Online survey seeks ideas for implementing freshman Greek ban

The committee of students, faculty and staff formed to develop procedures for administering the ban on Princeton freshman participation in fraternities and sororities is encouraging members of the campus community to complete an online survey to share ideas and suggestions for implementing the policy.

The Committee on Freshman Greek Rush Policy will collect responses from the survey and hold focus groups as part of their efforts to gather input from all members of the Princeton University community, including alumni. The survey requires log-in authentication, but all responses will be anonymous.

President Shirley M. Tilghman appointed the 11-member committee in early October as one of six groups established to help implement recommendations from students, faculty and staff who participated in two recent initiatives to examine social and residential life and undergraduate women's leadership.

The Committee on Freshman Greek Rush Policy was charged to consult widely to arrive at clear policies for administering the prohibition on freshmen affiliation with a sorority or fraternity during the freshmen year, and on students in the other three classes conducting or having any responsibility on behalf of any Greek organization for any form of rush or solicitation in which freshmen participate or are invited to participate. The ban will take effect in fall 2012.

The survey asks respondents to consider such areas as the kinds of activities the ban should and should not prohibit; fair, appropriate and effective penalties for ensuring compliance with the policy; and suggestions for communicating with students about the kinds of activities and interactions prohibited under the policy.

Princeton students and employees will use Internet log-in IDs to access the survey, while alumni will use their log-in information for the TigerNet Services online alumni resource. The survey is available on the Office for the Dean of Undergraduate Students website, or at http://odusapps.princeton.edu/rush/.

Survey responses will be collected until 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2. The committee, which is chaired by Dean of Undergraduate Students Kathleen Deignan, will present recommendations to Tilghman and Vice President for Campus Life Cynthia Cherrey in early spring.