Commission keeps assigned housing, changed rush plan

Implementation to begin soon A spring rush freshman year and a delay in the implementation of an assigned housing plan for freshmen are the two major changes in the final draft of the Commission on Strengthening the Community's report, published in today's Alamanac. The release of the Commission's preliminary report caused a storm of controversy on campus when it recommended all Greek rush be moved to first semester sophomore year and freshmen be assigned to residences, effectively taking away choice in housing. Greek organizations contested the Commission's sophomore rush recommendation on the grounds that it was punishing them unfairly because of the negative image associated with fraternities. The Interfraternity Council argued that this bad image was unjustified and that the sophomore rush proposal would eliminate many chapters financial viability which is often based on sophomores living in chapter houses. The assigned housing recommendation drew criticism from various groups who felt that it prevented students from living in college house programs and advocated randomized housing. Many were especially concerned that the recommendation was targeted at the predominately African-American W.E.B. DuBois College House, which receives much of its financial and programmatic support from freshmen living in the house. By modifying these two controversial recommendations, the Commission hopes to prove that it was listening to the University community and fulfilling its purpose of providing the framework for a more harmonious campus. "We heard from a lot of people during the comment period after the interim report was issued," Commission Chairperson Gloria Chisum said last night. "We have tried to take into account as many of those comments as possible and still express what we felt was appropriate for Pennsylvania at this time." Under the final report's recommendations, the provost is instructed to form a committee to study "a variety of models for assigning students to housing and design a new model for assigning housing to take effect for a trial period 1996-97 to 2001-2002." In the explanation following the recommendation, the Commission report states that freshmen should be allowed to "state a preference" for a living-learning program or college house, although not all students may have this preference granted. The Commission report also recommends that the provost "direct immediately that no fraternity or sorority rush occur the first semester of the first year, and that future rush and pledge periods be as short as feasible and compatible with the housing plan that is developed." In the explanation, the report states that the IFC should institute its own recommended "grade requirement for eligibility to pledge and live in a chapter house." It also states that the IFC should also follow-up on its own suggestion that faculty members be recruited as advisors for every chapter and that academic programs be expanded in the houses. The changes in the assigned housing recommendation were enough to convince Commission member Samuel Klausner, a sociology professor, to withdraw his minority opinion which accompanied the preliminary report. "I withdrew the opinion because [the report] no longer insists on assigned housing without choice," he said last night. "Obviously there was some sentiment on the committee for staying with the original language but the consensus was to change it." Klausner added the "consistent and well-crafted" opposition to assigned housing from students living in DuBois College House won over the majority of Commission members. Interim University President Claire Fagin applauded the final Commission report last night, describing it as "a blueprint for building Penn's future." "One of the things which I think is most impressive is that it is an example, that this is a group that listened and the myth that what students say doesn't matter is just that, a myth," Fagin said. Interim Provost Marvin Lazerson said he was also impressed with the Commission's work, adding that he thought the changes were "wise" and "clearly reflect the Commission listened to students."