Virginia Commonwealth University: Deferred Recruitment Policy Bans First-Semester, Transfer Students From Joining Social Fraternities, Sororities

On August 1, 2022, Virginia Commonwealth University will ban all students with fewer than 12 credit hours completed at the university from joining social fraternities and sororities. VCU provides no exceptions to this policy for any individual student or group, and imposes no similar requirement on first-semester and transfer students playing for university athletic teams, working full-time jobs, or joining other campus groups. On July 26, FIRE wrote VCU explaining that this policy improperly restricts students’ First Amendment right to associate with campus groups and must be rescinded. VCU refused to modify the policy.