The Oakland Post

Real school, real problems

By editors
Posted: Wednesday, May 11th, 2011 at 11:44 am | Last Updated: Wednesday, May 11th, 2011 at 11:47 am Comments Print This Email This Tweet This Delicious

In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, writer Caitlin Flanagan recounted her decision not to finish her education at the University of Virginia because of the
presence of male fraternities on campus.

The column, which has drawn almost 1,000 comments to the WSJ website, notably called for the abolishment of all fraternities “to improve women’s lives on campus.”

Flanagan cites fraternity involvement as the reason for stifling women’s advancement in education. That’s because of the abuse of alcohol she associates with the organizations.

Flanagan argues that sexual assault goes hand-in-hand with the environment created by the alcohol and the misogynistic views she believes all fraternities have.

We can’t argue against bettering campus life, especially when it affects a little over 60 percent of the undergraduate student population, but Flanagan’s assertions make no sense.

Abolishing the four fraternity chapters on campus will do little to alleviate the problems Flanagan points out.

Most WSJ.com comments disagree with Flanagan’s sweeping generalization of the Greek system and those who want to get rid of it mention different reasons. The piece even spurred a New York Times “Room for Debate” feature where five
academics battled their opposing viewpoints.

Oakland University is a four-year higher education institution and students who discount the school need to acknowledge this fact.

Even though it is frequently dubbed a ‘commuter college,’ the campus still has to deal with the same issues as other schools.

An investigation is being conducted by the federal Department of Education into Title IX violations at Yale University in light of an incident where Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity members shouted derogatory statements about women. People believe Oakland isn’t a ‘real’ school like Yale due to its commuter status.

OU does deal with the very same issues, though. And the need to address them will only increase as the campus, and Greek community, grows into what administrators and students want it to be.

Another educational gap is created because a large percentage of students won’t be exposed to residence hall programming and thus will probably never explore issues like alcohol consumption or sexual assault.

The National Institute of Justice reports that about one in every five women will experience rape or sexual assault during their time on a campus.

We’re saying that sexual assault is not a prevalent problem at OU — there was one reported instance of a forcible sex offense on campus in 2009 — but it is nonetheless a matter worth talking about.

There is no proven direct correlation between the presence of fraternities on campus and the number of sexual assaults, so the picture Flanagan paints isn’t entirely accurate.

However, it doesn’t mean she is entirely wrong. Greek organizations, just like any other groups built on exclusivity, look for like-minded people to promote qualities they believe would carry out the message of their organization.

The Oakland community, Greek and non-Greek alike, should focus on creating a comprehensive program that will inform and affect all on campus.

As the university grows into a venerable institution, it’s time to match student population growth with a similar amount of required educational programs. Changing the culture of the entire campus community will make a difference.