As greek life expands at IU, the University has decided to expand with it.
The Dean of Students, Student Life and Learning and IU Real Estate have opened up a two-step process for any chapter interested in purchasing or leasing land on university ?property.
Last year, Thomas Morrison, vice president of capital planning and facilities, made a public announcement that land would be made available for greek housing expansion.
As of now, a location for the open lots has not been confirmed.
Possibilities include the tennis courts on Jordan Avenue and Law Lane or Linglebach Lane behind Fraternity Row, said Judy Downey, greek alumni coordinator.
The decision will ultimately be up to Morrison and IU Real Estate.
In the meantime, chapters may begin the lengthy vetting process through SLL.
Chapters who wish to move further in the housing process must provide a series of letters and documentation. They then must meet with SLL and the Alumni Board and, finally, meet with Dean of Students Harold Goldsmith, Assistant Dean of Students Steve Veldkamp and the SLL Greek Team before receiving a letter of recommendation from SLL.
The vetting process to be eligible for property in the program will focus primarily on the internal structure of the chapter, specifically the implementation of the five pillars of excellence, Downey said.
The five pillars include values of integration, intellectual development and academic support, brotherhood and sisterhood, leadership development and civic engagement.
“We want them to be excelling within each one of those five pillars,” Downey said.
“It doesn’t have to be that they’re the top, but they do have to show that they have a program in place for all of those five pillars and that they are working towards that goal of academic excellence and civil engagement excellence, etc.”
Although the greek expansion plan is open to both chapters with and without current houses, it is a result of the growing number of off-campus chapters.
This fall, IU will be home to 74 chapters, with only 39 of them being housed, Downey said.
But with new property comes new responsibility, especially financially. Any chapter that is approved through SLL will go on to communicate with IU Real Estate.
IU Real Estate will have final approval of the building plans but the chapter will completely fund the construction on their ?property .
“Essentially it’s proving that we have the financial backing and the proper chapter management to take on a house because it is a really big responsibility,” said Zach Jones, Phi Kappa Sigma president.
For chapters like Phi Kappa Sigma it will take more than just raising the money, though.
Many chapters will be raising their standards with higher GPA’s, recruitment boosts and increased alumni involvement.
“This is a great opportunity that the Student Life and Learning offices are providing for us,” Jones said. “The fact that our university is actually supporting greek life and trying to get it to grow is very rare on a national level.”
