BOULDER, Colo.—Fraternity membership at the University of Colorado is still climbing, even though the Interfraternity Council lost its affiliation with the school two years ago.
In fall 2005, during fraternities’ first year as independent groups, recruitment numbers rose 18 percent from the year before. Last year, new membership rose 22 percent. The Interfraternity Council expects another jump this year.
Fraternities began operating as independent groups after the Interfraternity Council refused in 2005 to agree to reforms put forward by CU administrators, including a demand for rush or recruitment to be delayed from the fall to the spring.
University administrators said first-year students should have time to acclimate to university life before deciding whether to join a fraternity. More than 100 schools around the country have similar rush guidelines. Fraternity leaders worried a delay would cost them enrollment dues and hurt recruitment.
Fraternities’ refusal to sign on to the reforms led to the loss of privileges held by groups recognized by CU, including discounted office and meeting space on campus and access to student lists for recruitment.
Fraternity leaders have coped by recruiting new members through the social networking Web site Facebook, distributing a Greek Life magazine on campus, passing out fliers and leaving chalk messages on campus walkways, said Marc Stine, a Greek advocate hired by the Interfraternity Council.
In spring 2006, the Interfraternity Council loosened recruiting rules so chapters could look for new members year-round.
This fall, there are 90 new members who were netted from the continuous recruitment.
There are 686 returning active members in the 15 chapters this fall, or 80 more than at the same time last year. New pledges were accepting fraternity membership offers Sunday.
Stine said there were 1,300 visits to fraternity houses this week, a 36 percent increase from last year.
———
Information from: Camera,
