After several fraternities have been punished this semester for alleged misconduct, Texas Tech University announced a task force will be created to monitor Greek organizations on campus; a plan that resembles a program Tech President M. Duane Nellis utilized at his previous school.
On Wednesday, Tech released a statement saying the task force will review current policies, procedures and programs associated with Greek life on campus.
Chris Cook, managing director of communications and marketing, said there is not much information on how the task force will work at this point in time. Senior Vice President and Vice Provost Juan Munoz will lead the task force, and members will be chosen this semester. Cook said the group will research and plan this semester and will begin implementing new policies and procedures in the spring.
Tech President M. Duane Nellis said recent events have caused alarm in the Tech community, causing the need to look at Greek organizations.
“We have recently faced serious concerns and issues that must be addressed immediately,” Nellis said in a statement. “Our purpose is to provide our students a safe and productive learning and campus life environment, and I look forward to the recommendations of the task force to assist us in reinforcing a culture of discipline and citizenship.”
Nellis implemented a similar plan at his former school, the University of Idaho. In February 2013, Nellis announced two task forces at UI, one to evaluate alcohol and substance abuse on campus and another to look at the university’s fraternities and sororities.
The task forces at UI continued their mission after Nellis came to Tech. According to an article on The Argonaut, UI’s student publication, the task force found a need for a better relationship between the university and the interfraternity council. The same article reported that the point of the task force was to target individuals, not specific organizations.
The UI dean of students, Bruce Pitman, said in a phone interview that the task force worked closely with the fraternities and sororities on campus to ensure everyone was pleased with the outcome.
“When we brought the task force together, even the student leaders could see that the people who were on the task force had the best interest of the Greek system and the university in mind,” Pitman said. “That they weren’t adversaries, but they were trying to help the university find a way forward that would help both the Greek system and the university.”
Pitman said several incidents happened involving Greek organizations that prompted the task force to be created. Pitman said students were initially concerned about the impact the task force would have on Greek culture, but in the end, everyone seemed pleased with the results.
“It was a very healthy and needed process on our campus,” Pitman said, “and the end result was positive because I think it was fundamentally quite collaborative. I know that President Nellis felt that it was an important step that needed to be taken here, and I think that for a variety of reasons it worked well.”
The task force at Tech has been created in light of recent incidents involving Tech fraternities. Phi Gamma Delta is under a recruitment ban after pictures of a partially nude female student taken by a 2013 pledge were leaked online. On August 24, incoming freshman Dalton Debrick died from alcohol poisoning at a house party related to Alpha Sigma Phi bid night activities. Alpha Sigma Phi has since been suspended by their national organization.
This past weekend, Phi Delta Theta received national criticism for an inappropriate banner at a party. Phi Delta Theta’s operations have been suspended while Tech and the national organization investigates the incident. A person close to the fraternity who asked not to be identified by name said two members have been suspended by the chapter in relation to the event.
The Texas Tech Interfraternity Council declined to comment for this story.
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