MAJOR Penalties for 8 GLOs at Colorado State U.
 

The Rocky Mountain News reports that recent infraction of alcohol rules
has led to serious measures:

Recognition withdrawn: Pi Kappa Alpha

One-year suspension: Pi Kapa Phi, Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta

One-year social probation: Sigma Phi Epsilon, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Pi Beta Phi, Gamma Phi Beta

http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/lo...065483,00.html

I hate to point out the obvious, but what the h*ck were the chapters thinking? Colorado State (as well as the U. of Colorado and Colorado College) has been all over the local, regional and national news within the last year for alcohol - related deaths and other problems. Violating the alcohol rules doesn't seem to be a terrifically smart thing to do under the circumstances. (But maybe that's just me.)


Excerpts from article:


. . . School officials said they learned of a series of parties that occurred on Sept. 1. At these parties, they said, alcohol was provided and consumed by fraternity and sorority members within several fraternity houses in violation of both chapter and university rules and regulations . . .

"Overall, we are very proud of the positive choices our students, including our Greek community, have made and the way they have conducted themselves during the first weeks of this semester," said Linda Kuk, vice president for student affairs.

"Unfortunately, we saw an exception to this late last week when a group of fraternity and sorority members took part in alcohol-related activities that were clearly in direct violation of university and Greek system rules. As in the past, the university is taking strong and decisive action and making clear that this type of irresponsible behavior is unacceptable at Colorado State." . . .


According to the school, the following disciplinary actions have been taken:

-- Withdrawal of recognition of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity as a student organization. The fraternity may reapply for chapter recognition for a minimum of seven years only if its members meet a set of strict guidelines put forth by the university. The fraternity loses all advantages and privileges afforded to Greek and student organizations recognized by Colorado State, including: use of campus facilities, equipment or resources; participation in intramurals or in the Greek league; participation in sponsored recruitment publications, training and events; participation in the Intrafraternity/Panhellenic Council; sponsorship of any social or other events with any other university organization; ability to participate in the University Seal of Approval endorsement at Preview and on the Greek Life and Parents and Families Web sites and for recruitment periods; registration of football tailgating events; use of Colorado State University name, logo or symbols.

-- Suspension of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, the Chi Omega sorority and the Delta Delta Delta sorority. These organizations and their members are suspended from engaging in any Greek-related activities or functions for a period of one academic year. This includes all activities except those essential to run the chapter or the house. All Greek or chapter social, intramural, philanthropic, recruitment and other non-management activities are suspended. Chapters must apply for the termination of the suspended status.

-- Social probation for the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, Pi Beta Phi sorority and the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. These chapters and their members are suspended from engaging in any Greek-related social activities or functions (including the Formal) which include the use, presence or pre-consumption of alcohol, for a period of one academic year. Chapters must apply for the termination of the social probation status.

"It is our desire to have a successful Greek community on campus, and Greek members must realize that they have a shared responsibility to abide by the agreements that have been made among their chapters and with the university," Kuk said.

"Overall, the Greek community has done an excellent job over the past year in building a stronger community and partnering with the university. However, as this case demonstrates, there are serious consequences for those who choose to break the rules."

. . .

I guess they've reaped what they and their predecessors have sown.

If the Univ. only has a hammer (suspension), it's a pretty poor educational institution.

Is this a campus where the school owns/controls the houses?

The Colorado State U. press release about the actions can be accessed from their "recent news releases" page:

http://newsinfo.colostate.edu/index.asp

(I suppose in a few days or weeks you might have to use their function for searching news releases.)

Just a memory jogger: Colorado State is where Samantha Spady died. Lots of alcohol awareness activity and concern there in the last year or so.

5/8 NPC chapters are on probation on one campus.. WOW!

No.

I'm pleased (although a little surprized) that our chapter isn't one of the ones named. It was one of my chapters when I was a Division Vice President and there used to be a fair amount of beer there. I hope they've taken the new rules seriously.

They had a suicide in the house a couple years ago which may have sobered (pun not intended or meant) the chapter.

Maybe The Colleges are Idiots and Have No Control. Look at Jocks!!! Oh, alas the Jock Strap Leaders!:(

If I said Cluster Fu*K would anyone disagree?:(

An addition to exlurker's original post: Colorado College had one alcohol-related death last year, but it was unrelated to the Greek system.

How will the sororities and fraternity that are suspended for a year (incl. prohibition on recruiting) survive?

Sorry to post again, but I thought you all might be interested to know that the school had worked with the fraternities and sororities to provide positive recognition in the form of a "seal of approval". Read more here:

http://www.csugreeks.com/Seal_of_Approval.htm

This may seem very harsh, but they're trying to clean up the system and send a very strong message home. Doubtless, members will drop and the strong will stick around--- so when they come off probabtion, they'll have clean houses of dedicated and determined members-- and they won't be fooling around when it comes to recruiting like-minded members.

Or the houses that are on probation will party undercover so to speak, with no regulations, and become even more popular.

