According to a spokesperson from Student Affairs, the Intercultural Resource Center will not receive any sanctions following a three-month-long review of the IRC and the three fraternities associated with the December drug bust.
The spokesperson, when asked about the University's decision with regard to the IRC, said in an email:
The IRC will be permitted to function as it has in the past.
The IRC was reviewed independently and afforded the same considerations as the three fraternities. As we were interested in several years of history rather than one incident, we took a number of factors into account.
Unlike the fraternities, the IRC is not a membership-based organization. Instead, those who wish to reside in the IRC must take part in an annual application process. Therefore, we made a greater distinction between the actions of one individual and the activities of the organization.
Furthermore, our review revealed that the IRC’s contributions to the Columbia community over the past several years have been overwhelmingly positive. Its mission is to promote a just society and explore issues of interculturalism and diversity within and beyond the Columbia University community. Our review found the activities of the IRC over the past several years consistent with this mission.
As for why the IRC's decision was released separately, the spokesperson answered:
It was merely a matter of timing and our ability to gather these various communities together. We wanted to be sure to inform the fraternity chapters in enough time to give students a chance to enter into the housing lottery for next year, so we did that as soon as a decision was finalized.
UPDATE: The residents of the IRC have issued a statement regarding the University's decision. They're appreciative the University noted their positive body of work, say that "the loss of such a space would have been a detriment to Columbia," and "plan to continue our commitment to intercultural dialogue." Full statement after the jump.
