No open parties with alcohol. No kegs or jungle juice. No hard liquor.
Since 2008, these policies have been a part of MSU’s greek life, but as many students have experienced, they were not widely enforced. That is now changing, according the Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council.
MSU’s greek life social policy is outlined on MSU’s greek website and provides numerous rules for greek organizations recognized by MSU’s Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council to follow before and during social events.
Rules include limitations on the kinds of bulk alcohol that can be served at parties, how guests are accounted for, where parties can be held and who can attend events.
Now MSU’s Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council are attempting to enforce portions of the policy by having a representative from each council do walk throughs of social events, in order to make sure the house is following social rules.
Although the MSU greek social policy is not new, it hasn’t been widely enforced because there was no one designated to enforce the policy at parties besides the members themselves, an MSU fraternity member who wished to remain anonymous said.
The idea for this new enforcement, which took effect Feb. 25, came about after recent events around the country highlighted the need to make greek life as safe as possible for students, IFC President Geoff Sabourin said.
After attending a national conference on risk management in greek life this year, the IFC and Panhellenic Council decided that enforcing MSU’s social policy more effectively would help to make all of greek life safer.
“It only takes one mistake that could result in someone being injured or killed,” Sabourin said. “In recently emphasizing what we felt were the most important parts of our social policy, we hope to be proactive, rather than reactive, in hopes of preventing a serious accident.”
IFC and Panhellenic representatives will use a newly updated checklist for walk throughs at each social event to enforce important social guidelines.
Items include whether a guest list is being used (a requirement), whether there is a common source of alcohol, such as a keg, and if the fire code has been violated.
The checklist includes items like whether or not the party was registered with IFC and Panhellenic Council in advance, if the council representatives were allowed to search the house, whether or not there is a common source of alcohol, such as a keg, present and if the house is in compliance with the fire code.
If a greek house does not comply with any of the rules, IFC reserves the right to extend repercussions such as fines, and will also work with the house to make future social events safer. An unregistered social event or preventing the council from searching a house comes with a $500 fine. Violating other aspects of the policy can prompt a $250 fine.
Sabourin said he couldn’t speak to why these rules haven’t been previously widely enforced, and said his council and the Panhellenic Council are working at the moment to reform enforcement.
“We are in our positions to govern and enforce the rules for the best interest of our organizations and to continue to grow our greek life to continue positively contributing to those communities,” Sabourin said.
