A move by the university to crack down on risks associated with greek partying is leading some greeks to contemplate breaking away from the school.

By fall of 2004, Syracuse University officials hope to implement a new social policy that would more strictly regulate the Interfraternity Council and the Panhellenic Association. The policy stems from SU officials’ desire that greeks approach the issue of risk-management more responsibly. In other words, the university would like greeks to put a system in place to reduce risks that in turn affect liability and insurance.

‘Under the umbrella of risk-management are a lot of things, including the appropriate hosting of parties, hazing [and] fire safety,’ said Joe Oravecz, the associate dean of students in the Office of Greek Life and Experiential Learning. ‘We’re looking at the alcohol policy.’

Last year, Oravecz served on the Chancellor’s Commission on Substance Abuse Prevention and Campus Security Greek Subcommittee, which worked on a draft of SU’s alcohol and drug policy as it applied to the greek community.

‘We investigated the greek social policy and determined what is in place, what is on paper and what is in reality,’ Oravecz said.

OGLEL underwent a major administrative change that led to current discrepancies between what rules are in place and what rules are followed, said Laura Madelone, the director of Off-Campus Student Services.

The enhanced social policy will also bring fraternities and sororities up to speed with the university’s alcohol and drug policy.

‘It’ll be a shift in the social scene for them, but it’s only to correct serious violations of risk management,’ Oravecz said.

Some members of the greek community don’t feel that university regulation is necessary.

‘We’ve had a social policy in place since the end of 2002, and we’re taking a lot of strides to improve it on our own,’ said Tom Toole, a senior finance and accounting major and president of IFC.

The main problem the greek community has with the policy is that it limits the self-governance of both the IFC and Panhel.

‘We want to be regulated by students, not by faculty,’ said Matt Goodman, a junior newspaper major, IFC rush chairman and a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

Toole said one of the reasons for OLGEL’s involvement in greek life is to promote self-governance, but Oravecz doesn’t feel that the stricter policy takes away from IFC or Panhel’s power.

‘There needs to be accountability to self-governance,’ Oravecz said. ‘It’s not about enforcement; it’s about appropriate social behavior. Right now, it’s a liability nightmare waiting to happen.’

Goodman, however, believes that certain aspects of the social policy are unreasonable. For example, the social policy would require fraternities and sororities to register parties with the university and hold them between 10 p.m. Friday and 2 a.m. Sunday, which would affect Thursday night pre-bars and weeknight sorority crush parties, Goodman said.

‘We’re all adults,’ said Goodman. ‘Who’s to tell me when I can go out and when I should stay in and study?’

The policy would also stop bars from sponsoring greek fundraising events.

‘That’s taking money directly away from our [causes],’ Goodman said. ‘That doesn’t make sense.’

While most of the greek community are bracing themselves for the social policy’s effects, some feel that the consequences of such a policy could result in drastic measures.

‘If the university is hell-bent on having power over fraternities without thinking what’s best for them, we’re just going to walk,’ Goodman said. ‘Personally, I think that’s what we should do.’

Plans for all fraternities in IFC to give up university recognition are only in discussion, Goodman said.

Sam Walker, a senior economics major and the president of Alpha Tau Omega, said there’s not a big difference between being recognized or unrecognized by the university.

‘We still follow our national rules and operate the same way as any recognized fraternity,’ Walker said. ATO lost its recognition after an incident that occurred during Spring Break of 2001.

While Goodman advocates IFC emancipation, others don’t consider that to be a viable option.

‘We want to try to work this out with the university,’ Toole said. ‘No one in the greek community thinks that that is the answer.’

As of now, the policy is undergoing changes in front of fraternity and sorority chapter presidents. Oravecz hopes a final draft of the policy will be completed by January for implementation at the start of the 2004 academic year.

Published on October 1, 2003 at 12:00 pm