Following the lead of another system school, UNC-Chapel Hill officials say they will revisit the option of pushing freshman rush from fall to spring semester.

Jay Anhorn, director of UNC-CH Greek affairs, said he will urge the Chancellor's Committee on Greek Affairs to study the deferred rush option this year.

"We will definitely look at it," Anhorn said. "Other universities are turning to it, so it would be worthwhile."

The committee conducted a similar study in 1996, weighing the pros and cons of deferred rush. The committee decided not to implement deferred rush for UNC Greek organizations.

The committee decided against deferment because the policy would have singled out Greek organizations. In the name of equality, UNC would have had to prevent freshmen from joining any student groups during their first semester.

Ultimately, the committee concluded that each student knows best when to rush.

But at least one other UNC-system school has already moved to prevent first semester freshman from rushing. Appalachian State University announced last December that it would adopt a deferred rush policy.

Dino DiBernardi, director of the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership, said Appalachian's Greek organizations implemented deferred rush this fall.

DiBernardi said freshmen who rush during their first semester tend to have lower grade point averages and exhibit less cognitive development than those who rush later or not at all.

He added that rushing in the spring gives first-year students a chance to settle into college life and figure out which organizations best fit their needs. "They can look for organizations that promote the philosophies they are looking for," DiBernardi said, adding that "the organizations can find out more about the freshmen and be more informed about the kind of students that are rushing."

Anhorn said UNC-CH is revisiting the deferred rush option in part because of Appalachian's move.

But Dean Blackburn, chairman of the committee, said reconsidering deferment does not reflect outside influences.

"This issue has been prompted by committee members' interest in doing what is best for the students," he said. "It represents our ongoing commitment to the quality of Greek life."

The committee will more than likely follow usual protocol and form a special task force to study the pros and cons of deferment, Blackburn said.

Anhorn said that, in addition to deferment, the committee will look at delayed rush, which would push rush -- which now occurs in the first couple weeks of classes -- back in the fall semester.

Delayed rush would give freshmen a chance to settle into college life, he said.

But Anhorn acknowledged that freshmen often gain a great deal from Greek rush early in the semester. "The best thing about (Greek life) is the sense of belonging," he said. "It cuts 16,000 undergrads to about 100. It's overwhelming."

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