MIT Requires Frats to Have Adult Live-Ins

MIT got tough on its fraternities last week, making two separate moves to help ensure that student living is safe.

The university announced that all fraternities, sororities and independent living groups (FSILGs) will need a residential advisor (RA) for the fall term.

Additionally, MIT decided not to support Phi Gamma Delta--known as Fiji--in its bid to regain its dormitory license from the Boston Licensing Board, which convinced the house's owners not to even apply for a license.

The license was suspended seven months ago, after MIT first-year Scott Krueger died from drinking at a Fiji party.

RA's will move into FSILGs in order to "provide an adult presence for guidance," said MIT spokesperson Robert J. Sales. However, the RA's are not intended to be an intrusion into student's lives, said Assistant Dean of Students at MIT Neal H. Dorow.

"We're not expecting them in any sense of the word to be a policemen," Dorow said.

A number of students, families and community members raised concerns about alcohol's prevalence in MIT's residential life this year.

"We had a student die and we had a number of incidents here and around the country," Dorow said. "This was meant as well to give them some assurances."

MIT decided not to support Fiji because the fraternity is currently under investigation by a grand jury, Dorow said.

Until the state investigation ends and an MIT one begins, Dorow said, MIT does not know enough to allow Fiji to open.

If students were to move in this year and Fiji were to be later found at fault, the fraternity might be forced to close,leaving students without a place to live, he said.

Already, the RA selection process is underway.

"We're working with the [FSILGs] to develop apool of candidates," he said.

Until an RA is hired, FSILGs must bealcohol-free beginning next month, Sales said.

Sales said he was aware that it might bedifficult for FSILGs to find RA's since moststudents are away for the summer.

When school ended, students were aware that theRA program would be tested in several FSILGs, butRA's were not yet going to be required, he said.

Food and housing costs of RA's will be paid forby MIT, Dorow said.

Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 saidthat Harvard faces its own housing challenges,such as creating dynamic and diverse livingenvironments.

"It's the problems that you'd rather have,rather than the problems that most other placeshave to face," he said

Already, the RA selection process is underway.

"We're working with the [FSILGs] to develop apool of candidates," he said.

Until an RA is hired, FSILGs must bealcohol-free beginning next month, Sales said.

Sales said he was aware that it might bedifficult for FSILGs to find RA's since moststudents are away for the summer.

When school ended, students were aware that theRA program would be tested in several FSILGs, butRA's were not yet going to be required, he said.

Food and housing costs of RA's will be paid forby MIT, Dorow said.

Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 saidthat Harvard faces its own housing challenges,such as creating dynamic and diverse livingenvironments.

"It's the problems that you'd rather have,rather than the problems that most other placeshave to face," he said