The Inter-Sorority Council voted unanimously Monday night to relax its strict policy regarding sorority members' contact with first-year women before formal rush.
The new rush contact policy allows sorority members to talk to first-year women as long as they do not promote or discuss individual sorority houses.
The ISC vote abolished the no-contact rule, which limited sorority members to minimal contact with first-year women during the semester before rush.
Sorority women had to register with the ISC any time they spent talking to first years. They could only politely greet first-year girls they knew from high school. Extensive conversations with female first years were not allowed in the fall.
The new policy will allow sorority members to have contact with first-year women and discuss Greek life.
The policy still prohibits sorority women from giving gifts or spending money on first years and inviting first years into sorority houses before the first day of formal rush. The ISC defined a sorority house to include any residence "of three or more sorority women affiliated with one house."
ISC President Allison White said the ISC is asking all sorority members to sign a pledge promising to uphold the new policy.
Any violations of the contact rule may be considered a judicial offense punishable by the ISC Judiciary Committee.
First-year Sigma Sigma Sigma member Betsy Philpott said she thinks the new rule is an improvement.
"I know a lot of girls coming next year, and now I can talk to them without worrying about getting in trouble," Philpott said.
White said one of the reasons the ISC decided to change its contact policy was because it gave first years a "wrong impression of sorority members."
ISC conducted surveys and roundtable discussions this semester which showed the no-contact rule was detrimental to first years' transitions to University life and may have deterred some women from rushing, she said.
Delta Gamma president Laura Tomasulo said she agrees that the no-contact rule "portrayed sorority women in a negative light."
Second-year Alpha Delta Pi member Julia Villa said it was ridiculous "going to parties [as a first year] and older girls not being allowed to talk to you."
First-year Sigma Kappa member Katie Snyder also said she supported the vote because the no-contact rule made sorority women seem "snobby."
"The new rule sounds like it's going to work a lot better," Villa said.
White said the ISC will address certain exceptions to the rule next fall. Exceptions may include contact with siblings and other relatives.
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