Press Release: The University Students’ Council Votes on Affiliation with Greek Life at Western University

Council votes on motions determining how the USC will interact with fraternities and sororities in the future

For Immediate Release 

LONDON, Ontario, October 28, 2021 – The University Students’ Council (USC) at Western University held their October meeting where Councillors voted on the relationship and privileges between Greek Life and the USC.

In the past, the USC had no formal agreement or relationship with fraternities or sororities on campus. Western University also does not recognize fraternities or sororities, though they exist in London. While Greek Life is not formally recognized, it has informal privileges that USC recognized groups have.

“Ultimately, this was a discussion about equity and accountability,” said Zamir Fakirani, USC President. “The USC Executive believed that engaging students and our Council were imperative in deciding on the direction for the USC’s relationship with Greek Life organizations.”

After amendments to the motion put forth by the USC Executive and two additional motions from Councillors, the votes were finalized: 

83% in favour, 10% not in favour, and 8% abstained in the vote to no longer offer space and room booking at a subsidized rate to Greek Life organizations.

76% in favour, 17% not in favour, and 7% abstained that the USC not involve itself in fraternities’ Rush Week programming henceforth.

37% in favour, 41% not in favour, and 22% abstained that the Council Composition Procedure Section 3B be amended to remove Section V, which allows the Presidents of the Intra-Fraternity Council and Panhellenic Council to hold a resource member seat at Council.

98% in favour, 0% not in favour, and 2% abstained that the USC President present a report to Council in January evaluating the effectiveness of providing resources to combat Gender-Based Violence to Greek Life organizations.

78% in favour, 15% not in favour, and 8% abstained that the USC organize roundtable discussions with stakeholders from Greek Life to determine future avenues of cooperation between the two organizations.

Please note that final votes documented in this press release were rounded up to the nearest 1% and may not round up to exactly 100%.

The USC Executive brought these motions forward to be discussed by Council as these informal areas of engagement have not been brought to the Council floor before. To ensure a fair and democratic decision, the USC relied on 45 representatives of all undergraduate students to debate, discuss, and vote on the motions. 

“I’m thankful to our student leaders for consulting with their constituents and making an informed decision,” added Zamir. “I’d also like to thank Greek Life representatives for answering and engaging with our Councillors’ questions.” 

You can learn more about the USC Council here. 

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The University Students’ Council (USC) is a student-led organization that first and foremost exists to advocate for and represent undergraduate students at Western University. Since 1965, we have grown beyond an advocacy organization, becoming one of the largest student governments in Canada and one of the largest nonprofits in London. Each day, we work to support, improve and enhance your student experience, because we believe that students have the power to change the world.

For more information and interview opportunities, please contact: 

Callista Ryan
VP Communications & Public Affairs
University Students’ Council
communications@westernusc.ca
(519) 661-2111 x82618