SS/PPS 07.08 - Fraternity and Sorority Life Policies

* POLICY STATEMENTS

1. Texas State University desires to continue its healthy working relationship with the fraternity and sorority life community and all its member organizations.

2. This policy shall be in conformity with the guidelines and procedures for the governance and registration of student organizations, as published in Student Organizations and the Texas State Student Handbook.

DEFINITIONS

1. Fraternity and Sorority Life – a component of the Dean of Students Office (DOS). Fraternity and Sorority Life is a Texas State Student Success office that provides guidance, advising, educational programming, support and assistance for university-recognized social fraternities and sororities and affiliates (e.g., Order of Omega, Programming Board, Fraternal Values Society and Epsilon Lambda Alpha – Emerging Leaders Academy). Fraternity and Sorority Life also serves as a liaison to the surrounding university community and organizational inter/national headquarters regarding the affairs affecting the Texas State social fraternity and sorority community.

2. Social Fraternity and Sorority Chapters – social-, service-, and value-based organizations recognized by the university and chartered by inter/national organizations.

3. Fraternity and Sorority Governing Councils – include the Interfraternity Council (IFC), Multicultural Greek Council (MGC), National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), and Panhellenic Council (PHC). The four governing councils are chartered student organizations under the guidance of the DOS–Fraternity and Sorority Life Office. These self-governing bodies are representative councils for member fraternities and sororities. Fraternity and sorority membership in a governing council will be determined by requirements of the respective council. Maintaining recognition by their respective inter/national organization is required for membership in said council.

4. Interfraternity Council (IFC) – the governing body for men’s collegiate fraternities affiliated with a social- and value-based local chapter of an inter/national organization that has traditionally been associated with the North-American Interfraternal Conference (NIC). Included among its main responsibilities are facilitating membership recruitment in the fall and spring, operating judicial processes, and setting standards for its member fraternities.

5. National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) – the governing body for all fraternities and sororities that are affiliated with the National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc. The council serves as a coordinating body for all social activities, workshops, seminars, and philanthropic work in which its member fraternities and sororities are engaged. Included among its main responsibilities are operating judicial processes and setting standards for its member fraternities and sororities.

6. Panhellenic Council (PHC) – the governing body for all women’s fraternities and sororities affiliated with the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC). It serves as coordinator and sponsor of various educational and social programs and membership recruitment activities, and promotes cooperation among its member organizations. Included among its main responsibilities are operating judicial processes and setting standards for member sororities.

7. Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) – the governing body for all culturally-based fraternities and sororities traditionally associated with the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations, Inc. (NALFO). The council serves as a coordinating body for all social activities, educational programming, and philanthropic work in which its member fraternities and sororities are engaged. Included among its main responsibilities are facilitating membership recruitment in the fall and spring, operating judicial processes, and setting standards for its member fraternities and sororities.

8. Fraternity and Sorority Life Programming Board – a chartered student organization responsible for planning, coordinating, and implementing community-wide programs, including leadership development, community service, philanthropy, and Bobcat Spirit for the Texas State fraternity and sorority community.

9. Fraternal Values Society – a member organization through the Fraternity and Sorority Life Programming Board that engages the fraternity and sorority community in critical conversations focused on assessing cultures, strengthening values, and initiating values-based changes in the fraternity and sorority community, when necessary.

10. Epsilon Lambda Alpha (Emerging Leaders Academy – ELA) – a member organization of the Fraternity and Sorority Life Programming Board that provides new members to the fraternity and sorority community with enhanced learning opportunities for continued personal and communal growth as developing leaders, members of the fraternity and sorority community, and of the Texas State campus as a whole.

11. Order of Omega – a member organization of the Fraternity and Sorority Life Programming Board that recognizes men and women who have attained a high standard of leadership in interfraternal activities and supports outstanding leadership in a fraternity and sorority community on college and university campuses.

PROCEDURES FOR COUNCIL MANAGEMENT

1. DOS will provide guidance and administrative support for the activities of the fraternity and sorority governing councils and their officers, including office and meeting spaces.

2. The fraternity and sorority governing councils shall be registered as chartered student organizations (CSOs) and will follow university policies and practices expected and attributable to a CSO. A CSO is a registered student organization that has been created to support an ongoing interest of the university. CSOs serve to coordinate programs and services and are affiliated with a university office or department (for more information on CSOs, see SS/PPS No. 07.04, Chartered Student Organizations).

3. Each governing council shall maintain a constitution, by-laws, and rules and are expected to abide by their respective governing documents.

4. In accordance with their respective constitutions, by-laws, and rules, officers of the four governing councils are elected representatives of the students they govern. All officers of governing councils must be in good academic and disciplinary standing with the university and their affiliated member organization in order to maintain eligibility to hold office.

5. Each respective governing council’s staff advisors shall actively monitor the conduct of officers related to their official duties while in office and may recommend remediation to the appropriate governing council through the council’s established procedures for executive officer removal from their elected office.

PROCEDURES FOR FRATERNITY AND SORORITY COMMUNITY EXPANSION

1. Before an inter/national fraternity or sorority chapter or colony is officially recognized by the university, they must:

   1. receive preliminary approval from DOS;

   2. fulfill the requirements of a Texas State registered student organization;

   3. be a social- and value-based local chapter recognized by an inter/national organization provided they qualify under the provision of Section 86.14 of the regulations promulgated under Title IX of the U.S. Education Act of 1972, which requires that the organization be exempt from taxation under Section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code; and

   4. fulfill the requirements of the appropriate governing councils’ procedures for membership.

2. Upon the completion of all requirements, official recognition will be granted to the fraternity or sorority by the university through the vice president for Student Success, or designee.

