Ball State IFC 'pause' coming to an end

<p>The sun shines on a Riverside street sign off of Ball States campus on Oct. 25 in Muncie, Ind. Thirteen IFC fraternity organizations, some housed on Riverside Avenue are under probation from hosting or co-hosting social events with or without alcohol until Jan. 31 after reports of behavior that does not follow university guidelines. <strong>Grace Hollars, DN</strong></p>

The sun shines on a Riverside street sign off of Ball States campus on Oct. 25 in Muncie, Ind. Thirteen IFC fraternity organizations, some housed on Riverside Avenue are under probation from hosting or co-hosting social events with or without alcohol until Jan. 31 after reports of behavior that does not follow university guidelines. Grace Hollars, DN

After three months, the Interfraternity Council "pause" is in its final hours.

In a university-wide email, vice president Kay Bales stated that the pause — which prohibited all 13 IFC fraternities from hosting any social events with or without alcohol — will be lifted for 12 of those fraternities Feb. 1.

According to The Star Press, the pause remains in effect for Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji), but is expected to be lifted within a couple of days.

While the pause was in effect, members of the 13 fraternities were required to review policies and attend educational sessions relating to alcohol consumption and sexual assault. According to Bales, more than 800 individuals attended these training sessions.

In October 2017, the IFC fraternities made a “collaborative agreement” with the university following a pattern of behavior that spokesperson Kathy Wolf said was “unacceptable" to the university.

"The goal is to be proactive in ensuring Ball State University is a safe community," Bales said in the Jan. 31 email. "And, it's working."

Bales claimed there was "a sharp drop" in reports filed by the Office of Greek Life related to alcohol, fighting, hazing, excessive noise or sexual misconduct while the pause went into effect. 

Although the collaborative agreement is coming to an end, Bales added in her email that a Task Force on Greek Culture was created and includes chapter advisors, alumni and presidents from the IFC, Panhellenic Association and National Pan-Hellenic Council. The task force will include members of all Greek organizations and be responsible for conducting semesterly policy and procedural reviews, as well as providing feedback on risk management practices.

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