On Friday, May 28 the College officially moved the eligibility to join a Greek house from the Winter term of sophomore year to the Fall term. The leaders of the campus' Greek leadership organizations believe that this is a major victory for the Greek system, the administration and the entire Dartmouth community. Students can join Greek houses sooner, thereby strengthening the Greek system. This agreement shows that students and the administration can work together to accomplish common goals, and reach a result that is mutually beneficial for all. We would like to talk about this significant change, our work with the administration, and some positive Greek programs to benefit the central academic mission of the college.
Under the new rush proposal, sophomores are eligible to rush after the third full week of classes. This allows for sufficient time for new members to be educated in Greek life, while also not negatively impacting the first-year student orientation. Recruitment procedures themselves will remain similar to what they have been in past years.
A motivating factor for the change in recruitment is to permit houses to develop and strengthen their memberships. Greek houses want to be able to develop our members for as long as possible. This permits members to become more integrated with an individual house and to better represent the Greek system to the community. The new policy asks that houses create programs to keep members involved over the course of their years as members. These programs will assure that all members are vital to the strength and life of their organizations. Moreover, they will strengthen the Greek system and, as a result, the entire Dartmouth community. Another key to the process is a reemphasis among the Greeks on academics. We all attend Dartmouth for our scholastic pursuits and a Greek organization should enhance the academic experience, not detract from it. Our new agreement will ensure that the Greek system remains an essential and relevant element of the Dartmouth experience.
Most importantly, the Greeks and the administration are creating a positive and constructive relationship. No longer are organizations by definition anti-administration; and the administration has shown a genuine desire to aid the Greek system. This constructive relationship benefits everyone involved.
The recently completed process to move rush highlights this shift in dynamics. Conversations about the problems with winter rush began over a year ago. We students made clear our concerns, and the administration listened and gave its feedback. All parties involved -- the GLC executives, council officers, house presidents and senior administrators, entered into an open and honest discussion. In the end the administrators understood the students; and we grasped the administrative concerns. Although the administration and students involved possessed differing ideas, there was a common goal. We all agreed that Greek organizations needed more time to develop our members and support them. With that in mind we have been able to work together to create a situation that aides the Greeks. A significant breakthrough has been achieved, but the process is by no means complete. We would like to continue working with the administration on issues that confront the Greek organizations in order to assure a healthy future at Dartmouth for all organizations.
It would be easy for the Greek organizations to rest on our laurels; we have indeed accomplished a major goal of ours. That, however, is not our intention. As Greeks, we have committed ourselves to reaching out to the entire collegiate community. Moreover we are committed to this academic mission of the College. To further this goal, the Greek Leadership Council will establish an award, separate from as well as complementing the first-rate Order of Omega award, to recognize a professor that has positively influenced us. Along with a plaque, the recipient will receive a cash grant to aid in his or her teaching or research. We hope that this significant expenditure will commit the Greeks to promoting the search for knowledge as well as reinforcing the fact that scholarship is one of the key principles of the Greek community.
It is the natural tendency to single out a few particular leaders and give them credit for the recent successes of the Greeks. The work of the current leaders, however, has only been made possible because of the work of past leaders. More importantly, though, are the successes of the rank and file members. Their positive contribution as Greeks to the broader community has made previously unrealistic goals obtainable. As we move forward we must applaud all members of the Greek community and not just the oft-mentioned "leaders."
Over the course of the next year the GLC, administrators, and members are committed to preserving a positive relationship, one that is built on trust, respect, and understanding. Positive changes have and will take place, but they have been motivated and will continue to be propelled by our members. As we progress toward our goals, it is imperative that every member remembers our traditions. We have a unique opportunity to create positive change, and it is important that we continue to improve and move forward into a stronger future at Dartmouth.
