University of Virginia fraternities will soon be allowed to have parties again after having faced a whirlwind of criticism and controversy over campus sex assaults. In order to do so, however, fraternities will first have to adhere to a few new rules.
Greek organizations looking to end the temporary ban on social activities must agree to new drinking rules by January 16th. The new rules and regulations regarding fraternity parties were put forth by UVA President Teresa A. Sullivan in response to a November Rolling Stone article that had described a campus culture that fosters violence against women.
Although the article (which featured a graphic account of an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house in 2012) was later discredited by the magazine’s editors, campus and fraternity leaders have been under extreme pressure to reform the social scene.
The new rules were proposed by the fraternities and approved by Sullivan. The new changes set forth by the new rules include a ban on kegs of beer and pre-made mixes of liquor and punch, and dictate that beer must be served in closed cans with “wine… served upon request, poured visibly at the bar by a sober brother.”
“I believe the new safety measures recommended by the student leaders in the Greek community will help provide a safer environment for their members and guests,” Sullivan said in a statement late Tuesday.
Sororities also agreed to implement more safety measures, such as “bystander intervention training” for new members.
Sullivan said that many of the new rules are geared to prevent students from drinking too much or ingesting unknown substances.
“Even an alert and careful student who tries the sweet-tasting cocktail containing many types of liquor cannot know how much alcohol it contains,” Sullivan said. “Yet another problem with alcohol is that it can be the vehicle for some other drug to be ingested, unknown to the drinker. Let’s call this by its name: This is poisoning.”
The Intra-Fraternity Council said that they intend to create a safe environment for everyone that attend fraternity events and are taking the necessary measures to do so.
“We seek to achieve a safe environment at fraternity events by addressing high-risk drinking, sexual misconduct, and unhealthy power structures,” the addendum says. “We submit these reforms as the next step in the IFC’s commitment to guaranteeing a baseline of safety for fraternity members and our guests.”
The spring semester begins Monday, with Greek social events to recruit new members starting shortly thereafter.
