We frequently hear about how badly US universities are hurting. There's no money for professor raises, year after year students are expected to pay more for tuition, and endowments are reeling from poor investment decisions. It's no wonder that the public education system in this country is not the envy of the world, as crazies such as Kurt Vonnegut suggested it should be.
The University of Alabama Board of Trustees this year approved a 9% increase for the 2011-2012 academic year. Students who are already struggling to attain a degree are now expected to go deeper into debt before entering an economy with few job prospects. The kicker is that the same board has also recently approved several Greek housing projects, which you can read about here. The gist is that a number of fraternities and sororities will be
getting new houses, one of which will cost nearly $12 million. Oddly, the university pays for these houses and is then paid back by the Greek organizations which reside in them. This is important because most sorority and fraternity members will argue that the university doesn't actually pay for the homes, but rather finances them for the groups. So really, they aren't losing that money, they're just tying it up for decades in housing that's only available to a select few.
I find this problematic for a few reasons. First, the university has demolished student dormitories to make room new Greek housing, which has caused a campus housing shortage. More importantly, the university is using tens, if not hundreds, of milli
ons of dollars to extend financing to organizations that are allowed to use whatever membership selection criteria that they deem fitting when inviting new members to join.
And whether or not any of them will admit it, race is very clearly one of those factors. Though it isn't written in any by-law, rule, or regulation, there is no question that the University of Alabama Greek system practices de facto segregation. If you really need evidence, I suggest you look at the Delta Delta Delta sorority's chapter photograph here. I've scoured that crowd for a non-white face but couldn't find a single one. Why am I picking on the tri-Delts? They're the ones getting a new $12 million house despite the fact that they already have a huge place to call home on sorority row.
I'm sure many people might find my assertion inflammatory. They'll likely claim I'm anti-Greek and out to badmouth the system (and by extension the United States of America (yes, it's an Animal House reference)). The fact is, I was in a fraternity during my undergraduate years. In fact, I was the president of that fraternity. I am still proud to tell people about my affiliation. That doesn't mean I'm proud of everything that transpired over the course of my active years in the chapter. I'm not. That's why I encourage current undergrad members to
consider the potential positive consequences of opening the doors of the chapter to those who are different, whether they are non-straight, non-white, non-religious, or non-whatever. I advocate for this because so many of my very favorite fraternity brothers are one or more of those things. However, I have yet to meet any Greek at UA who was even remotely receptive to such an idea. The status quo reigns supreme here.
Which is why I will be advocating that UA's non-Greek students demand better from their university and its Board of Trustees. Instead of financing multi-million dollar fraternity castles, the university should be investing to alleviate crowding at computer labs, dorms, dining facilities, and the Rec. The university should be investing in procuring the best and brightest professors, grad students, and staff. The university should look for ways to prevent yet another tuition increase. Any of those things would be money better spent than constructing mansio
ns for groups that aren't open to all UA students.
The soon-to-open 27,000 square feet ATO house at UA.
