Olivia Proffit
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On Feb. 1, student leaders in Cal Poly greek life submitted the Students Taking Action Towards University Safety (STATUS) plan to administration who will edit the plan and return it to greek leaders by next Friday, Feb. 13.
A copy of the STATUS plan can be seen below, courtesy of Interfraternity Council (IFC) President Alex Horncliff.
Cal Poly Greek Life Proposal Plan Final
Safer center had the opportunity to share its input on the document by overseeing the writing process and making some grammatical changes. Safer Coordinator Christina Kaviani said that while she thought the plan was a step in the right direction, she wanted more of a hands-on role in the process.
“I think it’s a great first attempt and they worked really hard on it,” she said. “If Safer helped create it, I think there would be some changes.”
After three sexual assaults connected to greek life occurred this year, sororities and fraternities were put on social probation until they could create an action plan. Since then, greek life has created STATUS – comprehensive document that addresses greek life’s plan for culture change. If the plan is approved, fraternities and sororities will be taken off social probation.
“I think it’s going to come down to how much the chapters want to change it,” Horncliff said. “A plan is just a plan; a board is just a board; I’m just a president. It’s when the chapters take ownership of it is when it’s really going to become a culture change.”
In the making of the plan, student leaders collaborated with the Northern Interfraternity Conference (NFC), four different national organizations on campus, and the plan was reviewed by other IFCs. They incorporated San Diego State’s plan and Dartmouth’s plan regarding alcohol awareness.
According to Kaviani, the plan focuses on community items such as training, awareness and education and less on specific policy changes. She said the plan should focus on more specific tangible items regarding parties. She spoke of examples such as designating one sober person to be a resource at a party and having more conversations about hooking up and intentions.
“I don’t want to minimize the work they did, but as far as being very specific about policy changes or partners they are going to have, it’s vague in a lot of areas,” Kaviani said. “My worry is there’s not a lot of accountability. So what’s going to happen if none of this happens?”
Kaviani, Horncliff and Panhellnic President Kristen Henry all believe the plan will be effective in starting a change of culture on campus.
“I think we have to think of it as a living document and get feedback along the way to see what’s working and what’s not working,” Henry said. “This is not something that’s static but something that’s dynamic.”