Harvard sorority to close over single-gender policy

A HARVARD university sorority has become the first to close down in response to the university’s new sanctions on single-sex societies.

While some sororities and fraternities – social clubs for students – have begun admitting members of the opposite sex, Delta Gamma announced it was ending its association with the university. Last week, the national body approved the Harvard group’s decision, voted on in May.

“We respect the chapter’s decision and understand that the university’s sanctions resulted in an environment in which Delta Gamma could not thrive,” said Wilma Johnson Wilbanks, Delta Gamma’s national president.

“We sincerely hope this changes in the future.”

In December 2017, the Harvard Corporation, the university’s highest governing body, concluded two years of debate and chose to adopt sanctions against single-sex social clubs.

Members of sororities and fraternities in the Class of 2021 would be barred from captaining university sports teams, leading any recognised student groups, and receiving College endorsement for a number of prestigious fellowships.

Drew Faust, president of the university at the time, and William Lee, senior fellow of the corporation, defended Harvard’s decision to sanction the decades-old groups.

They said that single-gender social groups “stand in the way of our ability to provide a fully challenging and

‘We understand that the ... sanctions resulted in an environment in which Delta Gamma could not thrive’

inclusive educational experience to the diverse students currently on our campus”. Concerns over the impact of sorority membership have seen numbers sink to historic lows.

The number of students aiming to join sorority recruitment in the spring fell by 60 per cent from previous years, reported The Crimson, Harvard’s student newspaper. The 2018 “rush” marked the first time the sanctions affected some sorority hopefuls.