Please see below for an email from Vice Provost Dr. Ric Hall that was shared with all students on January 12th.
Dear Students,
This email is long but important. I strongly encourage you to read it in its entirety.
First, and foremost, I hope you are enjoying a restful winter break following an academically successful fall semester.
Below is a message from the Lehigh Hazing Prevention Coalition. It was written in 2015 and remains timely and relevant in 2018. Rather than revise or rewrite the document, I want to re-share it with those of you who are now juniors and seniors, and present this important information to the freshmen and sophomores who were not yet Lehigh students in October 2015.
As I have shared with many Lehigh audiences, groups, and individuals, I am clear and unwavering in my support of Greek Life. Our university's history is in many ways (positively) tied to the history of several of our fraternity and sorority chapters. I am also mindful that the majority of our undergraduate student population (60-65%) chooses not to join or affiliate with Greek organizations. However, with such a large percentage of student members, it is undeniable that Greek life in some way touches the lives of the entire community.
While remaining optimistic that the future of Lehigh's Fraternity & Sorority Life community is bright, I am also a realist. Lehigh is not immune to the individual and organizational behaviors that have been recently demonstrated on campuses around the country. Alcohol abuse, sexual assault, hazing-related injuries and fatalities - all in no way related to the ideals of Greek letter organizations but a sad, dangerous, and ongoing reality - are recurring themes in news articles, court cases, and campus & online discussions.
For Greek life to not just survive, but thrive, at Lehigh, all such behavior cannot, and will not, be an acceptable or otherwise "ok" component of our students' Greek experience. Period.
Many who are reading this message will soon be involved in Spring 2018 IFC and Panhellenic Recruitment, either as current or prospective members. The Division of Student Affairs, Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, and
dedicated advisers, chapter officers, and members have a shared commitment to ensure an optimal and safe experience for all students. Again, I implore you to read the message below, which includes Lehigh's Hazing
Prevention website (https://studentaffairs.lehigh
And while this message is intentionally sent prior to the spring fraternity and sorority recruitment period, hazing is not confined to Greek organizations. We've all seen/read of hazing acts committed by athletic teams, marching bands, and other clubs and organizations. I encourage you to participate in Lehigh's annual Hazing Prevention Week, which will take place February 5th-9th. During this week, efforts that students, faculty and staff have put in place to prevent hazing on our campus will be highlighted. Please feel free to check out the "Lehigh Greeks" page on Facebook for more details.
Lastly, expect to see me and other Lehigh leaders throughout Spring Recruitment. Social functions, service events, information sessions etc. that are presented to prospective members and are non-esoteric/non-ritual occasions, are all of interest as I continue to learn and experience Lehigh's culture. While there will certainly be parties and social
functions, I look forward to prospective members learning of programs that more closely align with the ideals of our campus chapters, like Pi Beta Phi's Read>Lead>Achieve initiative, or Sigma Phi Epsion's Balanced Man Program, or even Theta Chi's position on Human Dignity and proud sponsorship of HazingPrevention.org. And as a fraternity member who remains active with my local alumni chapter, I know that fun and socializing are important and inherent to the Greek experience. I simply encourage all involved to avoid behaviors that you would not want your parents, or senior university leadership, to see or hear associated with you and/or your chapter.
As always, I'm happy to discuss or clarify this or any other student-related topic. In the meantime, I wish you all safe travels back to Bethlehem and a successful spring semester.
Sincerely,
Ric Hall
Click here to view President Simon's 2015 statement