The IFC contains sixteen fraternities. There are three other fraternities that do have CU campus recognition, presumably agreeing to the CU policy. There are two other fraternities that are not recognized by CU and are not members of the IFC.
Looking at CU policy, this may have to do with underage consumption of alcohol at the Registered Fraternal Organization’s events. CU may plan on enforcing this rule.
I’m not surprised. Committing to that standard means holding themselves accountable for events that they may not have any control over. Would you sign something like that if you didn’t have to? Few organizations would because it opens them up to massive liability.
The IFC fraternities do not think it is more beneficial to them to agree to the conditions when all they get out of the agreement is the right to use campus facilities. There are other facilities they can use for meetings and parties if they don’t have their own houses. They can use the houses of chapters who do have houses or use sorority houses (sometimes). Sometimes they rent hotel meeting rooms or church halls. There has been a protest that other groups not recognized by the university get to use university facilities because any group of students can (at a reduced rental rate) so these students are paying the same in student fees but aren’t getting the full benefits.
I think it is better for the IFC group to be honest and say they aren’t going to follow the rules, especially about alcohol, than to agree to them and then violate them. They know they ARE going to serve alcohol at rush. They want to have rush in the fall. They don’t want house mothers. The sororities at CU have fall Rush even though a lot of schools around the country have switched to spring, so why should the boys have to follow rules the (recognized) sororities don’t?