By Brandon Fey, News Editor
On Tuesday, April 15, the campus community received an email from Vice President for College Life Anne Ehrlich regarding the College’s decision to expand recruiting for social fraternities and sororities on campus to students during the spring semester of their first year. The current policy allows students to rush greek life organizations beginning in the fall semester of their sophomore year.
She explained that the College has been in the process of reviewing the current recruitment policy, having received requests from students to “expand social opportunities on campus.”
Over the past eight months, the College has analyzed national data, trends among peer institutions and stakeholder insight when determining the new policy.
The change will be implemented through a two-year pilot program that will begin in the upcoming 2025-26 academic year. It will involve regular assessment of student and institutional success, increased training for chapter leaders and advisors, and additional education for new members that is focused on building academic skills. Students who decide to rush during the spring of their first year will also be required to have a minimum 2.5 grade point average (the minimum shall remain 2.2 for non-first-year students).
The discussions on this proposal were initially announced by Director of Student Activities and Greek Life Jon Allen before the Student Senate on March 17. The faculty discussed the proposal during their April 3 meeting.
“It is also important to note that this change is one of several designed to enhance and diversify students’ social opportunities, including reducing barriers to creating student organizations, updating policies to allow students more latitude in and ownership of their social experience, expanding access to social spaces like The Attic, and creating new social spaces in the Plank Basement,” Ehrlich stated.
Questions and concerns should be directed to Jon Allen at jallen@gettysburg.edu.
