The Inter-Sorority Council is discussing changes to its contact policy, which could result in more interaction between potential and current sorority members than has been allowed in years past.
The current policy restricts contact between first years and sorority members. While on-Grounds contact is allowed to proceed as normal, the policy prohibits contact in sorority houses, at Greek events or conversations about specific sororities.
According to the ISC Web site, off-Grounds contact at non-University affiliated events is restricted to "common courtesy."
According to ISC President Courtney Cherry, the existing policy came as a compromise in spring 2001 after the ISC decided to retain its second-semester recruitment policy for first years.
The ISC tested two different policies several years ago, which it evaluated over a two-year trial period. The trial consisted of one year of completely unrestricted contact and one year of no contact at all.
The more restrictive contact policy was eventually implemented in order to ensure that all first years had the same amount of contact. The policy also provided each sorority with equal opportunity in the recruitment process, Cherry said.
"While it is impossible to ever create a completely level playing field due to relationships that exist prior to students entering college, I think the contact policy does help to establish more equal grounds for women entering the recruitment process," Cherry said.
In the past, members of various sororities have been punished for spending money on first years and inviting first years to events. Potential new members are not penalized in any way if they are found socializing with current sorority members.
A task force recently was created to discuss the policy and suggest changes after one sorority member brought discussion of a full contact policy to the ISC, Cherry said.
The proposed amendment expressed strong sentiment against the current contact policy, arguing that it forces women to "make quick and frequently superficial judgments about each other in an all too brief period of time."
The amendment also touted the current contact policy as "flagrantly backward" and "sexist when compared with the IFC's much more realistic system of recruitment."
Although the policy has been modified in the past, it is uncertain what changes will be made now and when.
"A task force is in the preliminary stages to examine the policy," Cherry said. "Therefore the nature of forthcoming changes is still unknown."
A change in the contact policy can only be implemented through a vote by the 16 sororities that make up the representative body of the ISC. Although the issue is being discussed in the ISC, it is unclear how strongly the 16 member sororities feel about changes in the policy.
According to ISC Vice President for Recruitment Megan Frisk, the proposed amendment has attracted a mixed response among the member sororities.
"I've gotten a lot of e-mails from girls who are proponents of it, but some girls are wary," Frisk said. "We've had a full contact policy in the past and it didn't really work out, but people are looking forward to change."
Cherry said it is likely that changes will be made, but any changes to the policy would not take affect until fall 2005. The proposed changes will be discussed at an ISC town hall meeting on Tuesday.
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