The Cornell Interfraternity Council (IFC) has adopted a comprehensive set of rules to govern how its 29 member houses will recruit new members. The new rules were adopted last week at a meeting of a council composed of all house presidents.
Cornell fraternities offer housing, dining, social, alumni networking, and personal development opportunities, with each housing having different strengths and personalities. The new rules address how students can learn what each fraternity has to offer and select the house that best suits the student’s needs and goals.
The new plan maximizes opportunities for prospective members to visit the houses without feeling undue pressure to decide in a short period of time. Under the new rules, freshmen and transfer students are encouraged to visit fraternities throughout the academic year. It also creates roles for Recruitment Counselors to advise students as they visit houses and ultimately reach their decision.
The present system of formal rush which is held for transfer students in September and freshmen students in January will be retained. However, it will be placed in a context of allowing prospective members to get to know their options prior to the start of this process.
“The rules provide a better opportunity for brothers to get to know prospective members, and for prospective members to make an informed decision when they join a fraternity,” said Rocco DeLorzeno ‘24, IFC President.
Based upon these rules, male students can indicate interest in participating at the IFC website www.cornellifc.org.
“This is an excellent example of a group of students showing thoughtful policymaking in a voluntary act of responsible self-governance,” said John Yerger ‘82, Alumni IFC President.
The new rules will be enforced by the IFC through an internal judicial process.
Fraternities, as with all Cornell-related organizations, are subject to the New York State Education Law, which prohibits the use of alcohol and drugs in the recruitment, onboarding, or initiation of new members. Cornell-related organizations cannot discriminate when selecting members, and fraternities welcome members from diverse backgrounds.
Most fraternities operate in privately-owned houses, but some have houses on land leased from Cornell or in buildings owned by Cornell.
