Iowa State fraternities may be one step closer to going dry.

Last year, several international fraternities announced programs to ban alcoholic beverages from their houses and properties.

Phi Delta Theta, Sigma Nu and Phi Gamma Delta started programs in 1997 to remove alcohol from their facilities by July 1, 2000. All three fraternities have chapters on the ISU campus.

The programs are in response to alcohol concerns on college campuses.

“The misuse of alcohol by college students is at an extremely serious level that detracts from the mission of higher education and does damage to the students themselves,” states a new resolution from the National Interfraternity Council (NIC).

The NIC represents 66 international men’s college fraternities with 400,000 students in 5,500 chapters on 800 campuses in the United States and Canada.

All ISU fraternities are represented by the NIC with the exception of Adelante, which is a locally established fraternity.

In a resolution adopted by representatives from each member fraternity, the NIC strongly encouraged its member fraternities to pursue alcohol-free chapter facilities, especially at campuses where the host institutions commit themselves to such an initiative.

Although the ISU greek system has been looking at the issue of alcohol use, there is no guarantee it will go dry any time soon, or that university administrators are going to mandate a dry campus policy.

The greek system’s only commitment to a dry campus is during Veishea weekend.

The fraternity system, which originated in 1776, was dry until about 30 years ago.

“Ironically, we are returning to the days when houses had no tolerance for alcohol,” said an employee of the NIC head office in Indianapolis.

Sororities and women’s fraternities never have permitted the presence or consumption of alcohol in their undergraduate houses.

A goal of the NIC Resolution on the Misuse of Alcohol includes fraternity men taking leadership roles and introducing undergraduate students into an era of responsible drinking choices.

The resolution states that “membership in fraternities should be a privilege conditioned on a commitment to high standards of conduct and personal responsibility.”

The NIC urged its member fraternities to “recommit themselves to their core mission of encouraging scholarship, building leadership skills, developing friendships and providing community service.”