No alcohol will be permitted at any sorority event held on fraternity property after the University's 16 sorority presidents late Monday night voted to enact a blanket policy on drinking at sorority events.
The new policy, which became an ISC regulation after the sorority presidents voted to approve it, bans alcohol at any sorority sponsored or co-sponsored event held on fraternity property.
The policy will go into effect at the end of October, and violations will be punishable by the Inter-Sorority Council Judiciary Committee.
ISC President Allison White said she was pleased the presidents voted to enact the new umbrella policy.
The change comes on the heels of Resolution 2000 - a policy handed down by the national chapters of 14 of the University's 16 sororities. Resolution 2000 bans alcohol at sorority mixers held in fraternity houses.
University sororities had until the fall of 2000 to comply with the policy, and faced the threat of losing both their house and charter if they did not follow the regulations set down by their nationals.
White said the new ISC policy will "promote unity" within the Greek system by requiring all sororities to play by the same set of rules.
The ISC's goal is to "help each chapter abide by its national policies," she said.
Asst. Dean of Students Aaron Laushway said he is pleased sororities took the initiative to formulate and approve the new proposal.
"I think it's a good example of how our students govern themselves," Laushway said, adding that the change came after several weeks of research and conversations among sorority members.
Laushway said he does not feel the change will have a detrimental effect on sorority life in general.
Delta Gamma President Laura Tomasulo said since the national chapters had enacted the policy, University sororities "wanted to support it as well."
Tomasulo said there is a "pretty positive attitude" in her sorority toward the new policy.
Sororities are finding new ways to provide social outlets other than fraternity mixers, White said.
Since the policy was enacted for most sororities at the beginning of the semester, sororities already have had many more date functions and events at outside locations, such as restaurants and bars, she said.
She pointed out that while sororities are forced to have fewer events because of rising costs, the events they do have are much better planned.
She does not anticipate sororities will have to raise dues to accommodate rising social costs, but she said they will find ways to restructure their budgets to find the necessary funding.
The ISC plans to help sororities with some of their unanticipated financial burdens that they would not have been able to budget for, she added.
She said the ISC will help sororities pay for transportation for the final round of rush, where many sororities hold events at hotels and other venues that make transportation necessary.
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