MEMORANDUM
Date: 3/1/06
To:
Inter-fraternity Council (IFC) and Panhellenic Association (PHA) Sorority Presidents
From: Concerned Greek Community Members (contact: Lindsay Hoogner)
Subject: A proposal for the amendments of the bylaws of the Inter-fraternity Council and
the Panhellenic Association to include Homecoming Courting policies.
Purpose :
The following document will include a set of policies and restrictions as proposed by
concerned members of the Greek community to make the Homecoming Courting (HC)
process one that reflects the dignity and purpose of the Missouri State University Greek
Community and protects the chapters and the individual members. The proposal will
indicate:
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the definition of “courting”
the time of year which the HC process should take place
the times of day in which HC should be permitted
which chapter members should be allowed to partake in HC
the finances which should be allocated for HC
the registration process for HC events
the approval process for HC events
which chapters are available for courting by other chapters
and the repercussions that will occur should these policies be violated
Definition of “Courting”
Courting is a time during the spring in which PHA sororities or IFC fraternities can
engage in the friendly pursuit of one another’s partnership for the Missouri State
University Homecoming events which take place in the following academic year.
Courting should reflect the morals, standards, and values of not only the individual
sorority/fraternity participating, but the entire Greek Community and Missouri State
University. Courting events should protect the safety and integrity of individual chapter
members and should promote Greek unification.
Chapter Courting Selection Processes:
1) IFC and PHA council Presidents will set a deadline for IFC and PHA chapter
presidents to turn in a list in which their preferred Homecoming partners are listed in
numerical order. (1 being most preferred) Each IFC fraternity should rate each PHA
sorority and vice versa.
2) Then PHA and IFC council Presidents and Advisors will use these preferences to
assign three sororities/fraternities (the courted organization) to the fraternity/sorority
which will be actively engaging in the pursuit of partnership (the courting organization).
The courted/ courting organizations assignments should be announced the following
week.
The active pursuit of partnership will change annually with fraternities pursuing the
sororities for partnership one year, and the sororities pursuing the fraternities for
partnership the following year. The pursuing chapter will only be allowed to court the
chapters assigned (in as close accordance to preference as possible) to them.
Dates of Homecoming Courting (HC):
Homecoming Courting should take place following both Greek Week events and Spring
Break, preferably during the month of April. The week of HC should be voted on by
Executive Board members of PHA and IFC but the HC events should take place the
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of that week. Each courting chapter will be assigned
to a separate courted chapter for each day. The HC date should be set at the beginning of
the PHA and IFC Executive Board members’ term in January.
Time of Homecoming Courting Events:
All courting events must take place between 9:00AM and 11:00PM on the dates assigned
and only with chapters assigned to that date.
Involvement in Homecoming Courting:
Only PHA sororities and IFC fraternities in good standing with their councils and the
Missouri State University will be allowed to partake in HC events.
Involvement in four University sponsored Homecoming events and the Homecoming
Parade from the previous fall semester is required to participate in Spring Homecoming
courting
Finances:
No more than $75 dollars should be spent on each day of the HC event. Provisions for
documentation of spending during HC are necessary should chapters be questioned on
their HC financing.
Homecoming Courting Events:
Registration: Homecoming Courting events will be registered through the Greek Life
Office, by filling out a Non-Alcoholic Social Event form for every event that is taking
place during the courting period. This information will include names of chapter officers
who will attend the event, the planned event activities, the intended money to be spent on
the event, and times and places of the event.
Approval: Events should be registered through the Greek Life Office a week prior to HC
and should be reviewed by PHA and IFC executive board members (or assigned
delegates). To obtain approval HC events will not endorse, contain, or involve alcohol or
illegal drugs or their consumption, or contain or involve any sexually explicit themes or
activities.
Disciplinary Actions:
Failure to adhere to the above policies should result in sanctions from the appropriate
council Standards and Judiciary Boards. Behavior which would result in a sanction would
include, but are not limited to:
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failure to limit HC events to assigned chapters
failure to limit HC events to hours between 10:00 AM and 10:00 PM
failure to adhere to $75/HC event spending
failure to participate in courting in accordance with its definition listed
above
failure register and gain approval for HC events
failure to participate in the four homecoming events
failure to participate in the homecoming parade
failure to strictly adhere to no alcohol/illegal drugs policy
failure to strictly adhere to no sexually explicit themes or activities policy
failure to meet any of the guidelines as listed above.
Conclusion:
In order to protect the Missouri State University Greek Community from
misrepresentation of its values, standards, and morals as well as protect individuals’
members’ safety and character, it is necessary for the IFC and PHA councils to adopt
bylaws which provide guidelines for Homecoming Courting policies. It is the opinion of
these concerned Greek Citizens that the above set of policies is within the best interest of
our Greek Community and allows for the preservation of a wonderful tradition.
Voted on and approved by all chapter presidents, March 1st 2006 at 10:00pm.