(Editor’s note:This is the second story in a five-part series exploring the issues of Select 2000. The first story can be read on-line at https://www.dailyegyptian.com).

Select 2000 remains on track at SIUC, but opposition to the implementation of Select 2000 by student government and greek leaders has prompted administrators to reiterate that student involvement is and has been welcome since the initiative’s beginnings.

Harvey Welch, vice chancellor for Student Affairs, said adding more students to the initiative’s implementation committee may be one way to increase input.

I think the steering committee needs to begin talking and considering the reaction students have made, although it may be late, and how that will impact on our journey to implementation, Welch said. I had hoped we could get through without that (opposition), but I’m a realist, and I feel like we have to sit and redo some things and maybe say some things over again.

I think students deep down are positive people and want overall what is best for them and the University. It’s just going to take some time.

Select 2000 is a nine-part initiative for the greek system that includes maintaining higher grades, making chapter houses alcohol-free and substance-free and requiring hours of community service for greek members.

SIUC is one of four schools in the nation chosen to pilot the program.

Some parts of the initiative have been challenged by the SIUC Interfraternity Council, the Graduate and Professional Student Council and the Undergraduate Student Government. All three governments have opposed the implementation and disagree with some of the initiatives, primarily the substance-free housing.

Katie Sermersheim, assistant director of Student Development, said most aspects of Select 2000 were designed in part by students and that all the standards set in the Select 2000 implementation document are negotiable except for the alcohol and hazing issue.

She said that to be a Select 2000 school, the University had to agree to substance-free housing because it was based upon the agreement with the nationals and on the academic mission of this University.

We are a pilot and are more than willing to discuss most concerns, and we have been all along, Sermersheim said.

At a Sept. 24 Select 2000 steering committee meeting, Welch said SIUC remains committed to Select 2000.

I can’t believe we can’t sit down and find a way to do this, Welch said at the meeting.

The meeting concluded with a recommendation that in future meetings, the committee should meet with chapter presidents from every fraternity and sorority on campus in small groups through the month of October.

Jean Paratore, associate vice chancellor for Student Affairs, said presidents should have ideas for improvements rather than just expressing their concerns.

On Wednesday, the deadline for SIUC fraternities’ signature sheets and their calendar and goals were due to Student Development.

The signature sheet requires that all chapter members sign a sheet agreeing to abide by risk management policies and goals of Select 2000.

Two weeks earlier, Tim Hoerman, Graduate and Professional Student Council president, and Student Trustee Pat Kelly visited chapter houses and urged members not to sign the sheet. No information was available on how many fraternity members signed the sheets.

If the alcohol policy is the major source of contention, then they shouldn’t sign something that, in a contractual way by signing the sheet, students are waiving their right to do what they want to do, Hoerman said.

Nick Dodd, Interfraternity Council president, agreed.

If they don’t compromise on alcohol issue and other issues, then we should be as non-complaint as much as possible, Dodd said.

Paratore said the policies of Select 2000 are University policy that must be obeyed regardless if members sign the sheet, and that when students pledges to a national fraternity, they agrees to abide by the rules of the school.

This is University policy that organizations must follow, she said.

Dodd responded that students pledged to the fraternity but not substance free-houses and Select 2000.

Jon Hockman, chairman of the National Interfraternity Conference’s Select 2000 steering committee, said that before a school could become a Select 2000 school, it had to agree to the substance-free housing.

How it is achieved is something to be determined by the University, but that it is achieved is an absolute, Hockman said.

SIUC became a pilot school after Hockman visited SIUC’s campus in January to describe the program in further detail to campus administrators, chapter advisers and greek leaders.

We had positive conversations with both the University and student leaders early on, and it was a clear sign that we should move forward at SIUC, Hockman said. I personally sat down with student leaders and the IGC (Inter-Greek Council) president in a regular series of open meetings not just for leaders but for the rank-and-file as well.

Hockman said there was also a critical mass of the national fraternities that designed Select 2000 on campus. The program was designed by 26 national fraternities wanting to implement the program completely at the pilot schools by 2000.

We looked at how many national fraternities are behind the program and how many are on SIUC’s campus, he said. Well more than half had already signed on to the program at the national level.

Doug Burkott, the former Interfraternity Council president during the Select 2000 discussions in January, said student input was permitted throughout the process but that students never attended the Select 2000 meetings.

They didn’t know what Select 2000 was because they were not attending the meetings, he said. We welcomed students with open arms when they came to the meetings.

He said that after SIUC agreed to be a Select 2000 school in spring 1997, the IFC passed a resolution unanimously to implement Select 2000 for the fall 1998 semester.

Burkott said, however, that he told administrators and national greek leaders to begin implementing the program in fall 1997.

A president is elected to perform his duty and decide what is best for the system, he said. I wanted it implemented as soon as possible because we were delaying the inevitable.

The important part is the IFC voted to implement Select 2000.

Dodd disagreed and said the purpose of last year’s resolution was to delay the implementation of Select 2000.

It was never portrayed to us saying We accept Select 2000 and alcohol-free housing here whether we like it or not,’ Dodd said. When we passed the resolution, it was that substance-free housing should be delayed until 1998 and that some kind of incentive program should be built in.

Select 2000 makes all chapter houses, on and off-campus, substance-free beginning fall semester 1998. This year fraternity houses cannot sponsor or conduct social events that include alcohol, but members of legal age may drink in their rooms.

The opposition to Select 2000 and primarily the alcohol tenet began on Sept. 15 as the SIUC Interfraternity Council voted 7-3 with two abstentions to suspend the program to incorporate more student interest. USG and GPSC followed suit with similar resolutions.

In a letter to SIUC Chancellor Donald Beggs, Hockman called the students’ opposition a disappointment and further stated that rest assured, Select 2000 member fraternities are absolutely committed to standards of excellence and specifically to the Select 2000 agenda at SIUC. The national fraternity leadership does not intend to stand for this attempt to sway us from our values.

Hockman said that ultimately Select 2000 will bring on a healthier lifestyle for greeks.

We have redoubled our efforts to make it clear that we have these standards and are truly committed to work with our members to achieve those, Hockman said. Great things are going on at SIU, and there may have been frustration early on, but everyone is committed to making a good system.

In Friday’s paper, part three of the series will examine the effect of Select 2000 membership this semester and how greeks and administrators perceive that Select 2000 will affect future membership.