(April 18, 2005) — An experimental policy at the University of Rochester that limits who can join a fraternity has some students and alumni crying foul.

As of this spring, freshmen on the varsity soccer, football and baseball teams are prohibited from seeking to join a fraternity, or "rushing."

The new rule — which applies only to men seeking to join fraternities and not to women rushing sororities — affects maybe 50 students, said Dean of The College William Scott Green. Baseball, soccer and football have proven to be problem areas in conjunction with rushing, UR says.

"Empirical evidence shows that in these sports, pledging in the freshman year has harmful effects on students' educational progress and on the development of a team focus," UR said in a statement.

A number of alumni argue that the policy smacks of discrimination and is a body blow to fraternities by cutting down on their possible membership.

"Part of a liberal arts education is that you are well-rounded in many different ways," said Howard Rudzinsky of Massachusetts, a 1980 alumnus who pledged Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. "Fraternity life isn't for everyone, that's clear. Neither are varsity athletics. But to say you can do one and exclude another I think is antithetical to a liberal arts experience."

According to Rudzinsky and two other DKE alums, alumni Internet message boards have been abuzz with angry postings from graduates.

"These new restrictions are a big hit to the Greek community," said Nick Delahanty, a senior from Queens and a member of Delta Upsilon fraternity.

"The student fraternity leadership is upset, and we have tried to appeal the decision. It has hurt recruitment, especially for those fraternities that draw heavily on various sports teams."

Across higher education, there's no universal rule of thumb on who can rush when. Restrictions on outside activities usually seem to be a head coach's decision rather than a uniform policy of an institution that affects all sports at a college, said Dick McKaig, executive director of Indiana University's Center for the Study of the College Fraternity.

UR's soccer, baseball and football coaches each came up with the idea independently, Green said, and the policy got both administrative and board of trustees' approval.

Since sophomores can rush a fraternity in the fall semester, Green said, the policy amounts to a one-semester delay.

UR does not allow first-semester freshmen to take more than three credit hours above the typical four courses to prevent "overload."

The new fraternity policy is analogous to that, Green said: "This is about overload. This is not an attack on fraternities."

UR is leaning toward trying the rushing policy for a couple of years and seeing what impact it has on the teams, Green said.