Queer Alliance, Alpha Phi Alpha and the Brotherhood - student organizations whose parties last semester sparked a broad review of the University's social events and alcohol policies - have been placed on probation following disciplinary hearings by the Office of Student Life.
QA, whose Sex Power God party resulted in over two dozen students requiring emergency medical attention for intoxication and landed the University in the national spotlight on Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor," is on probation until December 2006, Margaret Klawunn, associate vice president for campus life and dean for student life, told The Herald.
Klawunn said QA leaders managing Sex Power God did not adhere to some elements of their event-management plan, such as the number, location and responsibilities of student event managers, though she stressed that the organization was not held responsible for issues beyond its control, such as the large number of students who arrived intoxicated to the alcohol-free event.
Before it can hold any social functions while on probation, QA must submit to administrators a detailed event-management plan, which will be vetted by OSL, the Department of Public Safety, Health Services, Health Education and Emergency Medical Services before receiving final approval from Klawunn.
Klawunn added that QA will have to "think carefully" about how its events uphold the organization's purpose and how it advertises events to meet that purpose.
Additionally, all QA members and any party managers who served at Sex Power God must attend a social function manager and harm-reduction training program before being able to serve as social function managers, Klawunn said.
Josh Teitelbaum '08, co-president of QA, told The Herald that the organization has "had to re-think a lot of (its) events" in light of the disciplinary decision. Specifically, QA is moving events previously held at Brown off-campus to avoid having to receive University approval, he said.
QA is partnering with its sister organization at the Rhode Island School of Design, the RISD Sex Club, to host its annual drag show. "We're not even looking at considering options on Brown's campus" for that event, Teitelbaum said.
The future of Starf*ck, a large party akin to Sex Power God traditionally held by QA each spring, is not yet clear.
Klawunn said QA is "going to have to meet a very high standard" to host a large party while on probation.
Teitelbaum said it is too early to comment on Starf*ck, though he suggested that the party could be held off-campus.
Despite efforts to move some of its events off campus and away from the oversight of University administrators, Teitelbaum stressed that QA and the Office of Student Life are working cooperatively.
"Last semester, in all the hysteria, there was less dialogue. Now we're starting to have a better working relationship with the Office of Student Life. Dean Klawunn has reached out to us," he said.
Klawunn told The Herald that moving QA events off campus "is not ideal and not where we want things to go," conceding that the University doesn't "have the same control ... if they hold them off campus."
Klawunn said she hopes to engage QA leaders in a conversation to find a mutually advantageous solution that keeps QA events at Brown.
Two other student organizations, Alpha Phi Alpha and the Brotherhood, were also investigated by OSL and placed on probation until May 2006.
A melee the night before Sex Power God took place when about 400 people were gathered on the Main Green and in Sayles Hall, where a party co-sponsored by the two groups was coming to an end. After various verbal arguments, fistfights erupted and one individual fired several shots before running away.
The party was advertised on a non-University Web site and attracted non-Brown students, many of whom were in Providence that weekend for a national dance competition. The Web site of the dance competition called the party in Sayles the year's "mega pre-party" without the consent of Alpha Phi Alpha or the Brotherhood.
It is not clear who was responsible for advertising the party to those outside of the Brown community. Klawunn said that the two organizations were placed on probation because they knew about the external advertising before the party but did not inform University officials.
Other than the length, the terms of probation for Alpha Phi Alpha and the Brotherhood are the same as those for QA - they must submit a more detailed event management plan vetted by a variety of campus agencies and approved by Klawunn, and event managers must be retrained.
Student leaders of Alpha Phi Alpha and the Brotherhood did not respond Thursday to e-mails seeking comment.
