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ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — University of Michigan officials are seeking to establish a plan that could pave the way for a house mom or a live-in housing director at more of the school's fraternities to help combat behavioral issues.
Administrators met last week with representatives from about 30 national Greek organizations that have chapters on the school's campus in Ann Arbor. The meeting was a continuation of the university's goal of working toward a "comprehensive cultural change within Greek life" on campus, said Laura Blake Jones, dean of students at the University of Michigan.
"We want them to live their values — the values their organizations were founded on," Blake Jones said. "If they did that, we wouldn't have issues.
"There's a focus on the social above service and philanthropy. We want to help return the focus to that."
Existing fraternities wouldn't be forced into hiring a live-in housing director, but new organizations coming to campus or previously disbanded organizations that want to start again likely would have to commit to such a plan before the university approves them, the Detroit Free Press (http://on.freep.com/1KZmKXD ) reported.
The change is in response to vandalism at Treetops ski resort by more than 120 members of Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity earlier this year. The students trashed 45 rooms and caused over $430,000 in damages, according to the resort.
Three University of Michigan students are facing criminal charges in connection with the incident.
"This was not just in reactions to the incidents of the last year, but the impact from those incidents on our campus was tremendous," Blake Jones said of the meeting with national Greek organizations. "We laid out our goals and asked for their help."
University officials also would like to see more local alums on the advisory boards that run the houses and more older fraternity members involved in the off-campus house life.
All of the school's sororities currently have some kind of housing director, but only two of its fraternities have live-in advisers.
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Information from: Detroit Free Press, http://www.freep.com
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