Several Greek leaders at the College have expressed hope that the administration will continue to provide sufficient support for the Greek system following the departure of Dean of Residential Life Martin Redman and Deborah Carney, assistant dean of Residential Life and director of Greek Letter Organizations and Societies.
Redman announced that his position will be eliminated because of budget cuts in a Feb. 11 e-mail. Carney elected to retire and will leave the College on June 30. These departures follow the resignation of former associate director of the Coed, Fraternity and Sorority system Fouad Saleet who left the College in January for a position at Colgate University.
Redman and Carney were strong advocates for the Greek system and valuable resources for Greek leaders, according to Kappa Kappa Kappa fraternity president Michael Brasher '10.
"The hope is that Dean [of the College Sylvia] Spears and [College] President [Jim Yong] Kim will realize how important it is to have a robust group of people who function as advocates and advisers for the Greek system," Brasher said. "I hope after this restructuring there's a strong base of College administrators who focus on Greek issues."
Spears has promised that the administration will continue to provide Greek organizations with adequate support, according to Inter-Fraternity Council president and Tri-Kap vice president Zachary Gottlieb '10. Gottlieb is a member of The Dartmouth Staff.
Redman had been deeply involved in maintaining the physical plants of the Greek houses, Gottlieb said, adding that Redman's primary goal was to ensure that the Greek system was vibrant.
Carney was an extremely valuable resource to the sororities on campus, according to Delta Delta Delta sorority president Joanne Schneider '10.
"One of [Carney's] most valuable traits is that she has a historical perspective," Schneider said, adding that Carney often functioned as a "mom figure" for sororities on campus.
Carney helped sororities plan formals, counseled them on National Panhellenic Council procedures and provided emotional support, Panhellenic Council President Amaka Nneji '10 said in an e-mail to The Dartmouth.
"Dartmouth is not going to be the same without her," Nneji said.
The administrators' departure will have a greater effect on day-to-day issues within the Greek system than on larger issues such as the new Hanover Police alcohol law compliance check policy, Schneider said.
In Redman and Carney's absence, the organizations will turn to other existing support systems, several presidents of Greek organizations told The Dartmouth.
In addition to administrative advisers, each fraternity has its own alumni adviser to guard the best interests of the organization when dealing with issues such as renovations and disciplinary action, Gottlieb said. Tri-Kap's undergraduates oversees the day-to-day operations of the fraternity, although the role of the adviser varies among fraternities, according to Brasher.
Connections among sorority presidents function as the primary support system for sororities at the College, Schneider said.
"We're going to miss [Redman and Carney], but the Greek system is pretty resilient structurally," Gottlieb said.
The Greek system may undergo significant changes during the next few years, however, if it does not receive strong support from the administration, according to Brasher.
"I fear that there won't be enough individuals [within the administration] to support us," Brasher said. "The hope is that, with all of this restructuring, in the future there are some individuals who are just focused on Greek life."
Gottlieb expressed confidence that the administration will fill new positions with experienced individuals who will continue to support the Greek system.
"With over 60 percent of students involved in the Greek system and over 20 physical plants, we need administrative support," Brasher said.
Greek letter organization and society officers are willing to work with the administration to find practical replacements and minimize the stress of such a changeover, Nneji said.
Redman was an especially important resource for Greek leaders after the recent announcement of the new Hanover Police alcohol policy, Gottlieb said. Although the response to Hanover Police's new policy was largely student-based, Greek leaders did seek counsel from within the administration, he added.
"We really wanted to bounce ideas off of the administrators, because it's always good to have administrative memory," Gottlieb said.
Redman and Carney understood the importance of maintaining the integrity of the College's unique Greek system in response to the new Hanover Police policy, Brasher said.
"The Greek system as a whole turned to [Redman and Carney], and it was clear that they had our backs in this situation," Brasher said.
Carney spoke with sorority presidents about how students and the administration can work together to come up with more effective initiatives than the "sting operations" suggested by Hanover Police, Nneji said.
In addition to administrative support, Greek leaders have received counsel from prominent College alumni, most notably former Dartmouth Alumni Council President John Daukas '84, in response to the Hanover Police alcohol policy. In an e-mail obtained by The Dartmouth, Daukas proposed that Greek organizations post a "no trespassing" sign in order to keep police from entering the houses. He also recommended that Greek presidents send a letter to the Hanover Police Department withdrawing permission for police to enter the organization's establishment.
Daukas, who used to work for a police department, expressed concern in an interview with The Dartmouth that Hanover Police's new alcohol policy "may end up getting someone killed."
"I'm sure the chief of police wouldn't like it if someone went into his house uninvited and poked around trying to find something illegal," Daukas said.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon president James Watson '10, Alpha Chi Alpha fraternity president Scott Niehaus '10 and Chi Heorot fraternity president Brian Dunne '10 could not be reached for comment by press time. Chi Gamma Epsilon fraternity president Ian Rorick '10 declined to comment when contacted by The Dartmouth.
Staff writer Joy Chen and Senior Staff member Kate Farley contributed to the reporting of this article.
