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WKU Approves Recommendation
Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University has approved a recommendation from a safety advisory committee to make fraternity housing alcohol free.
WKU President Gary Ransdell and the university's Administrative Council unanimously approved the recommendation from the school's Campus Safety Advisory Committee. The recommendation is effective immediately. "The alcohol-free recommendation will result in all student housing affiliated with WKU—residence halls, sorority houses and fraternity houses—operating under the same alcohol-related regulations," said Joe Tinius, advisory committee co-chair and assistant superintendent of Bowling Green Independent Schools. While residence halls and sorority houses have been alcohol free, all but two fraternities have allowed alcohol in their chapter houses. Tinius said the decision to make the recommendation came after many hours of discussion and review of existing policies at Western and other institutions. "The decision by the committee to make the recommendation was unanimous," he said. "In the past four months at least six university students across the nation have died after consuming deadly amounts of alcohol at fraternity houses," Tinius said. "The committee chose to be proactive by making this recommendation rather than reacting to the potential of a similar tragedy at Western." He added that while the change will not provide an absolute guarantee, it "certainly decreases the chance that WKU will have to deal with the same situations faced by schools like Oklahoma and Colorado where alcohol-related student deaths occurred in connection with fraternity houses." Gene Tice, Western's vice president for Student Affairs and Campus Services and co-chair of the advisory committee, said he supports the policy change. "I look forward to helping the fraternities realize their potential and live by the principles on which their organizations are founded: leadership, service, brotherhood and scholarship." Chapter presidents were informed of the policy change on Wednesday. Fraternities are currently undergoing rush, during which alcohol is not permitted in the chapter houses. The 16-member advisory committee's membership reflects a diverse constituent group, including representation from the Parents' Advisory Committee, Alumni Association, Bowling Green Police Department, Bowling Green Fire Department, student representatives from the Residence Hall Association, Student Government Association, Housing and Resident Life, Greek representation, faculty, WKU Police Department, and the University's Risk Management Committee.
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