Article on Pitt's Greek Life Review

[Zephyr]

Fire1977 and I read Pitts' Report on Greek Life. I could have spilled alphabet soup and come up with a better, more insightful report than their findings. Their findings were basically like: "There is a Greek System. They all live together. The Chapters are Small."

This article was in Pittsburgh's City Paper.

Pitt’s Big Fat Greek Life

writer: Brentin Mock


With the release of a new study by the University of Pittsburgh calling for “in-depth review” of the continuing existence “of any Greek chapter that does not comply with [university] requirements for recognition as a student organization” -- including the minimum 10-person membership requirement -- Interim Greek Advisor Terrance Milani says he has challenged all Pitt fraternities and sororities to improve their numbers. Currently, less than 10 percent of Pitt undergraduates are Greeks; Milani says they should want more. One segment of Greek society that took issue with the report is the National Pan-Hellenic Council, the governing body of Pitt’s historically black Greek chapters. According to the study, only 44, or less than 4 percent, of the 1,341 Greeks belong to the campus’s historically black chapters; black undergraduates make up 10 percent of the student populace. While traditional Greek chapters boast memberships in the 50s, 60s, or 70s, all but one of Pitt’s eight historically black Greek chapters have fewer than 10 members: Alpha Kappa Alpha has 12. Black Greeks are concerned for their existence, especially since recognition from the university brings funding. At a recent Greek leadership conference, a speech by Milani left Delta Sigma Theta member Bintu Sharif with the impression that Pitt would like to see its National Pan-Hellenic Council broken up and streamlined into the other traditional Greek governing bodies, Pan-Hellenic Council and Interfraternity Council. Not so, says Milani. Black Greeks were integrated into the traditional Greek councils in the past, he says, but the integration didn’t last. He also notes that “we haven’t done anything as an office to jeopardize any fraternities or sororities based just on numbers.” Dean of Students and Vice Provost of Undergraduate Studies Jack L. Daniel, who commissioned the Pitt Greek study from Director of public safety Deborah M. Furka (and who has, until recently, refused student requests for study results), said the administration won’t nix low-membership black Greeks; they need to upgrade their marketing campaign if they’re going to stay alive. Daniel (who has no plans to leave despite rumors -- see below) recalled the day when black Greek chapters were the only organizations on campus blacks could join. Today, however, there are over 50 black organizations at Pitt and some black students opt to join historically white organizations, such as the traditional Greek chapters. Public Safety’s Furka also called for other improvements to Greek life: a housing director to be a live-in liaison between frat houses and the Pitt administration; a call to have “off-campus” frat houses adhere to the same policies as those on campus; and an upgrade of the Greek Life Web site. If Pitt granted its black Greeks amenities such as housing, says Sharif, as they do for their traditional Greeks, then smaller black fraternities would be better off. If black Greeks had the right numbers, counters Daniel, “Pitt would give them a hall in a second.” Certain floors in Pitt’s Amos and McCormick Halls are reserved for sororities -- no black sororities, though, are represented there. Milani, for his part, says he never meant to make black Greeks fearful, but adds: “Maybe I did what I intended to do. If they have to ask themselves ‘Hey, we do only have two members, what are we gonna do about this?’ then maybe, I did win.”

[fire1977]

I hate the greek life review.

BOO HISS!!

[FuzzieAlum]

Um, if a chapter wants to be under 10 people, shouldn't it be their nationals decision if that's too small, not the schools?

[33girl]

Originally posted by FuzzieAlum
Um, if a chapter wants to be under 10 people, shouldn't it be their nationals decision if that's too small, not the schools?

yes, however I have heard of schools where you need a minimum number of people to be a recognized organization. they would still have an active chapter, the school just wouldn't recognize it (or more to the point, allocate any $$$ to them). It's more for fringe-type organizations (like the Gary Coleman Appreciation Society) than it is for Greeks since Greeks don't get $$$ directly anyway, but they can't exclude them from the requirement.

[FuzzieAlum]

I don't know how it works other places, but Greeks were recognized totally differently than other student orgs at my college. Student groups were recognized by the Student Activities Board and were required not only to have a minimum of members but also to be non-discriminatory in membership (excluding honor societies). Greek groups were recognized by the Greek Life Office and could be single-sex and select members.

The school can perfectly well set out different rules for different kinds of orgs. And if they thought about it, maybe they would. Because this makes them out to be attacking the NPHC groups, whether that's their intent or not. Did anyone ask any of those chapters if they WANTED 100 members, or if they WANTED a house? It's not necessarily a "failure" of these groups that they don't have those things. The differences between NPC/NIC and NPHC aren't just race - it's different traditions and goals that have developed over 100 years. The school is essentially saying one kind of Greek is better than another.

[fire1977]

lol, and the clouds part in the heavens as the angels sing and fire sheds some light on the subject.....lol okay here is what I think (hoping it's correct) the answer is that you are looking for....

Pitt has a different designation for some student groups. Panhel and IFC are governance groups, which over see the member groups operations. It lets us have more money from the student activity fee. Other organizations also have this status; the Black Action society and most recently the Asian Student Association. By being a member of the governance group we take care of our own affairs to an extent. Individually organizations under the groups can't use our student organization resource center (fax, mail, copies, etc.) Panhel and IFC also have their own office, where some groups only have a cubicle in the union.

NPHC, however, does not constitute a large part of student population and therefore are a student organization. All student organizations are required to have 10 members and a constitution and be registered with the SORC. That's where the 10 persons comes from.