Single-gender organizations have been a part of college life for decades. Fraternities, sororities and other gender-specific organizations present students with opportunities that would be difficult to come by if they were a part of just any student organization. These organizations require students to partake in community service, require students to assist with the operation of that organization and network with mentors in the community. The friendships that students form while participating in these organizations are lifelong, and a good reference from a sorority sister or fraternity brother could make it possible for a student to get the job he or she was hoping for after graduation.
Harvard University does not recognize gender-specific organizations as part of campus life. Recently, Harvard University adopted a policy that will bar students who participate in gender-specific organizations from assuming leadership roles in any on-campus organizations or athletic teams. In addition, these students would not be eligible for any fellowships or scholarships endorsed by the institution. This policy is set to take effect in 2017 with the arrival of the class of 2021. The Harvard University administration felt there was an unequal balance of power between the students who participate in gender-specific organizations and those who do not. Harvard also felt that gender-specific organizations, specifically the organizations that have a male-only membership, contribute to the number of sexual assaults on campus, something that the administration feels should be decreased.
Students are outraged by this newly adopted legislation. Some organizations feel that their right to freedom of assembly has been violated, while other organizations feel that the legislation is counterproductive — saying that integrating both genders in their organizations would cause an increase in the number of sexual assaults on campus. It is clear that the students who participate in single-gender organizations wish to uphold the values set forth by the organizations’ founders, and these values do include keeping the organizations open to the gender they were intended to serve.
Colleges and universities throughout the United States are becoming more inclusive. While it is important for colleges and universities to have a diverse population of students and faculty, it is equally important for students to learn that exploiting others because they are of a different gender is wrong. The institution should not teach students that sexual assault is wrong by taking away their freedom to join a single-gender organization. The university should understand that there will always be sexual misconduct on campus and the best practice to reduce sexual assaults is to educate its students and penalize those who exploit others.
