Industry Update Provided by NPC

Reuters, The Hill and The Washington Post report that Harvard University is rescinding its controversial policy that penalized students who were members of fraternities, sororities, and other single-gender clubs. First imposed on the grounds that the clubs were discriminatory, Harvard officials said they were dropping it because the policy itself, announced in 2016, could be seen as legally discriminatory. Harvard President Lawrence Bacow said that the change was driven by two court decisions – the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling on LGBT protections in the workplace and a federal judge’s refusal to dismiss a lawsuit against the university filed by fraternities and sororities. National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) CEO Dani Weatherford and North American Interfraternity Conference (IFC) CEO Judson Horras released a joint statement on the decision that was cited in The Boston Globe and Inside Higher Ed. “Students are free to associate with other students without regard to their gender, and targeting single-sex student organizations is illegal and wrong,” the statement said. “Our focus has always been on the freedom of association rights of students and on the particularly acute harm that this policy has done to women’s-only organizations on Harvard’s campus…. Today’s announcement from the university is nothing short of an admission that their policy was misguided and openly discriminatory based on sex.”

CNN, FOX News and TODAY report that at least 62 students living in 10 fraternity houses near the University of Washington's campus have tested positive for the coronavirus, the university said this week. The university reported the new cluster of cases on Tuesday, saying that even though the fraternity houses took measures to reduce their resident capacity by up to 50 percent this summer, it wasn't enough to prevent the outbreak. There are about 1,000 students living in 25 fraternity houses located in the neighborhood north of the UW campus. 

The BBC reports that sororities and fraternities are responding to challenges posed by COVID-19, reporting that some national fraternities and sororities have said they will leave the decision about how and when to reopen to their local chapters, as health advice varies between both states and universities. Housing is not the only aspect of fraternal life to be affected by the pandemic—the process of recruiting and inducting new members has also changed. The piece cites content from NPC’s website: “We must communicate the value of the sorority experience, highlighting the continued relevance and power of sorority during this time of physical separation."

The Washington Post reported on the COVID-19-driven changes to fraternity and sorority life on college campuses. In recent weeks, as students have trickled back onto campus, public health officials have been warning about an alarming rise in coronavirus cases that appears related to fraternity housing and parties that had been a staple of the college experience. With students often crammed into houses that were hard to police and regulate before the pandemic, public health officials say they think major changes are needed to better protect the health of students and the broader community in college towns from coast to coast.

MLive reports that at Michigan universities and colleges, fraternities and sororities are making efforts to keep its members safe while still offering a sense of community. NPC CEO Dani Weatherford was quoted in the article. “’Our organizations have been providing phenomenal virtual sisterhood experiences since their campuses moved to online classes,’ Weatherford said. ‘We're continuing to have those conversations about what a virtual sisterhood experience can look like.’" NPC’s upcoming health education campaign was also discussed, with Weatherford saying, “’We know that returning to campus in the fall is going to look and feel different and it’s our responsibility as community members to take one another’s health into consideration.’”

Grand Council Action

Please remember that quite often, Grand Council deliberations, and subsequent actions, aren’t appropriate for immediate publication. As well, an announcement is often more appropriate shared by a subject matter expert. For example, Director of Extension Lindsay Sell is a far better messenger about extension opportunities than is the CEO. So, typically there is very little to share at the close of a board meeting or call. Grand Council is thoughtfully contemplating a great deal these days, but you may not, for good reason, learn of decisions for weeks or months.   

At its meeting Friday, Grand Council took the following action:

• Reviewed Plan of Aspirations goals and objectives and endorsed tactics, all through the lens of COVID-19. Determined priority plan work based on significantly limited resources;
• Reviewed NPC progress on virtual member recruitment, racial injustice, and freedom of association issues;
• Received initial report of current diversity, equity, & inclusion (DEI) themes received via town hall listening sessions, petitions, social media, email, and phone calls;
• Applauded the continuing work of the DEI workgroup and considered ways to support its work;
• Endorsed a permanent DEI officer and/or committee structure for college chapters;
• Considered changes to the legacy recruitment policy; and
• Approved the move of Alpha Epsilon/Brown to the Fraternity Housing Corporation (FHC).

Theta Foundation Pansy Patch 2020

2,000 pansies have already bloomed! We are halfway through July, which means there are only 17 days of Pansy Patch remaining. There is still time to purchase pansies for a special Theta such as an advisor or collegian you work closely with, a sister from your member class, or a Theta mentor. Visit pansypatch.org to honor that special Theta today! 

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