to raise student awareness of the specifics of the University’s policy.

New Member Education Programs
Proposition 1: New member intake program proposals must be completed and signed by the chapter’s President, Vice President for Membership, Rush Chair and New Member Intake Chair and submitted to the Director of Greek Life and Leadership Programs by the end of the semester preceding intake/recruitment. Optimally the officers and Director will communicate during the development of the proposal so that approval would not tend to be an issue.

Rationale 1: The President is responsible for all official chapter activities and by delegation also the Vice President and respective Chairs. Rush and intake are not functions exclusive of each other and are enhanced by joint planning and continuity of purpose. Activities thrown together a few weeks or days before implementation are often poorly planned and supported and not consistent with focused outcomes of an intake program.

Proposition 2: Intake programs will have specific goals that will include:

1. Orientation to history, purpose and traditions of the organization.

2. Enhanced academic achievement of new members.

3. Leadership and service development including activities integrated with the chapter and other recognized Greeks.

Each goal will be developed with a clear rationale of what is to be accomplished and why it is being asked of new/potential members. Additionally, implementation steps including: who, what, where, when, and how will be given. Suggested activities include:

• Anti-hazing workshop
• Risk management workshop
• Service projects — put together by the new members and requiring full chapter participation
• Participation in a campus leadership program
• Study skills workshop
• Library tour
• Grade monitoring
• A meeting with the chapter advisor one-on-one
• Time management program
• Have an activity night where all national and independently recognized organizations' new members are together getting to know one another
• Affiliation with another club/organization on campus

Rationale 2: Intake should create vibrant integrated and motivated members who are part of a unified Greek system. Hastily organized, purposeless, or secret activities are in the long run demoralizing and wasteful. They run the risk of creating divisiveness, hazing and drop-outs. Time, money and human (pledge and active) resources are wasted and the organization is weakened instead of renewed.

Proposed: Each organization commits itself to have a distinctly different set of standards higher than non-recognized organizations regarding intake of new members.

1. There will be no involvement of non-active members in intake.

2. Except for formal initiation, as prescribed by the published ritual, there will be no involvement of alumni in intake activities.

3. Drugs and alcohol will be banned from all intake activities.

4. Activities that do not show respect for individuals in the intake process, disrespects the organization, it’s potential and it’s legacy and the host institution will be banned.

Rationale: If recognized organizations do not assume the courage to affirmatively make and maintain these changes, no real difference between recognized and unrecognized organizations can be maintained in any significant way as a Greek system and inevitably there will not be a recognized Greek Life system.

Communication and New Expectations

• Organizations must comply with the set minimum expectations
• Recognized chapters need to stop giving unrecognized organizations respect or recognition of their existence.
• Off campus groups will no longer be termed as sororities or fraternities but as unrecognized organizations.

Phase In Process

Realizing that we cannot change the entire system overnight, the committee suggests that we approach the changes in phases. The Task Force will continue to oversee how the implementation of projects and ideas goes, to critique implementation and outcomes, and to continue to make additional recommendations as needed.

Phase 1

• Educational campaign
• Enforcing and monitoring new minimum standards
• Focus on advisors
• Independently recognized groups

Phase 2

• New national organizations

Phase 3

• Revisit the issue of deferred recruitment
• Pursue Greek Council becoming operationally funded thru SGA

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