Many national fraternities have taken definitive action and enacted alcohol-free housing policies. Some of these colleges still have 'underground' fraternities, which reside off-campus. Some colleges have gone so far as to ban fraternities from campus, including Williams, Amherst, Bowdoin, Middlebury, and Colby, all members of the New England Small College Athletic Conference. Independent studies consistently show that members of fraternities and sororities experience higher incidences of alcohol abuse than non-members and are more likely to be binge drinkers. The NIC has no official governing or judicial power over its member fraternities to enforce its standards, however.
The organization has passed a new set of standards this year that 'will propel fraternities to be who we say we are' and includes guidelines on communicating to members information on alcohol consumption, sexual assault, hazing, and values and ethics. The word 'fraternity' brings to mind the alcohol-fueled debauchery of the classic college film Animal House, but fraternities across the nation, Tufts included, are attempting to change that image.Īccording to the North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), an organization that oversees communication between over 60 national fraternities, 'the 20th century fraternity is no more.'
