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Psi U
Vice-President Tim Radcliff '07 and the other brothers of
Psi U decided to make the house off campus instead of
being forced to go co-ed.
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Working with new program housing rules, two fraternities have
had to alter their previous policies. Not allowing women to live
in its house has forced Psi Upsilon (Psi U) off campus while Delta
Kappa Epsilon (DKE) has actively recruited females, and been
granted on-campus status.
Program house consideration is especially important next year as
the number of students granted off-campus housing has decreased
from approximately 200 students to an estimated 45, according to
Rich DeCapua, the Assistant Director of Residential Life.
"Fraternities must meet program housing status to be allowed
to remain on-campus," DeCapua said. "The University
policy is that all housing must be equal and equitable. We do not
exclude parts of the student body for any reason."
Psi U remained a program house until now even though it did not
allow female boarders because brothers and key alums had asked for
a grace period this year to resolve the coed question while
remaining on campus, according to Michael Whaley, Dean of the
College. When they made the decision not to go coed, the brothers
were aware of the cost.
"Nationally Psi U has chapters that are coed," Whaley
said. "They have chosen to exclude women here. And including
women has always been a criterion of program housing. The basic
philosophy is that any student who wishes to be a part of a
program house should have that option."
Psi U contends that it is not trying to exclude females and that
its main priority is maintaining the right to self-determination.
"We want to make the decision to become coed ourselves. We
don't want it imposed and we've decided that now is just not the
time," said Tim Radcliff '07, Psi U's Vice President.
According to Radcliff, current brothers and alum discussed the
issue and expressed mixed sentiments.
Radcliff also asserted that the question of boarders did not focus
on excluding females; rather space was the main consideration. Psi
U can only house 18 brothers at a time, which they easily fill
each year. Psi U is also fortunate enough to have alums that are
willing to contribute enough financial support that the fraternity
does not have to be concerned about the money they will be losing.
The substantial decrease in the number of students who will be
allowed off-campus means that brothers will have to pay for
on-campus housing and then squat at Psi U.
"About half of the active brothers live in the house and they
will have the extra space," Radcliff said. "How they
choose to use each space is their own decision."
According to DeCapua, the University is not concerned at this time
by the possibility of students having two rooms. Since this is the
first year this phenomenon has been an issue, he said, that the
administration will have to wait and see in the fall how things
develop.
"[Psi U] was an excellent program house," Whaley said.
"They contributed a lot to the campus. I would hope that they
will return."
DKE, on the other hand, lacking Psi U's financial resources,
fought to regain on-campus status. After being kicked off campus
last year, it has been allowed to return on the basis of two
conditions— first, that the house be open to female borders and
second, that fraternity brothers reexamine their alcohol
violations and organize community service initiatives.
This agreement meant that DKE had to actively recruit women to
live in the house. With the assistance of Residential Life,
brothers hung fliers around campus and went into classes to
encourage female applicants. In total three women applied to live
in DKE and in fall 2006, one will be a resident.
"There are many advantages associated with being a program
house," said Matt Barbera '07, Vice-President of DKE.
"Most importantly, it ensures that the house is filled,
ensuring it income. And without income it's hard to exist as a
fraternity."
According to Whaley, Beta, which is also off-campus, is a
completely different story because it has not made any effort to
return to campus. For the last few years, he notes, the fraternity
has distanced itself from the University. If it wanted to become a
program house again students would have to adhere to the same
criteria.
While next year's off-campus policy appears to make it more
difficult for fraternities, Psi U, DKE, and Beta maintain that
their recruitment has not suffered. Each organization has a long
history on campus and believes that it will continue to thrive.
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