Greeks in Review: The New Enforcement

By Seth Goldberg & Darren Thomas | Sunday, June 9, 2002

In the winter of 1999, President Wright announced the Student Life Initiative and the end of the fraternity system 'as we know it.' Since then, the College has moved deliberately towards restricting and even eliminating Greek houses. Last summer, the College administration rewrote the rules, eliminating outdoor pong and instituting weekly Safety and Security walkthroughs. This fall, the administration has continued to put the fraternity system on the defensive. However, it has done so in a far more subtle fashion, as it has taken to enforcing existing rules that were given little attention in past years.

In recent weeks, sanctions have been levied against two houses, and a third was brought before the Organizational Adjudication Committee and acquitted. Chi Gamma Epsilon, Gamma Delta Chi, and Alpha Delta were accused of holding unregistered social events; only Chi Gam and Gamma Delt were found guilty. Chi Gam, however, faced two charges, as it was also accused of serving alcohol to a minor.

Early in the fall term, Safety and Security came across an underage student who appeared to be intoxicated. After seeing to the student's health, the officers attempted to discover how the minor had procured the alcohol. Through whatever methods, it was determined that Chi Gam had served alcohol to this underage student. Armed with this knowledge, the College charged Chi Gam with its first violation.

Then, on an early October evening, Safety and Security officers observed what was deemed to be a large group of students in front of Chi Gam. As Chi Gam had not registered an event that night, the officers decided to investigate the suspicious activity. Safety and Security found a band playing to a somewhat dense crowd and alcohol present; the house was guilty of violating Rule 10 of the Student Alcohol Policy.

The Student Alcohol Policy classifies all CFS social events into one of three tiers. Tier I events have an anticipated attendance of less than forty people or less than the total number of house members, whichever is greater. These parties do not have to be registered with the College. Basement pong and other small-scale CFS social events are Tier I. Tier II events are closed to those not on a guest list which may not exceed 400. Tier III events are open social affairs with an expected attendance that surpasses the limitations of a Tier I event. Both Tier II and Tier III events must be registered with the College at least three days prior to the event. Most CFS parties are Tier III events.

When Safety and Security entered Chi Gam on that early October night, they found a crowd that far exceeded the limit of forty. As the event was not registered, and therefore a Tier I event, the house was in violation of the Alcohol Policy. The College found the presence of a band proof that Chi Gam had expected a large crowd and had still not registered the event.

Chi Gam now faced two charges. When accused of a violation, a CFS organization may go before the OAC for a hearing that determines both guilt and proper punishment, or it may opt to plead guilty and throw itself upon the mercy of a College dean. Forgoing the formalized OAC and admitting guilt mitigates sanction. Chi Gam admitted to holding an unregistered social event, yet the house was denied a hearing with a dean. A house accused of two violations must be tried before the OAC.

Once before the OAC, it was determined that Chi Gam was innocent of supplying alcohol to a minor. According to Marcia Kelly, director of Undergraduate Judicial Affairs, and thus head of the OAC, 'there was a preponderance of evidence that led to Chi Gam's acquittal.' However, Chi Gam was now before the OAC, which then adjudicated upon the second violation. Chi Gam was tried and sanctioned for violating the Alcohol Policy. The house argued that this aspect of the Policy had not been previously enforced in such a manner. Kelly said, 'That is simply not true.'

Under the ruling, Chi Gam is not allowed to hold registered social events or have alcohol in public spaces until February 4, 2002. Many students found this punishment to be overly harsh, considering that there was little precedent for sanctions against a CFS house that held an unregistered event. According to Eric Powers, president of the Inter-Fraternity Council, 'There is a growing nature in the College to enforce previously unenforced policies.' Again, Kelly denied this. 'In other years, houses have been punished for holding unregistered events with a similar regularity,' she said. She encouraged the Review to obtain a copy of the CFS Judiciary Committee Annual Report, which details all hearings involving Greek houses. With the new academic year differing little from those past, Kelly suggested that, 'Some may think that there is a difference in enforcement this year, but I think this idea may be based on anecdotes and the rumors that students hear.'

According to the CFS Judiciary Reports, in the 1998/1999 academic year, four CFS houses held unregistered social events and were duly sanctioned. These sanctions ranged from mandatory Alcohol Awareness programming to at most, less than a month of Full Social Restrictions. The 2000/2001 academic year saw a decrease in such violations; only three houses were sanctioned for holding unregistered events. One house received probation, another a fine, and the last faced two weeks of Full Social Restrictions.

Despite Kelly's arguments to the contrary, there appears to be a marked change in the enforcement of the Alcohol Policy and the severity of sanction. According to Powers, 'There has been a change in what is adjudicable, and in the outcomes of these cases.' Though Fall term is little more than half complete, two CFS houses have been found guilty of violations, and a third brought before the OAC. Should this trend continue, 2001/2002 could far surpass any recent year in the number of such cases. It also appears that there is little precedent for the severity of Chi Gam's sanction. 'Given the precedent of what has happened this term, one really has to question the direction in which the College is moving,' said Powers. However, he stressed that this is merely a question of enforcement, as the College is well within its rights to punish infractions that it has deemed adjudicable.

Chi Gam is currently appealing the OAC's ruling. The OAC will also decide this appeal.

If there has been a change in the enforcement of certain policies, what has motivated this change?

Until fall term 2001, CFS houses were subject to the CFS Judiciary Committee. However, this organization was disbanded in favor of the OAC, which adjudicates on matters concerning all student-run organizations, as opposed to only CFS houses. Powers says the OAC is 'a more formal institution than the JC and is more like the [Committee on Standards]. He speculated that as a new organization, the OAC is trying to set a precedent by adopting a different standard of enforcement.

Facing increasing College pressure and a hostile environment, Powers suggested a future course of action for the fraternity system. In the short term, Powers said that Greek houses should take pains to accommodate the College's existing policies on event registration. The College has, with its recent actions, set forth a new policy, and it would be foolish for CFS houses to ignore the policy and face further sanctions. Looking ahead, Powers thinks that the existing architecture of social events management should be overhauled. He predicts that the College will soon come forward with a new structure for social events, and that many may find this to be unsatisfactory. He proposes that the Greeks devise a counterproposal. This counterproposal would sacrifice some elements of the existing system, to show the College that the houses are willing to bargain, yet still would provide Dartmouth with a viable Greek social option.

However the Greeks respond, it does appear that the College has taken another step forward in its campaign to change the fraternity system. Despite official denials, the facts remain: the doors of Chi Gam and Gamma Delt are locked and their basements are quiet. Other houses count themselves lucky not to be facing sanctions. They will guard the doors and monitor crowds, making sure that the

Greeks in Review: The New Enforcement

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