Greek and non-greek students alike have taken to social media this week to criticize a policy that makes greek houses on campus subject to search by the IU police department and other safety organizations.
The policy, announced as early as last November by Student Life and Learning, will go into effect when housed chapters sign their housing agreement with IU. An informational meeting is scheduled for Monday that will allow chapter presidents to ask questions about the agreement.
IUPD or any other safety organization must notify the house of a search at least 24 hours in advance under the housing agreement.
Interfraternity Council will wait to comment on the agreement until after the meeting, President Ryan Zukerman said.
“Our stance right now is that we don’t have a stance,” Zukerman said.
Also included in the housing agreement are several other new rules including a ban on hard liquor in houses and a requirement that houses submit all party and event plans to the Vice Provost and Dean of Students Office for approval at least ten business days beforehand. Those offices can ban any activities during events in Greek houses they deem dangerous or discriminatory.
The policies in the housing agreement stem from a plan created by IU and the Greek community in April 2015.
This plan, called the Vision for the Ideal Fraternity and Sorority Community, was created after input and discussion by one representative from each of the four greek councils, plus representatives from Sexual Assault Counseling Services, IUPD and others.
This document outlines goals for solving some issues in the greek community, such as diversity and safety, but does not explicitly list how all of these problems will be solved.
Sarah Kissel, who served as the delegate for the Panhellenic Association during the document’s creation, said she remembers some discussion of the search and liquor policies in April 2015, but most discussion of these policies occurred in October 2015 when greek community members participated in an open-mic town hall meeting.
Zukerman said the town hall is the last time greeks were involved in the conversation about the search and liquor policies.
Many were surprised when the housing agreement, which lists the search policy explicitly, was given to greek organizations this month, even though Student Life and Learning began working toward implementation as early as November 2015.
Some have criticized the search policy as infringing on Constitutional rights, and some also worry the liquor ban will push parties off campus instead of reducing binge or underage drinking.
SLL, which oversees Greek and other student organizations, could not be reached at press time.
“My hope is that in the future, there will be better communication between administrators, greek leaders and greek community members so that members of the greek community will feel they have more access to the rules that govern them,” Kissel said.
