Frats want commendation for community service, risk management
CORRECTION: Due to an editing error, a headline incorrectly stated that Rep. Chance Heath had said Thursday’s resolution was necessary for Greek life to survive. The actual context of the quote related to the Registered Fraternal Organization Agreement of 2005, not the proposed resolution.
The Campus Press prides itself on accuracy, we apologize for any inaccuracies.
The UCSU Legislative Council’s third meeting lasted three and a half hours, heavy with discussion over re-evaluating the university’s relationship with the fraternities.
A resolution to change the campus’s position on Interfraternity Council fraternities had its first reading. Representative Council Speaker Chance Heath authored the resolution.
The resolution asked that UCSU “commends the member chapters of the Interfraternity Council for their progress in their commitment to service, academic achievement and risk management.”
The progress described in the resolution includes an improved relationship with the Boulder police, and raising over $100,000 for charitable causes.
The resolution also “affirms student support for fraternities on campus and their commitment to improvement,” and “recommends that the administration reevaluate their current policy in regards to the Interfraternity Council.”
Currently, the IFC is not affiliated with the university. The IFC and the university cut ties after the IFC did not want to require each frat house to have a live-in advisor and did not want to stop having fall rushes, as the university had requested.
“The reason why the IFC is still unaffiliated with the university is due to stubbornness on the side of the administration,” Heath said.
However, Heath said, the IFC is unwilling to budge on the two things that tore it apart from the university to begin with.
“Those requirements need to be changed for Greek life to survive,” Heath said.
But Mark Changaris questioned why IFC would not return to these issues.
“Why can’t we ask the IFC to re-evaluate their policy? At best this resolution is useless. At worst it’s completely one-sided,” said Changaris, senator of CU’s law school. “We can commend them but we can’t ask them to evaluate their policy? What is this going to accomplish?”
Heath responded that they could not ask the IFC to re-evaluate their position because the IFC is not in UCSU’s jurisdiction.
“By showing student support, it can be a catalyst for change. It is in the best interest for everyone to be affiliated,” Heath said.
Nine members of the council voted to allow the resolution a second reading, seven voted against it and two members didn’t vote.
In order for a resolution to pass to a second reading it must receive a majority of the 18 legislative votes. Since it did not receive a majority of the votes, Legislative Council President Boyce Postma had to be the tiebreaker. Postma voted against the resolution.
A resolution to change the Arts and Cultural Enrichment Fee into a recurring fee, authored by College of Music Senator Kathryn Skrobacz, had its first reading last night and was allowed to have a second reading and vote at the next meeting.
The Arts and Cultural Enrichment Fee is the only non-reoccurring mandatory fee on campus; the resolution would make the administration change the fee to make it reoccurring. The fee is a mandatory $5 (per semester) for students.
Contact Staff Writer Marissa Malouff at marissa.malouff@colorado.edu.
