In a poll of the College's faculty conducted by The Dartmouth over the past two weeks, more than half of respondents said they support eliminating Dartmouth's single-sex Greek system and an overwhelming majority said the system promotes poor gender and race relations on campus and has a negative effect on the College's intellectual environment.
Fifty-eight percent of respondents to the poll said they "support the elimination of single-sex sororities and fraternities at Dartmouth College." Thirty percent said they oppose their elimination. The remaining 12 percent were undecided.
In general, most faculty members said fraternities and sororities deteriorate the intellectual climate of the College and inhibit relationships across gender, racial and class lines.
The survey was sent over BlitzMail to the 394 faculty members who hold positions as professors, associate professors, assistant professors, instructors or research instructors -- the positions which make members of the College's Arts and Sciences faculty eligible to participate in faculty votes.
A total of 163 faculty returned the poll -- a 41 percent response rate.
Seventy-five percent of faculty surveyed said they believe "the College's Greek system has a negative effect on Dartmouth's educational and intellectual environment." Only 13 percent of faculty disagreed, with another 12 percent undecided.
Additionally, nearly 70 percent said the Greek system "promotes poor gender relations between men and women," while 14 percent said the Greek system did not necessarily do so. Twenty percent said they were undecided.
By a similar margin, faculty members responding to the poll said the Greek system "promotes poor relations between students of different races, ethnicities, socio-economic groups, etc."
An overwhelming 79 percent of respondents embraced the five principles outlined in the initiative as opposed to the seven percent who opposed. The poll echoes the results of a special faculty meeting on February 18 where faculty convened for two hours and voted 82-0 to endorse the Trustee initiative.
The general faculty opposition to the Greek system echoes a vote taken in November of 1978, in which faculty members voted 67-16 in favor of a proposal to abolish fraternities and sororities at the College.
Shortly after the 1978 vote, faculty members who supported the proposal said the single-sex fraternity and sorority system are "antithetical to the values and standards of Dartmouth" and said the system damaged the intellectual reputation of the College.
Although most faculty members seem still to be in agreement with the beliefs expressed in the 1978 vote, some told The Dartmouth last night they disagreed with the way the administration handled the announcement of the controversial initiative.
"There was almost a crushing lack of respect for students in the way the process was announced; Dartmouth students are too good a people to disrespect in this way," Associate Professor of Music William Summers, who was not present at the Feb. 18 faculty meeting, said.
Associate Professor of Engineering Keith Paulsen, who also did not attend the faculty meeting said, "in spirit" he approves of the five principles that "try to promote healthy relationships between students of different backgrounds."
As for abolishing single-sex houses, Paulsen said he thought it was a "silly and counterproductive move to eliminate [them] completely as an option."
Associate Professor of German Ulrike Rainer, who voted affirmatively for the Trustee initiative, said she supports the elimination of single-sex Greek organizations.
"I question why should [the Greek system] be there in the first place. If this is a truly modern, integrated college, we shouldn't be asking these questions," Rainer said.
She supported the principles outlined in the initiative because "they are a wonderful opportunity to rethink and make a difference in the social life of campus, which hasn't been satisfactory for many people," Rainer said.
Summers said although he does not blame the Greek system for fostering poor gender relations and said he sees some benefits to single-sex Greek houses, he believes Greek spaces are not territorially neutral, except for coed houses.
As for the Greek system's negative effect on the intellectual and educational environment of the campus, Rainer said he believes the issue is not simple and encompasses the College's history and reputation. She said she questions why the College has not been able to rid itself of the "Animal House" image -- referring to the rowdy, debaucherous image of the Greek system portrayed in the 1978 movie co-created by College alumnus Chris Miller '63.
Paulsen said Greek houses do not particularly foster negative intellectual or gender consequences for the campus: "These are symptoms, not the causes. If these problems exist, they can't be pinned on single-sex environment; it's more deeply rooted."
"The drinking and partying orientations [of students] are not coming from frats, although though they do provide an atmosphere. Students choose to behave in those ways," Paulsen said.
