University of Utah fraternity houses will be alcohol free by default next school year, under a new policy adopted by the university and its Greek community.
Fraternities could seek clearance to serve alcohol, but they would need to pass a review process at the beginning of the semester by proving the chapter is in good standing, has no violations and that its members maintain a grade point average higher than the school's average.
The school's Greek Council proposed the change.
"The reason why we initiated this is the Greek Council wanted to make sure the students had self-governance, and personally I think this was a great initiative to take," council member Luna Koizumi told the U. Board of Trustees on Tuesday.
The U.'s sororities are already dry. Frats must register to throw a party where alcohol will be served, and police monitor the gatherings, said Barbara Snyder, vice president of student affairs. No single incident caused the change, though "there have been concerns over the years about alcohol on campus," she said.
Five fraternities have houses at the U.; three are already dry. One opposed the change, which goes into affect in the fall. Of the approximately 32,000 students at the U., about 1,200 are involved in fraternities or sororities.
lwhitehurst@sltrib.com
Twitter: @lwhitehurst