Following the College administration's lead in trimming operating budgets in light of the down economy, multiple Greek organizations on campus have begun to reassess their financial operations and the monetary burdens placed on their membership. The efforts are designed to make membership in the Greek system accessible regardless of a student's financial situation, according to representatives from several Greek organizations.
The recession has made it difficult for many sorority members to meet their dues requirements, Panhellenic Council President Amaka Nneji '10 said in an interview with The Dartmouth. Students often rely on income from summer internships to pay their dues, but with fewer paying internships available, some sorority members are now finding it more difficult to pay, she said.
"I've definitely seen an influx of people who could pay [dues] before, but are having difficulty now," Nneji said. "Our houses have been extremely proactive in helping sisters with financial needs and making sure everyone can participate in the Greek system, whether they have money or not."
Panhell instituted a scholarship program for sorority members to help allay the cost of dues, Nneji said. Panhell received applications from approximately 50 sorority members requesting funds for this term. The program should continue for "a couple of years," Nneji said.
The fund give $50 to two members of each sorority, according to Kappa Delta Epsilon sorority treasurer Liya Shuster '10.
KDE's dues were reduced by 40 percent this term, Shuster said, partly because of an increase in the number of members seeking alternative payment plans.
KDE has also nearly completed the establishment of a capital reserve to provide financial aid to its members, Shuster said.
"We've needed that capital for a long time to establish our house, and now we feel comfortable that we can start setting aside assets for other things, particularly for scholarship opportunities," she said. "We just want financial inclusion to be a legacy at the house."
College-wide budget reductions have also pushed KDE to examine ways to reduce spending and manage its budget more effectively, Shuster said, adding that officers have considered reducing the expense of formal events by holding them at KDE's physical plant.
Alpha Xi Delta sorority will be reducing its dues for Winter term, AZD treasurer Natalie Stoll '10 said. While the number of sorority members requesting scholarship funds went down this term, the average amount of each request increased, resulting in an overall rise in scholarship expenditures, Stoll said.
The economy played a role in the change, Stoll said, as many members now receive less support from financially strapped parents for dues or face increased financial responsibilities.
"We don't want people's financial situations to prohibit them from participating in a sorority," Stoll said. "We do all that we can to ensure that people still participate."
Officers also hope to economize by purchasing more permanent equipment and furniture for AZD's new house, rather than renting equipment for events, she said.
Sororities have sought to reduce costs by hosting joint events with other sororities or fraternities, Nneji said.
Coed fraternities have also tried to accommodate financially burdened members, Coeducational Council President Reyna Ramirez '10 said in an e-mail to The Dartmouth. While coed organizations ask all members to make some form of contribution, they avoid using "janitorships" as alternatives to paying dues to protect the privacy of members' financial status, Ramirez said in the e-mail.
Greek organizations generally allow their members some flexibility in dues payments, representatives from several organizations said. Members can often work out payment plans or alternative methods of payment with organizations' treasurers on an individual basis.
The Inter-Fraternity Council has discussed implementing a scholarship fund, IFC President Zach Gottlieb '10 said in an e-mail to The Dartmouth. Gottlieb declined to comment further, saying that project has not been fully developed.
Gottlieb is a staff columnist for The Dartmouth.
Sigma Nu fraternity recently lowered membership dues by $200 because "higher dues were simply unnecessary," Sigma Nu President Benjamin Beckerman' 10 said in an e-mail to The Dartmouth. The fraternity has not seen an increase in the number of members asking for dues to be waived, he said.
These spending and aid trends have not been universal, however. Presidents of Kappa Kappa Kappa, Alpha Delta and Chi Heorot fraternities, along with the president of Delta Delta Delta sorority, told The Dartmouth that their organizations have not made any recent financial changes.
Epsilon Kappa Theta sorority has not changed its financial policies, despite a slight decrease in its budget due to the small number of members on campus, Theta treasurer Connie Lam '10 said in an e-mail to The Dartmouth.
Alpha Theta coed fraternity has experienced a reduction in requests for dues waivers submitted by members, Ramirez said.
Representatives from several other Greek organizations could not be reached for comment.
