Two years after the AMS deconstituted the Interfraternity Council (IFC), the student society has still not addressed gender exclusivity concerns with AMS club UBC Sororities.
In November 2019, the AMS removed the IFC's club status after concluding that the organization was non-compliant with the AMS's bylaws, code and the AMS Operations Committee Policy Manual. After allegations of drugging at fraternity parties, an AMS report found that the IFC’s constitution restricted its members to male-identifying individuals, among other violations.
But the UBC Panhellenic Council (UBC Sororities) violates one of the same rules: it's gender exclusive. It restricts its members to female-identifying individuals.
An AMS report from February 2020 stated that the Operations Committee will be reviewing the standing of UBC Sororities’ club status. After two years, this review has yet to begin.
Gender exclusivity: an AMS violation
According to AMS President Cole Evans, UBC Sororities are not compliant with the AMS policy that clubs can't "disallow membership to any students for any reason."
Gender exclusivity violates AMS Operations Committee Policy Manual Section 4: “Membership in all AMS Clubs shall be open to all Active AMS Members.”
In 2019, former councillor Kia Teimouri questioned why the Section 4 violation was not applying to sororities as well.
“The motion seems to be targeting the IFC,” said Teimouri according to meeting notes. “Why not other clubs? The sororities and others violate the same rules.”
However, Evans said the single-gender concern was just “one of multiple reasons where non-compliance was identified in the IFC.” Other violations include its unauthorized collection of membership fees, its management of a judicial board to conduct internal investigations and the fact that it “routinely” allows the use of controlled substances in violation of its own constitution.
In the November 2019 report, the Operations Committee concluded that IFC poses a “higher liability risk” to the AMS than other clubs because of incidents it has been involved in, but the report does not clearly state the nature of this risk or the incidents in question.
This review directly followed the drugging allegations at fraternity parties surfaced online through a tweet by economics professor Dr. Marina Adshade.
An investigation process has not yet happened with UBC Sororities.
“That [investigation process] usually involves reaching out to the club, discussing ways to get them compliant with our rules, whether that's a policy flaw on our part or whether that's something that needs to be resolved,” said Evans. “We wouldn't be taking any action on UBC Sororities until that process is carried out.”
In an emailed statement to The Ubyssey, UBC Panhellenic President Elizabeth Boland-Janke said that UBC Sororities has been an AMS club “for decades."
“UBC Sororities, a community of 800+ strong women, has been enhancing the university experience by congregating friendships, academics, athletics, community involvement, and leadership development into a diverse community,” said Boland-Janke.
“Members have been involved on campus through the highest level of countless student undergraduate societies, including holding leadership positions on AMS and have made a great impact within the UBC community and the broader Vancouver community.”
Boland-Janke declined to comment further because she said she did not have all the information and “for sake of accuracy.”
According to Evans, UBC Sororities is viewed by the AMS as “the same as any other club,” and that the AMS ideally does not want to deconstitute anyone.
Unresolved concerns
Concerns began in 2019, but the club status of UBC Sororities remains unresolved.
According to Evans, after the organization was set for review in February 2020, the Council had minimal conversations with UBC Sororities about potential structural changes if it wished to remain a club part of the society.
Evans said that those conversations involved considering the “idea to allow clubs the opportunity to restrict membership if the organization is comprised of ‘HPS groups’” — a term Evans described as historically, persistently or systematically marginalized groups.
“I don't know what’s the latest status on [the idea of HPS groups],” Evans continued. “But I know that was something that did come up in conversation, and that potentially UBC Sororities would be considered to fall under that category as a female-identifying only organization.”
Evans said that due to the pandemic, the AMS had to put the issue aside to prioritize “other issues” and supporting clubs. The UBC Sororities’ club status was not “something that had to be addressed immediately” due to minimal club activity happening on campus at the time in 2020, and thus there has been no action yet on figuring out how to resolve that specific situation.
Evans assured that the sororities’ club status is something that needs to be addressed. According to him, the Council plans to have conversations around Greek life governance and accountability, following community concerns last year around fraternities violating public health orders. Those discussions have not happened publicly yet.
While emphasizing that UBC Sororities and the IFC are separate, Evans stated that “they are both part of the Greek system” and thinks the sororities’ club status can be looped into these larger, upcoming conversations focusing on student safety in the Greek village.
In a recent email to The Ubyssey, AMS Senior Communications & Marketing Manager Eric Lowe stated that the Operations Committee will “definitely be taking a look at the standing of UBC Sororities as it is a follow up item from a previous year.”
“The AMS is constantly working to ensure that all our clubs are compliant with our policies and provide value to the members of the AMS."