Committee Co-Chairs to Host Town Hall on Social Clubs

A committee charged with overseeing the implementation of a new College social life policy is considering a pool of 129 undergraduate applicants and will hold a public town hall next week to discuss its work moving forward.

Fifteen undergraduates, 10 Faculty members, and nine administrators “from relevant areas in College life,” will comprise the newly-formed committee, said Music and African American Studies professor Kay K. Shelemay, the committee’s co-chair, at Tuesday’s monthly meeting of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. She joins Douglas Melton, a Faculty Dean of Eliot House and a University professor, in leading the committee.

In May, the College announced a new policy that will penalize members of unrecognized single gender social organizations, specifically the College's Greek organizations and final clubs. Starting with the Class of 2021, the policy will bar members of these groups from receiving College-endorsed fellowships, holding leadership positions in recognized student groups, and becoming captains of varsity teams.

Last month, Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana introduced the chairs of the committee and called for students to apply to join. Student applicants will be vetted by the Undergraduate Council.

The Faculty was initially slated to discuss a motion opposing the new policy at Tuesday’s meeting, but Computer Science professor Harry R. Lewis ’68—a vocal opponent of the new penalties—said miscommunications in scheduling led him to postpone the discussion.

It is unclear, however, if a Faculty vote approving the motion would override the College policy.

—Staff writer Jonathan G. Adler can be reached at jonathan.adler@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @JonathanGAdler.