University of Iowa fraternities have decided to go dry this year, but Iowa State officials say a switch to substance-free greek housing is not in the plans for this year.

U of I’s Inter-Fraternity Council voted unanimously to ban the serving of alcoholic beverages at fraternity-sponsored parties held at chapter housing facilities.

Effective Aug. 1, the U of I dry policy allows members who are over 21 years of age to possess and consume alcohol in their rooms if minors are not present.

“[Members] need to be in their rooms, door closed, not in any common areas [if consuming alcohol],” said Mary Ellen Gillespie, assistant director of student life at the U of I.

The policy also allows the chapters to sponsor parties with alcohol at off-campus locations, such as restaurants or bars.

The decision to go dry was made voluntarily by student members of the Inter-Fraternity Council at U of I, Gillespie said.

“The students did an incredible amount of work as far as background research,” she said. “I’m so confident they are going to make this work.”

Gillespie said the new policy has been well-received by current and incoming members of the greek system.

“I have not heard anything negative about this policy at all,” she said. Numbers were up for both men and women choosing to join the greek system this fall, she said.

She also cited improved physical structures, retention of members and focus on nonalcoholic activities as benefits for the houses going dry.

Brian Tenclinger, greek affairs coordinator at ISU, said he did not feel the support was in place at ISU for the whole greek system to go dry at one time.

“I am not in favor of our greek community going substance-free,” Tenclinger said. “I don’t know about an entire community going dry at one time.”

Stu Sorrel, Inter-Fraternity Council president at ISU, said a choice to go dry is always an option, but ISU fraternities are “content with the way we have things right now.”

“The reason why all the fraternities are [going dry] nationwide is to get back to the founding principles of the chapters and to reduce liability,” Sorrel said.

“I think the fraternities at Iowa are being proactive instead of reactive by realizing something needs to be done and realizing alcohol has become a problem,” he said.

Amid national discussion of all fraternities being dry by the year 2000, Tenclinger said he did not believe the university and greek communities could currently offer the support needed to help fraternities go dry.

“You can’t just tell a chapter they’re going to be substance-free and let them hang there,” he said.

Several communities need to work together to support a change to substance-free housing. Tenclinger said he felt support may be most lacking from older alumni.

Phi Delta Theta, FarmHouse, Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Alpha Sigma Phi fraternities are substance-free chapters at ISU, and Tenclinger said the organizations received a positive response while recruiting new members through Rush this summer.

Alpha Kappa Lambda will also be dry by August 2001, Tenclinger said.

“They have done extremely well recruiting men this summer,” he said.