In addition to a recent ban on parties hosted at their on-campus houses, Cornell Interfraternity Council fraternities also cannot host parties or social events at their off-campus annexes, a Sorority and Fraternity Life representative told Greek Life leadership, according to multiple people close to the guidance.
The SFL representative did not clarify the duration of the reported ban on IFC fraternity social events hosted at annexes.
An “annex” describes an off-campus house associated with a fraternity, but typically not owned directly by the fraternity. An annex will typically form when individual fraternity members lease and live in the house together. These houses are often used by fraternities to host events.
Two days ago, Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff announced that IFC fraternities cannot host parties or social events at their on-campus chapter houses for the remainder of the 2026-27 academic year.
Any IFC fraternities that violate the on-campus social event ban will be put on immediate suspension, according to Kotlikoff’s statement.
A University spokesperson did not directly confirm that IFC fraternities are banned from hosting social events at their annexes, when asked by The Sun.
The spokesperson wrote that the social event ban extends to “any event hosted, sponsored, endorsed, or organized by a chapter, on chapter property that would require registration through the University’s social event policy registration process.”
An IFC fraternity member told The Sun that “the annexes are being viewed as chapter houses.”
Kotlikoff’s ban on on-campus IFC fraternity social events, which was made in part to “begin addressing the social context of sexual violence at Cornell,” follows national uproar surrounding the University’s handling of the alleged 2024 Chi Phi gang rape. In a Sept. 14 lawsuit, a former Cornell student alleged that she was sexually assaulted and gang raped after being coerced into consuming drugs at Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024.
While the social event ban does not apply to Multicultural Greek and Fraternal Council organizations and Panhellenic sororities, members of multiple Panhellenic sororities were told that they will face consequences if found attending or helping to host an IFC fraternity’s social event, The Sun independently verified.
If Panhellenic sorority members are found attending a social event hosted by an IFC fraternity, members of multiple Panhellenic sororities were told that both the sorority and fraternity will face immediate suspension, multiple sources confirmed to The Sun.
Additionally, if a Panhellenic sorority is found to knowingly host an IFC fraternity’s social event during the school year, both the sorority and fraternity will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards, according to an SFL representative’s message sent to Greek Life leadership and obtained by The Sun.
When asked by The Sun, the University did not confirm these consequences for Panhellenic sororities. The spokesperson wrote that Panhellenic sororities “remain subject to their existing event registration, organizational, and conduct requirements.”
Zeinab Faraj '28 contributed reporting.
Everett Chambala is a member of the Class of 2027 in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He is an assistant news editor for the 144th Editorial Board and can be reached at echambala@cornellsun.com.
Varsha Bhargava is a member of the Class of 2027 in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She is the managing editor of the 144th Editorial Board and was a news editor for the 143rd Editorial Board. She can be reached at vbhargava@cornellsun.com.
