UW-Madison announced they will conduct an external review of fraternity and sorority life on campus in order to increase safety and better the overall student experience of these organizations.
The university will work with students, alumni, stakeholders and national experts to review the overall quality of Greek life on campus this spring. The team will work to assess different aspects of the fraternity and sorority community, including diversity and inclusion, membership experience and student safety, along with others.
According to a statement released by UW-Madison, the purpose of the external review is to assess, clarify and strengthen the relationship between the university and the fraternity and sorority community, which has been present on campus since 1857.
During the external review, materials such as the campus climate survey, the Color of Drinking survey and grade reports will also be examined.
Currently, there are 60 fraternity and sorority chapters on the UW-Madison campus, with 4,500 students members making up the Greek community.
Many of the chapter houses are located on Langdon Street, a commonly reported location of campus assaults. In the last week, two assaults have been reported on Langdon Street, causing increased police patrolling of the area.
However, UW-Madison officials said the external review is not in response to a certain incident or issue.
“Our shared goal is for students to be healthy and safe and for fraternities and sororities to contribute positively to the campus community,” said Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Lori Reesor. “This review is intended to increase safety in our community and to elevate to a new standard of excellence.”
Following the external review, a final report and a solutions recommendation list is expected to be released in the summer of 2019, with action planning scheduled for later in the year.
