Extremely Anti-Greek University President To Retire Early Thanks To Alumni Pressure
13 years ago

Several months ago, Bacon wrote a news story about Trinity College president James Jones and his crusade against Greek Life on the Trinity campus. In a statement on May 6th, Jones announced that he will be stepping down from his position.

Earlier this year, Jones began his relentless battle against fraternities and sororities on the campus of the small liberal arts school. He, along with the Board of Trustees, approved a plan that would require fraternities and sororities to go coed in the fall of 2013, regardless of lack of consent from their national headquarters. This, along with other actions taken towards Greek Life and the student body as a whole, has infuriated students and alumni alike. Since this controversial decision, numerous alumni have threatened to withhold donations and some have gone so far as to call for Jones’ resignation.

In an email to students and staff, Jones stated that it was “the optimal moment for [him] to move aside.” By optimal moment, I believe he meant he was tired of angry phone calls from people much more successful than himself. While in an official statement the school reaffirms that Jones’ retirement has nothing to do with the controversy he created regarding Greek Life, many disagree. Some in fact believe that Jones’ move to force chapters to go coed and the subsequent shitstorm of angry alumni is the key element in his decision to retire.

My hat’s off to you, alumni of Trinity College. You stood up for your alma mater and your undergraduate brothers and sisters and put that Harry Potter loving nerd in his place.

[via Courant]

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  2. Jon M Fratsman

    Are they still going to follow through with the plan requiring houses to go co-ed?

    13 years ago at 1:29 pm
    1. NattyFratty860

      As of now yes, we are fighting this on a legal basis, however. The school is hoping that we will all go home for the summer and forget about our shitshow administration and they will start to impose their ridiculous mandates when we come back in the fall. This is why we need national media attention now to highlight ridicule upon misguided administrators whose actions would otherwise go unexamined, unchallenged and thus prevail. It’s our school’s president and administrations thinly veiled attempt to kill Greek life, but we won’t go down without a fight.

      13 years ago at 1:33 pm
    2. CollegeBallFraturday

      ^ Frat on, and good luck. Put that GDI administration in its fucking place.

      13 years ago at 1:37 pm
    4. TheCommodore

      You guys need to start pulling whacky pranks on them, like replacing their ground up coffee with ground up poopoo!

      13 years ago at 3:02 pm
    5. Jon M Fratsman

      Good luck, big guy. Your best shot, legally speaking, is if every Greek house on campus unites together and formally disaffiliates with the school. They can’t do a damn thing to you at that point, especially if you own your house. The school can’t stop you from freely associating with other students, a right which was upheld in the Purdue case of 1882 (the ultimate “fuck you” to a school administration – read up on it sometime). Most nationals don’t love this setup, but they’ll be on board if it means keeping your charter.

      13 years ago at 3:09 pm
    6. TrickleDown

      ^Basically this. If every chapter just disaffiliates then they really have no say how you choose to associate. I am more curious as to the logistics of how he would even want it to be co-ed…does the administration just arbitrarily mix and match different fraternities and sororities? Seems like there’s no possible fair way to go about it. But perhaps that is the point.

      13 years ago at 3:32 pm
    7. inhocFaF

      Yea, I don’t understand how a university could force Greek Life to become co-ed. Couldn’t a fraternity allow female rushes and give no females bids, and the same for sororities.

      I could understand if a national chapter decided to go co-ed, with the fraternity’s bylaws changing as well, but not sure how a university could dictate such a change.

      13 years ago at 5:36 pm
    8. Jon M Fratsman

      ^ Like the fellow above said, it’s a thinly veiled attempt to kill off Greek life. They know good and well that no reputable national will allow co-ed houses, so by requiring this they’re making sure all chapters become local co-ed societies.

      The whole “freedom of association” thing breaks down into several distinct levels of federal protection. It’s a pretty complex process. Long story short, courts don’t particularly love purely social organizations, but they do like groups working to “further a cause”. If you think your university might be looking at some kind of policy like this I would a) lawyer up and b) adopt a local philanthropy besides your fraternity’s national one (your “cause”, per se), then do a LOT of work with that philanthropy. That should help protect you under the right of free association if shit was to hit the fan.

      Just a little advice.

      13 years ago at 6:33 pm
  3. Neds Older Brother

    Hopefully he ends up in a nursing home early like his hero Dean Wormer.

    13 years ago at 1:37 pm
    2. grandfrat

      All I’m saying is even the most heinous offenders can look “normal.” He isn’t exactly wearing cargo shorts, crocs and a flatbill.

      13 years ago at 7:28 pm
    4. ReeferFratness

      Meh, the pikes at trin arent’s AS awful as the ones everywhere else. But fuck pike regardless.

      13 years ago at 1:26 pm