The College has approved proposals from the Greek system to return rush's start date to Fall term, with the process slated to begin at the end of the third week of classes.
The first day of eligibility would be Oct. 8, although fraternities may wait until the following Monday to begin rush, and sororities may not implement the move until 2005.
As part of the proposal, Greek organizations said they would expand or institutionalize continuous member-education programs and strengthen the academics of both the system and pledge periods.
The College originally proposed an end-of-fifth-week start date, but Greek organizations objected, citing among other things academic and financial concerns and conflicts with national fraternity policies.
Greek leaders were notified Thursday by Dean of the College James Larimore, who handed them letters detailing his decision. Larimore said he would meet with Greek leaders this morning to follow up with any questions. The response to Larimore's approval from fraternities and sororities was, in general, enthusiastic.
Interfraternity Council President David Grey '05 said fraternities will most likely move to the fall in 2004, probably even if sororities don't. Sororities will try to finish the move by next fall, Panhellenic Council President Krista Sande-Kerback '05 said, but added it was possible that sororities may have to wait until 2005. Larimore said that the other three subcouncils of the Greek Leadership Council -- NALFO, National Pan-Hellenic Council and the Co-ed Council -- will most likely accept the move to fall because few changes were made to their proposals.
As part of the proposal, Greeks said they would expand existing continuous new-member education programs, as opposed to one pledge term of education. Many houses already have these programs in place, although they aren't fully documented, Grey said.
Grey also noted that the IFC will have a committee working on the issue over the summer and fall, so implementation can take place in the winter.
"We want them to still feel ownership of their house and want them to be involved, even in senior spring, when a lot of guys fall off the face of the Earth," Grey said of the programs.
Greeks will also address the academic impact of new-member education, according to the proposal. Larimore said Greek leaders were surprised to hear that new members use pledging as an excuse for missing class. As part of the proposal, Greek organizations will more strongly underscore the importance of academics to new members.
"New member activities are not an excuse for missing classes or turning in assignments late," Grey said. "Academics do come first, and that's important to us."
Addressing concerns from Greeks about the academic impact of fifth-week rush, Larimore said that the end of the third week conveniently falls directly after the add/drop deadline for courses but before the start of midterms. He said this would allow both new and current members time to settle into their classes, but won't interfere with midterms.
One of Larimore's main objections to starting fall rush in the beginning of the term was the concern that the Greek system wouldn't properly welcome incoming freshmen, instead focusing solely on sophomores rushing. Larimore said the freshman orientation period and three weeks of classes were sufficient for houses to provide a strong-enough focus on first-years.
Third-week rush will also allow houses to collect another full term of dues from members,a prime reason to move back to fall rush. Grey said many houses were not comfortable charging a full term's worth of dues if rush were held in the fifth week, but expects most houses to collect full dues with end-of-third-week rush.
Greek organizations also agreed to send more representatives to the Undergraduate Inter-Fraternity Institute's summer programs, which provide ideas on how to improve individual houses and the system as a whole. The program, despite its name, includes both males and females.
Although not part of the actual proposal, Larimore said Greek leaders agreed to working on improving their image with the faculty. In the original IFC proposal to the College, the prospect of keeping certain public aspects of pledging out of the classroom was floated to the administration, but that was later removed.
"We have a shared interest in trying to improve the relations between Greek organizations and the faculty," Larimore said.
Greek leaders were high on Larimore's decision to approve their proposals, and offered praise for the administration.
"We're excited," Grey said. "I think that throughout the whole process, ORL and the Dean's office were really helpful. We worked with them and cooperated, and both sides are happy."
Sande-Kerbeck said the approval was a relief after the more than a term's worth of work.
"In general, all of us Greek leaders are really excited about it," Sande-Kerbeck said. "It's a big relief to get Larimore's approval."
Although Sande-Kerback said she and Kristen Wong '06, the summer Panhell chair, would work to begin fall rush by 2004, she admitted the possibility of a year's delay in implementation due to the time-extensive nature of sorority rush. She said that she would have conversations with the Panhell's six-member sororities and other Panhell executives about the feasibility of moving to the fall next year.
"If everyone decides that we can't do it this year, then we will do it the next year -- it's a transitional thing," Sande-Kerback said, adding that regardless of what is eventually decided, the approval of a third-week rush start date gives sororities flexibility with regard to their rush processes and new-member education programs.
She said sororities' longer rush process will always conflict with academics, but that the end of the third week is much better -- academically speaking -- than the fifth week.
Three years ago, the College moved rush from sophomore fall to winter over the protests of Greek leaders. Fraternity and sorority officials have since advocated a return to Fall term rush, contending that the comparatively greater number of students on campus in the fall exposes new members to more current brothers or sisters.
Larimore said the process of moving rush back to the fall began with conversations with students over the course of the year about its possibility. In April he announced to Greek leaders the College's proposal to move rush to the end of the fifth week of Fall term, and invited them to make their own proposals.
