Citing financial hardships, housing problems and discrimination against their organization, Inter-Fraternity Council executives requested Friday that Dean of Students Penny Rue open negotiations about rush dates for the 2000-2001 academic year.
Inter-Fraternity Council President Wes Kaupinen said he wrote a letter to Rue after several fraternity presidents expressed concern about spring rush at the IFC Presidents' Council meeting Thursday. Rue said the letter is the first request the IFC has made to her concerning rush dates. In the letter, Kaupinen requests that Rue state in writing by the end of this week whether next year's rush dates are negotiable.
Rue said she plans to "look into [their request] and respond to them in writing." But she said it is unlikely she will move rush dates back to the fall.
"I would be willing to have a conversation with [the IFC], but at this point I would be loathe to set the rush dates in the fall," she added.
Kaupinen said the Office of the Dean of Students has been sending IFC members mixed messages about rush dates.
"Simply ruling out first semester rush and holding the ideology that you would 'loathe' to move rush back to fall is not a sincere interest in openly negotiating and openly communicating," he said.
Rue said she is open to discussion with the IFC, but that it would seem unfair to "pretend there is a very good chance they will be successful in their efforts" to return formal rush to fall.
Rue added that the decision to hold formal rush in the spring was not the sole work of the Office of the Dean of Students.
"It was a larger, community-wide conversation that led to the movement of rush dates," she said. "I would certainly need to hear from all segments of the community" before drawing conclusions about rush dates.
As stated in the Fraternal Organization Agreement - the document that defines each fraternity's relationship with the University - IFC fraternities cannot recruit members until a date set by the University.
Kaupinen said the Office of the Dean of Students is discriminating against the IFC by not allowing it to recruit members in the fall like other University organizations.
But Greek organizations are unique and should be treated so, Rue said.
IFC Community Service Chairman Peter Leary said administrators have made no substantial efforts to concretely measure the effects of spring rush on the University.
With the support of the Faculty Senate, former Dean of Students Robert T. Canevari decided in April 1998 to move IFC formal rush to the spring.
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