Officials tout success of hazing rules

As the Interfraternity Council pledge period came to a close Wednesday, officials said new regulations helped decrease hazing.

While it is impossible to monitor all fraternity activities, no major violations were reported to the Greek Judicial Board, said IFC President Walker Rutherfurd.

The IFC came under fire last spring, but with a new Code of Conduct in place that forbids personal servitude and hazing, officials said they are pleased with this semester's progress.

"I think we've made tremendous strides with the IFC leadership and chapter leadership," said Jim Tatum, chairman of the UNC Fraternity Alumni Advisers Committee. "It's about getting individual leadership in each chapter to accept the need for change."

The IFC held a grand chapter meeting to emphasize strict enforcement of the guidelines. Each pledge and fraternity member signed the code, promising to obey the rules.

Rutherfurd and Will Robinson, vice president of public relations for the IFC, said the meeting effectively outlined and explained the changes.

"I definitely think that all the effort we put into the (code) created a positive atmosphere change," Robinson said.

Officials now will evaluate the semester and determine whether the policy was successful.

"From what I can tell, it has had a positive impact," said Jim Gray, alumni adviser of Delta Kappa Epsilon. "The number of complaints, rumors or allegations about hazing has gone way down."

Jean Kitchin, a member of the UNC Board of Trustees who had advocated for changes to the IFC last spring, said she hasn't heard any complaints thus far.

Officials said the changes could make the IFC more attractive and ultimately allow it to recruit more members. Both rush and pledge numbers have increased since last year.

"People felt more assured there wouldn't be widespread hazing during the pledge process," Gray said.

Rutherfurd said officials should be confident that the pledge process will continue to improve.

"Now it is important for us to focus on the changes we have made and allow them to sink in instead of enacting further changes designed to revamp the entire system."

The Fraternity Alumni Advisers Committee will meet with officials next week to begin the review.

"We've gotten through the fall successfully and headed in the right direction," Tatum said. "Now we need to do a forensic review of what was going on the ground."

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