Second Year Living
Overview
Ohio State’s Second-year Transformational Experience Program (STEP) was developed as a continuation of the university’s effort to redefine the student experience. STEP is designed to focus on student success and development and will allow students the opportunity to engage in activities that cater to their individual interests and needs. To learn more about STEP, visit step.osu.edu.
Please note, chapters must be recognized student organizations in order to be second year approved facilities. Should a chapter have its recognition revoked during the academic year, second year students will be required to relocate to residence halls. Students should expect that the Associate Director of Housing for Sorority and Fraternity Life will work with them to relocate. Students will be assigned housing based on availability.
In conjunction with STEP, all second-year students are required to live in approved on-campus housing. Because of the nature of fraternities and sororities as values-based organizations with comprehensive educational pillars focusing on academic achievement, leadership development, civic engagement, community service, philanthropy and social development, Greek letter organizations are uniquely positioned to augment the mission of STEP. Because of these values and the housing infrastructure that exists within the Ohio State Greek community, sororities and fraternities have been approved as partnering organizations whom can have their living facility approved for second year student living.
A committee of Greek students, faculty, staff, alumni and (inter) national volunteers drafted an initial standard to define this partnership. This document was shared with the community for feedback in late spring and throughout the fall semester of 2013. This document envisioned a safe and welcoming community environment which fosters academic excellence, responsible behavior, pride in community and the maintenance and continual improvement of sorority and fraternity housing for its members, alumni and the broader Columbus community. A final version of the document, the Greek Housing Standard, was sent to the community in the spring 2014 semester.
Beginning in spring 2014 and continuing into fall 2014, Greek students, faculty, staff, alumni and (inter) national volunteers were formed into implementation committees to discuss the details of the Greek Housing Standard. The purpose of these implementation committees was to define for chapters how best to implement these proposed standards in day to day operations. The Greek Housing Standards provided an overview of the goals for Greek housing as part of the second-year living requirement, and the implementation committees provided specific details on how each standard should be observed by a partnering chapter and living facility. Six unique implementation committees were formed to provide more input on the Greek Housing Standard.
Implementation committees included:
- Academics and Technology Implementation Committee
- Alcohol and Social Events Implementation Committee
- Alternative Housing Implementation Committee
- Audit and Accountability Implementation Committee
- Greek Community Association Implementation Committee
- Housing Director Implementation Committee
Values
VISION
We envision a safe and welcoming community environment which fosters academic excellence, responsible behavior, pride in community and the maintenance and continual improvement of the sorority and fraternity housing community for its members, alumni and broader Columbus community.
DEFINITION
The Greek Housing standard empowers the sorority and fraternity community at The Ohio State University to maintain and improve chapter facilities and foster an active and engaged community.
The Greek Community Association, consisting of elected alumni volunteers, students and university personnel, provides a resource for chapters in fulfilling their improvement plans and maintaining the community standard.
IMPLEMENTATION
If chapters have special circumstances that prevent them from meeting the standard, chapters may submit an alternative plan approved by a representative from the Office of Student Life to meet the original intent of the standard.