PROCEDURES FOR FRATERNITY OR SORORITY OFFICIAL RECOGNITION

1. The official recognition of each fraternity or sorority at Texas State must be maintained through the organization’s adherence to all university policies and procedures, including those outlined in this policy, the Code of Student Conduct, the Student Organizations Handbook, appropriate governing council constitution, by-laws, and rules and all other related governing documents and policies.

2. Texas State, with due process, may suspend or remove the official recognition of any fraternity or sorority as necessary (see SS/PPS No. 07.06, Student Organization Disciplinary Procedures).

3. All social fraternities and sororities are required to apply for, obtain, and retain membership in one of four recognized governing councils. Membership in a governing council requires that the member organization be in compliance with all rules and activities as interpreted by said governing council.

4. Texas State does not allow and will not recognize opposite gender auxiliary (little sister or brother) organizations. Recognized fraternities and sororities are prohibited from recruiting new members for, supporting of, or recognizing auxiliary student organizations.

5. Texas State will hold social fraternities and sororities officially recognized by the university accountable to Texas State’s requirements of a registered student organization, as well as any requirements implemented by their governing council. Governing councils are encouraged to adopt academic performance standards consistent with their national organizations and associated governance groups. Governing councils must enforce accountability on their member organizations including for unsatisfactory scholarship, or risk loss of recognition by the university. Further, all social fraternities and sororities must maintain any scholarship requirements required of all student organizations on campus as defined by university policy.

RIGHTS OF OFFICIALLY-RECOGNIZED SOCIAL FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS

1. Officially-registered and -recognized fraternities and sororities shall have the right to recruit new members from the Texas State student body, through periods facilitated by their governing council.

   1. Chapters shall report the name and Texas State ID number of each new member on the new member form provided by the DOS–Fraternity and Sorority Life Office. New members must be reported to the DOS–Fraternity and Sorority Life Office within five class days of affiliation with the organization.

   2. Officially-recognized fraternities and sororities may offer entry to student membership only to currently enrolled students who are in good academic and disciplinary standing with Texas State. Students who are on academic probation or who are early admit students concurrently enrolled in a high school, are not eligible for membership and may not be offered membership. Fraternities and sororities may only offer membership to those students who meet their governing council’s minimum grade point average requirement. The DOS–Fraternity and Sorority Life Office will provide member organizations a potential new member’s eligibility as defined above upon request in a timely manner.

2. Officially-recognized fraternities and sororities may raise funds on and off the campus of Texas State in accordance with university policies. If raising funds on campus, they must follow all solicitation, posting, and reservation policies.

3. Officially-recognized fraternities and sororities will have the privilege of utilizing university facilities for meetings, functions, programs, and other appropriate activities provided that proper reservation forms are completed. Failure to comply with facility use guidelines may restrict an organization from future use of that facility and other related facilities.

4. Officially-recognized fraternities and sororities will have the privilege of participating as a group, or in collaboration with other groups, in university-sponsored activities and programs. Good behavior and proper conduct will be expected at all times during these activities, and the organization will be responsible for monitoring its members in attendance.

5. Officially-recognized fraternities and sororities will have the right of sponsoring and hosting social functions, parties, and other similar events while in compliance with the requirements stipulated by their national organizations and the DOS-Fraternity and Sorority Life Office.

   1. Activities must comply with the risk management guidelines specified by the organization’s inter/national governing board and their respective governing council.

   2. The possession or use of alcoholic beverages or other drugs must be consistent with university policies and with all applicable federal, state, county, and city laws and ordinances.

   3. Member organizations will be held accountable for their actions when the sponsoring organization violates Texas State University System (TSUS) Board of Regents’ Rules and Regulations, university policy, or administrative rule when at a registered organizational event as defined by its governing council.

   4. An organizational event, excluding events sponsored by the university (e.g., tailgate, sporting events, and guest speakers) will be defined as one when the event is:

      1. attended by 50 percent of membership;

      2. paid for using organizational funds or organized collection of funds by the organization members; or

      3. marketed by the organization, including the organization listed as a host or sponsor, including the use of the fraternity or sorority’s distinctive Greek letters, trademarks, or trade names such as nicknames used to identify the organization.

PROCEDURE FOR SOCIAL FRATERNITY AND SORORITY ORGANIZATION REGISTRATION

1. All officially-recognized fraternities and sororities at Texas State must register and update chapter information with DOS on an annual basis at the end of every spring semester, in accordance with the Student Organization Handbook.

   1. Chapter Information Updates – Fraternities and sororities will provide all information requested concerning the officers and advisors of the organization and general chapter information using the forms provided by DOS.

   2. Membership Rosters – Fraternities and sororities will provide updated information on the current status of their members. Organizations will bear the responsibility of updating their rosters with DOS any time a change occurs between reporting periods, but no later than the first day of semester finals. These records will be used to calculate organization grade reports each semester.

PROCEDURE FOR GOVERNING COUNCIL MEMBER REVIEW OF OFFICIAL RECOGNITION

1. Any need to review the official recognition of a member organization will follow disciplinary procedures outlined in SS/PPS No. 07.06, Student Organization Disciplinary Procedures. The inter/national headquarters, registered alumni advisory board, and Texas State faculty or staff advisor may need to be part of the disciplinary process.

REVIEWERS OF THIS PPS

1. Reviewers of this PPS include the following:

   Position	Date
   Assistant Dean of Students–Fraternity and Sorority Life	September 1 E4Y
   Associate Dean of Students	September 1 E4Y

CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

This PPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents Texas State Student Success policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.

Assistant Dean of Students–Fraternity and Sorority Life; senior reviewer of this PPS

Associate Dean of Students

Associate Vice President for Student Success and Dean of Students

Vice President for Student Success