The Inter−Greek Council (IGC) is in the process of reestablishing the Fraternity and Sorority Judicial (FSJ) Board, following the board's absence this year.
The FSJ Board, which handles judicial cases involving fraternities and sororities, has not been used this year. Judicial Affairs Officer Veronica Carter said that the board has always been a part of Greek policy but fell out of use when the director of fraternity and sorority affairs position was left vacant after former director Patrick Romero−Aldaz resigned in August.
Sophomore Jake Schiller, IGC vice president of governance and Sigma Phi Epsilon president, has been spearheading the project, which has involved reviewing and streamlining procedures.
"It's an attempt to revamp [the FSJ Board], put on a little new polish," he said. "We're going back, looking at the organization … as well as the protocol, cleaning things up and making it a little more organized."
IGC President Andrew McGowan, a junior, explained that the board will hear cases involving the violation of university rules by fraternity and sorority chapters as a whole.
"It's basically set up [for cases in which] an entire house is implicated for something so that they have an avenue for their case to be heard among members of the Greek community," McGowan said. "The actions of an individual who happens to be a member of the Greek community would be taken off to other judicial processes."
Carter said that the board will enforce university policies as well as rules set forth in the IGC constitution. She echoed McGowan in emphasizing that the Division of Student Affairs will handle any cases involving individuals.
"All cases come to my office, and only the ones that pertain to a fraternity or sorority as a whole will go to [the FSJ Board]," she said.
Schiller feels that the reestablishment of the board will give the Greek community more ownership over its governance.
"It's meant to hold the [fraternities] responsible for what its members are doing on its behalf," he said. "It's an opportunity for the Greek community to grow in both autonomy and influence in the school."
The IGC, in conjunction with Carter and Dean of Student Affairs Bruce Reitman, are still in the process of working out the board's protocol and functions, according to Schiller.
"It's still a little unclear; we're trying to [define] what kinds of cases come before it, what are we supposed to do as opposed to the [Tufts Community Union] Judiciary, and what policies we use," Schiller said.
It has been established, however, that cases coming before the FSJ Board will be heard by five randomly chosen board members. McGowan stressed that board members will never be involved with a case involving their own chapter. "No member should have to hear a case about their own house," he said.
McGowan and Schiller have been working with Carter to equip new members to serve on the board. "We're still in the process of training and inducting members," Schiller said. "It's an ongoing process."
To date, seven chosen fraternity representatives have attended daylong training sessions with Carter intended to give them an idea of the policies and procedures involved. More training sessions are being planned.
"We sit down with the new members and go over the policies that are going to be used … which follow the same guidelines as the student [judicial] handbook," Schiller said.
Representatives from Delta Upsilon, Alpha Phi and Alpha Omicron Pi have yet to be chosen, according to Schiller.
McGowan added that about 20 members of the Greek community have been interviewed for board positions and that more interviews have been scheduled. He expressed a desire to have a representative from every Tufts chapter on the board.
"When all is said and done, we should have a member from each fraternity and sorority," McGowan said. "We'd like to have every [chapter] represented so that we get a body that's pretty diverse."
Although details are being finalized, McGowan said that FSJ Board members are already prepared to handle cases. "We're ready to go, we're ready to use it if we need to," he said.
Schiller believes that the reinstatement of the FSJ Board signifies growth in the Greek community. "It shows that we are respectful and mature [institutions]," he said.
