But the graduate presidents also wanted the undergraduate membership to realize that they were serious about reforming the club's guest policies.

"To reform the guest policies, we first had to get [the membership's] attention," Sears said.

Although Sears said that no particular event spurred the creation of these new policies, events in recent years have rocked the clubs.

In 1990, the Pi Eta Club shut its doors after an incident at the club.

And, this spring, the D.U. Club closed and merged its graduate membership with the Fly Club. Problems at the D.U. began two years ago when D.U. member Sean M. Hansen '95 punched John Burnham, a Harvard football recruit from Maryland.

The University

Officially, the University has severed ties with the final clubs because the clubs exclude women from their membership and thus violate Harvard's non-discrimination policy.

Yet, as in this case, the University continues to consult with the clubs about their policies.

"The clubs practice within their legal and constitutional rights and, even though Harvard is separate from the clubs, Harvard's still going to try to tell us what to do," Sears said.

Epps' recommendations at Thursday's meeting included hiring stewards to manage club properties and enforce alcohol policies, employing retired Harvard police officers to work at parties and hiring bartenders to serve alcohol at the clubs, according to Sears