The College has obtained $7 million in loans to establish five or six new physical plants for Greek organizations, according to the Class of 2010 Class Council minutes from the May Alumni Council meeting. About 70 percent of upperclassmen are now affiliated with Greek organizations on campus, according to the notes. The top priorities for Greek organizations include creating more social spaces on campus, managing risk, supporting sororities and creating advisory groups for local Greek organizations, according to the notes. Additionally, previously disbanded fraternities may come back to campus in the coming years, according to the notes. Former Dean of the College Sylvia Spears gave the presentation on Greek life, according to alumni councillor Allie Miller '10.
The University of South Carolina indefinitely suspended the recruitment process for its 18 fraternities on Thursday, after allegations of alcohol violations were made by six fraternities, The Chronicle of Higher Ed reported. The violations occurred at recruitment events over the preceding week, according to The Chronicle. One intoxicated student required medical attention after breaking the windows of a dormitory, while local police found another student unresponsive in a parking lot. One student required hospitalization, The Chronicle reported. Following a meeting to discuss minimizing drinking at recruitment events, the members of the administration found the fraternity leaders' proposals insufficient and emailed the organizations' chapter presidents to inform them of the suspension of recruitment activities, according to The Chronicle. Students, alumni and national fraternity representatives have been invited to participate in discussions about the incidents and suspension, The Chronicle reported. The University has already conducted campus discussions about certain aspects of pledge term, particularly the notion of "personal servitude" by pledges toward fraternity members.
An ethnographic study of five Illinois universities shows that students do not properly or thoroughly utilize resources available to them for studying and conducting research, according to Inside Higher Ed. The study conducted by two anthropologists and the librarians at Illinois Wesleyan University, DePaul University, Northeastern Illinois University, University of Illinois at Chicago and University of Illinois Springfield found that students do not fully understand the role of librarians at campus libraries and thus do not take advantage of the services librarians can provide, Inside Higher Ed reported. The report also concluded that students do not effectively use online and research databases. The study reported that professors and librarians must work to help students produce high quality, well-researched work, according to Inside Higher Ed. The American Library Association will publish the results of the study, conducted through student interviews and direct observation, in the fall, Inside Higher Ed reported.
