Starting this fall, Residential Council will not make pass-fail decisions during its semester program house review.
The change is part of ResCouncil's revisions of its administrative procedures for review. The process hasn't changed substantially in terms of the information houses must provide to ResCouncil, said Mark Fuller, chair of ResCouncil's program house committee.
"It doesn't really do anything to say a house passed or a house failed," he said "So this year we're trying to make recommendations instead."
Additionally, the guidelines for house charity projects - which state that all proceeds from fundraising events must go to charity - have been more clearly stated in the form houses submit to ResCouncil. Such guidelines have been agreed upon in the past but not included in the form, Fuller said. The change was prompted by an incident last year in which a fraternity proposed a project and kept some of the proceeds.
In terms of community service, this year's form requests - but does not require - that each house supply information about service projects undertaken by individuals in the house. In the past, houses have only had to provide information about their house service projects. Fuller said the information is being requested purely for research purposes.
"It's just to give us an idea of what sort of community service we have within the Greek program house community," he said.
If a house has had disciplinary problems prior to the review that have been resolved by Residential Life, then ResCouncil will probably not factor the issues into its review, Fuller said.
"Even under the old pass-fail system, we would not have failed a house that had already solved its issues with the University," he said. He added that ResCouncil may make recommendations about how to avoid being placed on probation in the future.
Program house forms are due in early November and decisions will be made in December, Fuller said.
In spring 2007, The Herald reported that some houses were having difficulties with the review process because they didn't have enough members living in the houses. But low membership is not a problem this year.
"The past two years we've had the best rush years ever," said Greek Council Chair Adam Kroll, adding that all of the houses have comfortable membership numbers. He said the trend extends across all fraternities and sororities.
Sigma Chi "doesn't expect any problems with the fall review, as we have met all of the requirements put forth by the University," President Win Bennett wrote in an e-mail to The Herald.
