As their name would suggest, "Minimum Standards" are the official requirements spelled out by the College on the basis of which members of the Coed Fraternity Sorority system maintain their College recognition.
"It's basically an agreement between the two corporate entities ... that both created the CFS system and set standards for organizations continuance at the College," Dean of Residential Life Martin Redman said. "It truly is the linchpin in [a Greek organization's] relationship with the College."
The Minimum Standards are divided into six categories -- leadership, membership, behavior, program development, physical plant and budget -- and elaborated into detailed sets of requirements in a book printed annually and distributed to members of the Greek system.
Each CFS organization is subject to an annual Minimum Standards review during the Fall, Winter or Spring term covering the previous four terms, not including the term during which the review is conducted.
"What it really is it's kind of a performance review," Redman said.
The review is conducted by a formal hearing committee known as the Minimum Standards Review Board and is technically composed of two students, an advisor to one CFS house and the Assistant Dean of Residential Life, the Assistant Director of Residential Operations and the ORL Director of Housing Services.
Held in the physical plant of the house being reviewed, the review begins with a tour of the facility followed by a discussion, generally lasting about two hours, between members of the Review Board and organization officers regarding the organization's compliance with the various Standards.
The Board then reconvenes to formulate their recommendation to ORL regarding the status of the house.
Based on the information gathered at the house, documentation gathered over the previous year -- including that on disciplinary problems -- and a written report from the organization answering questions related to each Minimum Standard, the review board recommends one of five statuses for the organization.
A house that meets and exceeds all standards will "pass with distinction," while one that has met and exceeded most standards will "pass with commendation." An organization that meets all standards will "pass."
Failure to meet all the minimum standards may result in the house being termed in "provisional non-compliance." The organization in violation will have a set period of time to rectify the situation under College supervision.
A house that has not met one or more standards or has a history of problems in meeting Minimum Standards will be termed in "noncompliance."
Such a house will have its recognition either suspended or permanently revoked. According to the published version of the Minimum Standards, suspension is temporary and is "issued to a house that has a deficient, but correctable history of non-compliance with one or more Standard."
Revocation, on the other hand, is permanent and is "based on the Review Board's decision that the organization cannot correct its deficiencies and should therefore no longer be affiliated with the Dartmouth College community."
Once a decision is reached and the CFS organization is informed in writing, the house has a week to request that ORL reconsider the decision.
A meeting, during which the fraternity will be expected to provide new information related to the case, will then be scheduled. The College will then have two weeks from the date of the meeting to decide whether to modify the decision or sustain it as originally handed down.