Above:
Coach Pete Gillen assumes the helm
|of the U.Va. men’s basketball team
Former head coach at Providence, he
will replace Coach Jeff Jones this season.

As the University kicks off the new school year, it is an opportune time to look back and count some of the more notable events from 1997-98.

Fraternities to Rush in Spring
The biggest issues on Grounds were fraternity and sorority rush and the distribution of alcohol at fraternity parties.

Both the Faculty Senate—which brought the issue to light at Fall Convocation—and the administration pushed for the movement of rush from the fall to spring semester (Nov. 3).

In early April, outgoing Dean of Students Robert T. Canevari ultimately instituted the move while citing his disappointment over the Inter-Fraternity Council’s failure to agree to a proposal that would have left rush in the fall (April 6).

Canevari’s proposal asked fraternities to agree to 10 objectives, the stickiest of which was the abolition of fraternity-bought alcohol at parties. The Fraternal Alumni Council supported the proposal, and the IFC originally agreed to the "informal" version of the proposal but later balked at Canevari’s "formal" proposal, opting to amend it by deleting the ban on fraternity-bought alcohol.

In response to the amendment, Canevari moved rush, and FAC President Carter Hoerr resigned, citing "damaged credibility" with dealing with the IFC. IFC leaders maintained that rush and alcohol were different issues and should not have been lumped together in one proposal (March 31 to April 6) .

The Inter-Sorority Council moved its rush back to the spring, where it had been before 1995, and also abolished Thursday night mixers (Feb. 11).

Alcohol Task Force Reports
University President John Casteen oversaw an Alcohol Task Force, which presented its findings to the University community and the Board of Visitors this spring (May 16). Among other issues, the task force criticized the University tradition of fourth-year fifths. The force’s findings could lead to a heightened crackdown on alcohol at sporting events.

The report also cited that binge drinking has increased at the University from 41.3 percent of students in 1992 to 51.3 percent last year. Binge drinking is defined as five or more drinks in a row for a male, and four or more drinks in a row for a female.

Since then, Virginia Attorney General Mark Earley’s Task Force on Drinking by College Students approved recommendations that would weaken federal privacy laws so college officials can more easily notify parents of students who commit alcohol offenses (July 2).

This summer, six national fraternities announced they would be "dry" by 2000 (July 20).

Dean Canevari Retires
Shortly after the fraternity issue was settled, Canevari announced his retirement after 30 years of service to the University (April 24).

Professor Bice Also Retires
Likewise, University Historian Raymond Bice vacated his final University post after 50 years of service that included tenures as a psychology professor and Board of Visitors secretary (July 9).

Capital Campaign Successful
The University’s capital campaign has been going so well that University officials upped the goal from $750 million to $1 billion.

In one of the largest contributions, 1954 alumnus Carl W. Smith donated $25 million toward the ongoing renovation and expansion of Scott Stadium, which will increase the stadium’s capacity to 60,000 seats and 40 luxury boxes.

Administrative News
In other administrative news, the University, for the first time, mailed out early-decision rejection letters instead of deferring some students to the regular admissions process.

Tuition was raised 5 percent for out-of-state students but frozen for in-state students. Faculty salaries were increased by 4.4 percent.

Madison House Defunded
Student Council had an up and down year as well. Council at one point denied funding to Madison House, temporarily jeopardizing one of the largest university service organizations in the country (May 16). The Appropriations Committee originally ruled that Madison House’s $700,000 endowment, and the $40,000 annual revenue it generates, qualified the organization as self-sufficient. Madison House was successfully able to appeal the decision.

The Appropriations Committee also denied funding to the Glee Club and The Declaration (April 15). The Glee Club and the Declaration each regained all or part of their funding after appeals.

Meanwhile, Dan Soschin, Council vice president for administration was arrested on Feb. 11 for allegedly, "attempting to obtain monies by false pretenses." Soschin later pled no contest (July 16).

Honor and Judiciary Changes
The Honor and Judiciary Committee had relatively quiet years, but each tackled one large issue.

The Judiciary Committee revised its Standards of Conduct, while Honor made strides toward insuring racial balance in its juries (Feb. 23).

Coach Jones Replaced
In sports, after a dismal basketball season, men’s head coach Jeff Jones was replaced with former Providence coach Pete Gillen (March 30).

The men’s and women’s soccer teams and lacrosse teams and the women’s field hockey team all advanced deep into their respective NCAA tournaments to cap successful seasons, yet none celebrated a national crown.

Meanwhile, University Hall has been found structurally unsound, and the athletic department has been forced to vacate its offices. Roof repairs began in early September, and Athletic Director Terry Holland says basketball season will not be affected.