. . . And Mixed News
The fraternity-sorority system survives at least for a while but several fraternities are in trouble and two houses face the strong possibility of losing College recognition by the end of the spring term. At last month's trustee meeting, the Committee on Student Affairs received reports on the fraternity system from the Undergraduate Council, the Committee on the Freshman Year, the Ad Hoc Faculty Committee on Fraternities, and the Fraternity Board of Overseers. The faculty report, which was highly critical, called for serious changes including a recruitment program for racial minorities and an equal admissions policy for men and women in two-thirds of the houses to be made over the next three years as a condition for the system's continued existence.
The Fraternity Board of Overseers report maintained that fraternities "are not inconsistent with the purposes of a coeducational Dartmouth," but it recommended that the houses make "women and minorities a more integral part of the system." The overseers suggested that the fraternity system be made a less dominant part of residential and social life, called for continued improvements but also pointed to substantial improvements achieved, and found the financial status, physical plant, and "behavior-attitude" of two unnamed houses so unsatisfactory that College recognition should be withdrawn. After its meeting, the Board of Trustees issued the following public statement:
"Approximately one year ago the trustees voted to consider, at this time, the faculty resolution of November 6, 1978, which called for the abolition of the fraternity system. In the interim the board directed that progress reports from the parties most directly involved with the fraternities be submitted prior to the board's winter meeting. These reports have now been submitted, discussed, and received. They reflect hard work, careful thought, balance, and creativity. No report submitted, including that of the faculty, has recommended that the trustees now approve the original faculty resolution to abolish the fraternities and sororities. Moreover, all reports evidence progress, in varying degrees, within the system. Given the contents of these reports, the trustees have voted not to abolish the fraternity system at this time.
"This action should not be misconstrued. Much remains to be done. Continued attention and intensified effort must be directed toward improving patterns of attitude and behavior criticized in the original brief of the faculty of 1978, which called for the abolishing of fraternities. Anything less than continued progress by the fraternity system toward the goal of positive long-term contribution to the quality of life at Dartmouth will be viewed by the trustees as unsatisfactory. It should be emphasized that in the case of individual fraternities, the Fraternity Constitution provides the president with the authority to withdraw recognition upon receipt of evaluations from the Fraternity Board of Overseers. Preliminary indications are that some individual fraternities have not made satisfactory progress.
"Prior to taking action on specific recommendations contained in the above reports, the board intends to receive the report of the Committee on the Quality of Student Life, which will be considered at the April meeting. There is one exception. Three of the reports received addressed a compelling need for a more precise institutional policy regarding the consumption of alcoholic beverages in residential units, and elsewhere, at the College. We understand that the Ad Hoc Committee on Alcohol Concerns is developing such a policy. This we applaud, but we are committed to urgent clarification. Therefore, we now direct that a policy regarding alcohol availability and consumption be prepared, approved by the president, and disseminated to the entire student body prior to the beginning of the summer term 1980."
