While the steering committee report said that a reduction in single-sex fraternity and sorority life is "desirable" at Dartmouth, some Ivy League schools are maintaining or even expanding their single-sex Greek organizations.
Cornell
The Greek system at Cornell is composed of 40 fraternities, 15 sororities, and two co-educational houses, making it one of the largest systems in the country. The system serves about 4,000 people, or 30% of undergraduates.
Due to Ithaca's rural setting, the fraternities provide the main social outlet for the campus, since few bars allow people under 21 inside, Cornell's Interfraternity Council President and Alpha Epsilon Pi brother David Chipurnoi said.
Fraternity parties are catered by one of the College-approved companies that will check ID's and charge at the door but they are open to everyone.
"The university is very supportive of the Greek system" and has not actively sought to shut down parties or force houses to go dry, Chipurnoi said.
Cornell has endowed an office of Greek life to work with Greek houses and members to manage risks Chipurnoi said. The university is even thinking of expanding the office.
Rush is held in the spring semester of freshman year, at the earliest. Fraternities have a rush process involving events at the house in addition to brothers visiting and talking to rushees in their dorms. Sorority rush consists of a system of rounds with all events being held at the houses.
Harvard
While Harvard does not officially recognize any single sex organizations, two national fraternities and two national sororities exist on campus. In addition there are three ethnic fraternities and two sororities.
Since the houses are not recognized by the university there is no regulation of the rush or pledge procedures. As a result the system varies from house to house.
Delta Upsilon fraternity recently had 50 people rush, with two thirds accepted, DU member Jeremiah Mann said. Information on rushing is often spread through word of mouth.
Most social events at Harvard are run through dormitories or through the exclusive Finals clubs.
The Finals clubs are all private organizations owned by alumni. To join a club a person must be both invited by a member and attend four to six events over a two month period. The clubs cost between one to four thousand dollars a year as opposed to the average 600 dollars to be in a fraternity, Mann said.
The DU chapter was only founded in 1999 and there is a growing interest among students in fraternities and sororities, which are more open that the Finals clubs, Mann said.
Since only a few of the chapters have houses most hold meetings in a nearby restaurant or club.
Princeton
While the social scene at Princeton is dominated by the eating clubs -- which over 80 percent of the sophomore class recently joined -- fraternities and sororities do have a presence. There are between 15 and 20 fraternities that exist at Princeton, but none are officially recognized by the university, a policy since 1855.
As a result none of the chapters have houses, and usually meet and hold parties at one of the 10-12 person rooms in some of the dormitories. The fraternities "serve more of a brotherhood purpose," said Delta Kappa Epsilon brother Bryan Oh.
