In the eyes of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, new member education, commonly known as pledging, officially ends before spring break. But despite University regulations, the process continues unofficially at a number of fraternities.
New member education, the process by which students become acquainted with the history and traditions of a Greek organization, aims to “provide members with the necessary tools to continue [their] chapter’s development on campus,” Wharton junior and Interfraternity Council President Christian Lunoe wrote in an e-mail.
The North American Interfraternity Conference — an organization of over 70 national fraternities — suggests that fraternities limits new member education to six weeks. All but two of Penn’s IFC chapters are part of the conference.
At Penn this rule became strictly enforced several years ago when the dean of the School of Arts and Sciences mandated it. Faculty members had become increasingly concerned that new member education was affecting students’ grades, according to OFSA Director Scott Reikofski.
Though Reikofski said no specific fraternities are being investigated this year, chapters that violated the rule in the past were investigated by OFSA and put on probation. Typically, the IFC Judicial Inquiry Board is informed and chapters work with OFSA to put together a behavioral contract.
“The problem is that chapters feel like they know better,” Reikofski said. Although “fraternities and sororities are supposed to be about honor and values,” chapters that continue new member education past the deadline are “doing their new members a big disservice” by encouraging them to lie about when the process ends, he said.
Lunoe declined to comment on whether the IFC agreed with the six-week limit to new member education, but he added that the rule “is nearly impossible to change even if we wanted to do so.”
New member education is “an emotional and physical drain,” said one College freshman, who wished to remain anonymous to avoid breeding hostility between his fraternity and OFSA. He added that although it would be “awesome” to end by spring break, “six weeks is not enough time to solidify friendships.”
“The fact that new member education goes on longer than it’s supposed to gives it an ominous sense of brotherhood. It makes it more than a school club,” said a College sophomore, who also wished to remain anonymous as he was told by his fraternity not to speak about new member education.
He added that since Penn “requires more from its students,” new fraternity members are often caught in schedule conflicts that prevent new member education from ending within six weeks.
Reikofski said fraternities and sororities are encouraged to petition for an exception to the six-week rule should they feel that more time is needed for new member education activities. However, chapters often create a “difficult situation” by misrepresenting themselves.
Lunoe said fraternities and sororities can petition when their national organization has become involved with new member education.
Panhellenic Council President and College junior Darby Nelson said sororities are also required to complete new member education before spring break, unless they receive an individual exception. However, she said she was unsure whether any sororities asked for an exception to the rule this year.
“It’s frustrating that as hard as we try to work with students, students don’t want to work with us,” Reikofski said. “I don’t know if there would be any effective way of addressing many of the issues, other than placing an officer in the fraternities.”
“The main thing I need to know is what chapter is doing this,” he added, saying that OFSA is “more than happy” to take anonymous phone calls and e-mails about fraternities violating University regulations.
