Starting this summer, Amherst College will no longer allow its students to join fraternities, sororities and other organizations like them.
Students were informed of the policy change on Tuesday via email, reports the Huffington Post. At the same time, the school’s board of trustees also reaffirmed a 30-year-old policy barring formal recognition of sororities and fraternities.
Until now, Amherst has allowed Greek organizations to operate as long as they stayed off campus.
The change was prompted by a student who filed at Title IX complaint against the college last year, saying secretive fraternities created a sexually hostile environment. Additionally, Amherst’s Sexual Misconduct Oversight Committee recommended a review of underground Greek organizations.
The prohibition will go into effect July 1 and will be outlined in the school’s honor code, reports Boston.com. Students who violate the code could be expelled or suspended.
Amherst College is one of 55 U.S. institutions of higher education under investigation by the Department of Education for possible Title IX sexual violence violations.
By Daderot (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons
