Indiana University has joined a growing number of institutions where some activities of Interfraternity Council chapters have been suspended.
The IU Interfraternity Council unanimously voted Monday to suspend social activities with alcohol and unsupervised new member education until Feb. 28, 2018. Winter recruitment can still take place in January as planned, but a chapter adviser or a representative from the fraternity’s national headquarters must oversee and approve activities involved in that process. Fraternities can still host parties, as long as alcohol is not present.
There was not one specific event that led to the suspension, said Andrew Cowie, president of IU’s Interfraternity Council.
“It was the Interfraternity Council seeing an opportunity to take a proactive approach and identify ways in which we, as a community, can become a safer and more progressive community here at IU,” he said.
Lori Reesor, IU’s dean of students, organized a group of fraternity and sorority leaders earlier this month. The goal was to make greek life at IU healthier and safer. She could not be reached for comment, but praised the students’ decision in a prepared statement.
Cowie insisted students were responsible for the suspension.
“There was no pressure from the IU administration to make this decision,” he said.