The Kappa Kappa Gamma (Kappa) sorority will occupy the residence at 1047 Campus Drive for three years, while the Chi Omega (Chi O) sorority will live in the house at 664 Lomita Drive for one year, Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) announced on Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, the house at 550 Lasuen, the would-be 10th Greek house to complete Vice Provost for Student Affairs Susie Brubaker-Cole’s vision for 10 Greek houses on campus, is still in flux. Sigma Psi Zeta, Alpha Kappa Delta Phi and Delta Kappa Epsilon, who applied in a joint application, were ranked just below Kappa and Chi O, meaning they’re next in line to be housed, should 550 Lasuen become available.
The residence used to be occupied by Sigma Chi, until Stanford’s chapter lost its national recognition. Alpha Omega House Corporation (AOHC) — a group of Sigma Chi alumni who lease the property from the University — and Stanford have sued each other for rights to the property. The next hearing on Stanford’s case against AOHC is set for March 23.
While the organizations living in more established Greek houses enjoy the predictability of recurring housing lest they violate University policy, the two newly allocated houses are under temporary contracts to align with the ResX vision. The 25-year plan for revolutionizing campus housing did not include a plan for Greek life in its April 2019 release, and instead called for the formation of another task force for Greek life. Vice Provost for Student Affairs Susie Brubaker-Cole announced in February 2019 that she would form a steering committee and working group to flesh out the details, but no information has been posted on the ResX implementation committee website.
The decision was made by a five-person selection panel consisting of West Lagunita Resident Fellow and longtime Student Affairs staffer Nate Boswell ’99 ’09, Assistant Vice Provost for Residential Education Cheryl Brown, former Kappa Sigma member Zach Ellison ’15, Sexual Assault Prevention, Education, and Response (SARA) Director Carley Flanery and Assistant Director of Housing Operations in Residential & Dining Enterprises Lisa Thornton.
The panel ranked organizations, according to a letter sent to Greek leaders on Feb. 10, on their ability to articulate collective values” as well as their “sustained positive contributions to Stanford above and beyond social engagement” and “commitment to equity and inclusion,” among other criteria. It also considered Standards of Excellence ratings, an annual evaluation system for Greek organizations that is currently pending review by a steering committee within FSL.
Contact Julia Ingram at jmingram ‘at’ stanford.edu.