Last Spring, SMU’s student organizations committee createda task force, which dissolved all listed organizations andestablished a new chartering process.
Before the termination of all listed organizations, anyone couldregister their group. As time went by most listed groups becamenon-active, said Thomas Hailey, assistant director of studentactivities.
In filtering out the unactive from the active listedorganizations, Brother’s Under Christ and He Is Sufficientfell between a rock and a hard place due to a technicality.
Now, BYX and HIS, along with other religious organizationson-campus, are in a pending state: unlisted and unchartered.
“The groups felt a bit blind-sided because they did notknow this was coming,” said Judy Henneberger, assistantchaplain to the university.
Hailey, who is also an advisor to the task force, explained theactions leading up to the final decision.
“The main reason we got rid of listedorganizations,” he said, “was the legal and liabilityissue.”
The technicality surfaced in the Student Code of Conduct. Allchartered organizations must insert the “non-discriminationclause” into their constitution and abide by it. Merely bydefinition, BYX, a Christian fraternity, is in direct violation ofthis clause.
“It is not that they [Student Senate] have not wanted tohelp us, but a question of where do they place us within thestructure of everything,” said Jonathan Hance, BYXPresident.
A chartered organization reaps many benefits through theuniversity such as financial funding, school sponsored advertisingand the privledge to participate in campus events.
This past summer BYX members researched their 14 chapters acrossthe nation to learn how those school’s recognized themelsewhere. Hance says Title IX exempts BYX chapters from the”non-discrimination clause” due to specific tax filingsdone by their national office.
“We feel we have a solid legal case,” he said.
In the coming weeks, BYX will submit its proposal to SMU, whointurn will or will not reinterpret Title IX to accomidateChristian fraternities and sororities on-campus.
“At this point we basically are trying to find a way toget them chartered, so they can have a place at theuniversity,” said Adam Hill, a student senator workingclosely with HIS and BYX.
Charter status is BYX’s short-term goal, and theirlong-term goal is to have a governing religious Greek council, muchlike the IFC, Hance explained.
Unlisted and unchartered, BYX and HIS are currently sponsored bythe Chaplain’s office.
The new chartering process
The most obvious difference in the new chartering process istime. Student Senate now requires that all student organizationsseeking to become chartered must endure a ten-week probationarystage. To qualify, at least eight people must show interest in theorganization. During this time, students are taught leadershipskills to run their organization, allocated $100 for advertising,which they must use to increase membership from eight to 12 people.Once an organization proves to have strong internal support,Student Senate votes on their charter.
“This year is a test run to see how the new changes willwork,” said Andrew Baker, task force chair.
For more information contact the student activities centerat: (214) 768-4490.
