PRINCETON — Any freshman at Princeton University who joins, rushes or pledges a fraternity or sorority this fall faces suspension.
The ban even extends to first-year students joining the Greek organizations’ Facebook groups or any other social media website, Princeton president Shirley Tilghman said.
“Rather than leaving this issue ambiguous, the committee decided to make it explicit that the ban included electronic solicitations,” Tilghman told student newspaper The Daily Princetonian.
Any student who helps freshmen participate in a fraternity or sorority also faces suspension, the president said.
The Ivy League university has a long-running policy not to officially recognize the Greek organizations as officials feel they promote social exclusion and excessive alcohol consumption.
Last year, the university announced it would ban first-year students from taking part in such activities effective Sept. 1, but it was left to Princeton’s Greek Life Implementation Committee to decide how to enforce the ruling.
Some fear the university will consider banning fraternities and sororities altogether should the ban be widely ignored, the newspaper said.
“The effectiveness of the policy … will be based on the degree to which Princeton students adhere to the policy,” she said. “We will assess this at the end of each academic year.”