West Virginia University is quickly reaching critical mass with its party image.
Last month, the University expelled three students and disciplined others after hundreds rioted following a football game. Drunken revelers started fires, damaged property and threw bottles and rocks at police and firemen.
Earlier this month, 19 students associated with the Sigma Chi fraternity were arrested and/or cited for underage drinking for what was apparently part of pledge activity.
On November 12th, WVU freshman Nolan Burch, 18, lost consciousness at the Kappa Sigma fraternity house in an alcohol-related incident. He died later at the hospital. The national office of Kappa Sigma revoked the charter of the WVU chapter. Thursday, the University announced Beta Theta Pi fraternity’s national office has revoked its campus chapter “based on past behavior issues.”
A moratorium on all social and new member activities for WVU fraternities and sororities remains in effect.
We’ve moved beyond the point of Animal House antics. These are no longer isolated problems, but part of a larger pattern of behavior that is anti-social and dangerous. As WVU President E. Gordon Gee has said several times this fall, there has to be a change in the culture.
That’s an enormous challenge because WVU’s reputation as a party school is well established. It’s so engrained that national sports announcers glibly—and unfortunately—talk about couch burnings whenever the football team has a big victory.
The University has tried to push back. Last month’s expulsions should help serve as a deterrent to criminal acts. The moratorium on Greek social activities also lets students know that actions have consequences.
Additionally, the University has announced that it is bringing in a “national facilitator… to assist students in thoughtful discussion and development of solutions.” Yes, that sounds touchy-feely, but it’s important to have a dialog with the principals about changing the culture rather than simply shutting down fraternities and sororities.
Interestingly, in the midst of all this, the University announced its Million Hour Match initiative. WVU students, faculty and staff are challenging state residents to match them in completing one million hours of community service by 2018.
Adding a service component increases the value of the educational experience at WVU. As Ghandi said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Perhaps WVU can turn the corner by encouraging students to wake up each day considering the possible rather than treating a debilitating hangover.
President Gee likes to say that if you treat students as adults then they’ll act like adults. That’s a reasonable philosophy, but events of recent weeks tell us some here at the University have a lot of growing up to do.