 "Photo: Michael Pickering")
While Monday night's open forum on the "sophomore experience" was filled with a handful of landlords, students and advisers, the issue on most minds was the possibility of a fraternity exemption from a proposed second-year living requirement.
The forum was held in response to a report released by Miami University's Second Year Residency Committee, which was created to look at enhancing the experience of sophomores at Miami - including the possibility of an on-campus living requirement.
Some fraternity representatives at the forum voiced their concern that sophomore men would be more apt to rush fraternities with houses to avoid the on-campus housing requirment.
"We just want to know if there is any plan to protect fraternities, such as us, who are recognized by the university but don't have a house," said Chris Heiden, vice president-elect of Chi Psi. "With this, there would be bigger incentives for freshmen to rush the bigger fraternities that meet the requirements and have houses. I feel like it would go great lengths to eliminate us from campus."
In response to institutional research showing student GPAs and engagement rates are lower during their sophomore year, Student Affairs Vice President Richard Nault created this committee to look at what has been coined the "lost year."
While some see the benefits of the on-campus housing requirements, others are less confident.
"Small fraternities are afraid," said Charles Berg, treasurer of the Acacia fraternity alumni board. "They're afraid that this is going to affect things in a way that will make them disappear."
To apply for the exemption to allow sophomores to live within the off-campus houses, it is proposed that fraternities would have to meet certain requirements, such as a live-in adviser and alcohol-free environments.
"There are elements of the argument, pros and cons, that need to be looked at very carefully," Berg said. "Maybe this needs to be implemented rather than dumped …We'll get the job done without tremendous disruption to the campus culture."
Susan Mosley-Howard, associate vice president of student affairs, agreed and said the committee is taking great measures to ensure all concerns are addressed.
"We are really sensitive to certain constituencies," Mosley-Howard said. "Just because you don't see it in the report doesn't mean we haven't considered it and the rippling effects. We're not just jumping off the diving board with this."
The committee members thought that recruitment tactics and quality of the Greek experience should weigh heavily on the minds of first-years rushing fraternities, not just housing.
"We have been looking at programs done within the sororities and trying to figure out ways to apply them to all residence halls," said Andrew Beckett, assistant dean for transition and assessment of students. "Overall, the requirement will require us working together."
Three different programs are being considered for the live-in requirement, including a sophomore theme which parallels the first-year reading program, several personal health seminars and seminars on off-campus living and how to be a good tenant.
"Freshman year is a random orientation year for most students," Beckett said. "It is focused on making the transition from high school to college. We plant seeds that need to be revisited sophomore year such as internships, career advice, and off-campus housing information."
Creating learning communities for specific majors is also being discussed, and the committee said it is gathering much of its information from the students.
"It's disappointing to say that I'm a part of that culture where my peers don't engage themselves," said Chris Saltis, vice president and founding member of Chi Psi. "You can facilitate communication but in the end, it's up to them to step up. This requirement promotes a hand-holding image, but maybe the 'lost year' is something (sophomores) need to go through to find themselves."
Mosley-Howard agreed but also feels that while the university can require students to live on campus, it won't be able to require them to attend seminars. The university can only hope being closer to the events will help.
"Research suggests that if you do what you can to enhance that sophomore year, the better your retention rates and graduation prospects," she said. "Eighty-five and 86 percent retention is decent for Miami, and has been noted by national publications as being great, but it's that 10 percent gap that begs you to strive to change it."
The next forum on the sophomore experience will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, at the Associated Student Government meeting in Harrison Hall.
