During the 2002-03 academic year, the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs convened a committee to review Greek life and determine how the fraternities and sororities can strengthen their ties to the community and better their organizations.
The committee is composed of alumni, trustees and both Greek and nonaffiliated students, in order to best represent the UR community.
Committee members devised a self-assessment process that asks fraternities and sororities to set goals for themselves – much like any other organization or business – and then evaluate their attempt at meeting these goals. If groups fall short of their goals, The College will work with them to improve those areas.
Greek groups should not oppose university administration involvement, which can be viewed as an unwelcome intervention into nationally established organizations. Standards already in place at most chapters will most likely meet, if not exceed many of those UR puts in place.
In addition, there are benefits to creating a standardized assessment process through the Dean of Students’ Office. Strengthening attachment to the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs will promote Greek organizations as more than just another special interest housing option, as was the case while the office was under Residential Life, but rather social groups that make positive contributions to the community on multiple fronts.
While UR’s goal is to make Greek groups better organizations by working with them to create and obtain goals, the consequences of not meeting goals is unclear. Groups should not be punished with restrictions on recruitment or other limitations that conflict with priorities set by national leadership because of failing to meet additional standards set by UR.
Conversely, groups that meet goals should be acknowledged to help improve the image of Greek groups in the eyes of College administrators.
Setting up an end-of-year awards program not only recognizes organizations and members for their strengths, but highlights students’ positive contributions to the campus community, therefore putting fraternities and sororities in a positive light.
