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Letter from UNC Division of Student Afffairs Threatening ‘Derecogniton’ of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, December 10, 2002

Carolina Union

A Department in the Division of Student Affairs

December 10, 2002

Stephie Crowell

IVCF - Off/Grantville

100 Dickens Court Apt. 6

Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514

Dear Ms. Crowell:

On September 19, 2002, your group submitted an application for official UNC-Chapel Hill recognition for the 2002-2003 school year. As part of that application, you certified that your group complied with the University policy that "openness to full membership and participation must be available to all members of the University community without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender(where applicable)."

Recently I reviewed the Constitution of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. Article IV, dealing with membership, declares that the organization is open to all interested students, staff, and faculty. Article II, Section Z, however, provides that Officers must subscribe in writing and without reservation to Article II, Section 1. Article II, Section 1, sets out a number of articles of Christian doctrine.

Access to "full participation," as required for University recognition, includes the opportunity to be an officer in the group. Your Constitution, on the other hand, requires an officer to "subscribe in writing and without reservation" to the beliefs of the Christian faith as enumerated in Article II. Thus, your group does not allow full participation "without regard to ... religion ..." as mandated by our Application for Official University Recognition.

Consequently I am writing to notify you that you will need to modify the wording of your charter, or I will have no choice but to revoke your University recognition. You are allowed a grace period, until January 31, 2003, to submit to my office an amended constitution that is in compliance with University policy. If you have not accomplished this by that date, I will be forced to terminate your recognition for the remainder of the 2002-2003 school year. Please remember that if your recognition is terminated, you may not exercise any of the privileges that are accorded to officially recognized student organizations.

I realize that in spite of this requirement being stipulated repeatedly in the Application for Official University Recognition, notification at this point may come as a surprise to you. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can provide any further clarification or assistance.

Sincerely,

Jonathan E. Curtis Assistant Director for Student Activities and Organizations

1600G Frank Porter Graham Student Union Building

Chapel Hill, NC 27500-5210

Phone (919) 966-3128

Fax (919) 962-3710

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