Syracuse University released the results of its Greek life review Monday night, identifying strengths and challenges of the Greek life community and more than 30 recommendations to reform it.

Chancellor Kent Syverud called for a “top to bottom” review of Greek life during the Theta Tau controversy in April 2018. SU permanently expelled the professional engineering fraternity for participating in activities on video Syverud called, “extremely racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, sexist, and hostile to people with disabilities.”

“Changes of this magnitude cannot be addressed in one day or in one semester,” Syverud said at his Monday campus address. “The external review does provide a solid foundation from which we can move forward in a positive direction.”

The reviewers – organizational consulting firms NPower and Limberlost Consulting – sent a survey to all full-time SU students enrolled for the fall 2018 semester, except those in the University College and students who had not spent at least one semester on campus full-time. It had a 41.6 percent response rate.

The survey was available to students from August to September 2018.

Reviewers also interviewed more than 260 individuals, including students, alumni and university stakeholders, per the report.

The reviewers noted that participants in the Greek life focus groups needed more time and thought to identify strengths of SU’s Greek life community in comparison to focus groups at other colleges. Most of the discussion centered on challenges within the Greek community, according to the report.

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Focus group participants found five strengths in the Greek life community: Panhellenic Council recruitment, philanthropy, hands-on community service, the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs’ advisement of culturally-based Greek chapters and the Schine Student Center event management.

Reviewers also identified six challenges for Greek life at SU.

FASA’s organization and operations were listed among the challenges for Greek organizations. University partners were reported saying FASA is underfunded and understaffed. FASA currently employs seven people, according to its website.

Communication was also named a challenge for the Greek community, as participants said there were unclear policies, information and policy implementation. The report said there was a lack of participation in the review from the Interfraternity Council, the governing body for 15 fraternities at SU.

Diversity and inclusion was named a priority for Syverud, the Board of Trustees and the Chancellor’s Diversity and Inclusion workgroup. Chapters in the National Pan-Hellenic Council, the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations and the Multicultural Greek Council said they felt marginalized within SU Greek life.

“SU doesn’t understand what it means to be an underrepresented student,” the report said without attributing to a participant.

Members of culturally-based Greek life chapters often live together in off-campus houses, the report said. Those houses fall under the jurisdiction of the Syracuse Police Department, which have different ramifications than SU’s Department of Public Safety, the report stated. SPD punishments can include tickets, fines and jail time, while DPS punishments are restricted to SU’s policies.

Members of culturally-based groups said in the report that they feel that IFC or Panhellenic organizations “get a pass” when they hold events.

Both police departments and the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities oversee hazing incidents, creating “frustration and angst” among the three organizations, per the report.

Students also suggested various improvements on how the university handles registered events, including stronger event security and easier methods of registering and communicating official events. This included a proposed ban on certain beverages, including “jungle juice” as well as updated health and safety training.

Participants requested two policies for the university to employ: event management training for members and leaders of Greek organizations and training around bystander behavior that creates “alternatives to hazing behavior.”

The report also noted that hazing didn’t “dominate” the conversations they held with SU students affiliated with Greek life.

Syracuse also faces problems with unrecognized groups, per the report. SU doesn’t recognize 11 Greek organizations, and suspended or expelled four fraternities in the 2017-18 academic year. Participants had concerns over those groups’ lack of accountability to both national organizations and SU, as well as potential hazing, recruitment, hosting parties and negative behavior impacting neighborhoods.

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The report concluded with 33 suggestions, including reviewing FASA’s organizational structure, holding yearly meetings with representatives from different Greek organizations and developing a better internal communication system in FASA.

It also suggested taking a “more aggressive stance” on unrecognized groups, which includes engaging members of registered Greek organizations to identify members of unrecognized groups, initiating an audit of unrecognized groups’ social media accounts and working with the intramural department to prohibit unrecognized groups from participating in activities.

In an email to the campus community, Dean of Students Robert Hradsky said the reviewers will return to SU to meet with staff in FASA, other students, alumni and more. The reviewers will also host training sessions for students and staff to help the university meet the recommendations outlined in the report, he said.

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MORE COVERAGE:

• SU Greek life survey shows students have divided thoughts on fraternities, sororities
• Video surfaces showing behavior that led to Zeta Beta Tau fraternity’s disciplinary probation, SU official confirms
• 4 SU Greek organizations sanctioned
• Syverud: SU will start a ‘top to bottom’ review of all Greek life policies, activities and culture

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Published on January 14, 2019 at 11:55 pm

Contact Kennedy: krose100@syr.edu | @KennedyRose001