Sorority and fraternity recruitment has already concluded for the year, so they probably wouldn't have needed to recruit for another year anyway.

Excellent point. I'd hate to think they'd be that foolish. The first risk management issue to arise out of that and their charter is gone.

It's hard to remember being that age and not making the connection that breaking the law results in consequences-- whether you're 40, 20 or 10 years old. It's not because the admin wants to be mean and ruin their good fun. Admin has a responsibility to protect the well-being of the student body. If that means curbing the Greeks from destructive behaviors and getting them back on track, so be it. That's how a national office would handle this, too.

I like you adpiucf, but I believe your observations in this case are extremely naive.

Alcohol violations are not felonies, they are about at the same level as traffic tickets. Although the penalties have gotten more inconvenient.

If the University saw this situation as a clear and present danger to students they would expell all the students involved.

The organizations didn't have a party, the students had a party. The organizations didn't serve alcohol, (if they did) the students served alcohol.

So why go after the whole organization? Not the students?

Because it looks good. IF they ban your sorority it makes it look like they are tough on alcohol. In fact, it almost makes it look like they got rid of someone or something when in fact they didn't.

The organization is just an idea in people's minds. ITs not "real" I can't talk to Kappa Sigma on the phone, just people that belong to it.

The classes the students take are not affected, the social activities of the students as far as campus activities go are not affected. The ability of students to drink and provide alcohol as independants is not affected, in fact its increased because of less scrutiny.

As someone who has had a lot of access to collegiate policy makers and sat on boards involving policy I can tell you point blank that the reason college administrators adore attacking greek life is that they can make a big splash by "punishing" an organization that has no tangible reality and they can do it without affecting enrollment.

If they went after the students involved and expelled them, they would take a serious dip in enrollment (lost money) as well as open themselves up to lawsuits from irate parents who just lost thousands of dollrs.

If they suspended the students many would withdraw and again parents would go ballistic.

And yet, if the real reason the organizations were punished was to protect the safety of other students, then the students that performed those violations would be suspended or expelled.

Its just PC politics, so lets not dignify it with noble sounding rationalizations that reek of sophistry.

A couple of items from the coverage by a CBS station in Colorado (I like the quote about taking Ms Spady’s death “very seriously,” but that’s probably because way down deep I’m a bad person):


. . . early-morning "Rise and Ralph" booze parties that came one year after a student drinking death prompted a campus-wide crackdown. . . .

Mark Koepsell, CSU's director of Greek life, called the incident a "widespread violation of policy." In an e-mail to fraternity and sorority presidents, he warned that "the Greeks at CSU will not survive another negative incident."

School officials said members of the societies drank alcohol at several fraternity houses and private homes at about 5 a.m. on Sept. 1 to celebrate the end of sorority recruiting.

The parties came about a year after Samantha Spady, 19, a sophomore from Beatrice, Neb., died of alcohol poisoning on Sept. 5, 2004.

Her death sparked reforms aimed reducing alcohol abuse at CSU, and the Greek societies banned alcohol in their 17 houses.

. . . "Rise and Ralph" is a long-standing tradition, said sophomores Nichole Borman and Elizabeth Reider, who said they participated in it last year.

"We wake up at 5, and we just go out and drink and go to classes drunk," Reider said.

Borman said it was a coincidence the parties took place near the anniversary of Spady's death.

"We would never drink to remember Samantha Spady," Borman said. "We all took (her death) very seriously."

The entire story:

http://cbs4denver.com/topstories/loc...252103212.html

I really wonder if Samantha Spady would be happy to know that all these crackdowns and regulations are being made because of something stupid that she did. Somehow I doubt it.

Who knows? Of course, the foundation that her family set up in her memory has been cooperating with CSU and CSU Greeks. There are some upcoming events that will be, in part, in her memory -- see below -- in addition to the policy changes that the Greeks and the administration developed last year.

http://newsinfo.colostate.edu/index....m_id=668696333

Had to deal with a suicide as LXA chapter advisor as well - definitely changes the focus of what's important. Sometimes, tragedy brings a silver lining.

By the way, do you (or anyone) happen to know what became of Sigma Chi at CSU - the house is all boarded up, and appears ready for demolition (they did so to Sigma Nu a block away and built townhomes on the parcel - same thing here?). It's also the old ATO house, that SX either rented or bought, but being all boarded up is troubling, not to mention an eyesore, and, to add insult to injury, these are all on the same block as the other GLO's in the article that were busted (some sort of strong-arming to rebuild a neighborhood perhaps?).

Even if sorority NMs have been recruited, will they be allowed to initiate?

I'm sure they could argue that is an activity "essential to run the chapter or the house."

The Beta Tau Chapter of Sigma Chi is still at Colorado State. My understanding is that the chapter sold their old house and moved to a new one. I don't know why it (the old house) is boarded up.

SAE got into trouble with UPS for a similar thing a number of years (and is no longer there for that reason) but I have a serious problem with one small part of this.

"private homes"

How can a University have ANY say over what happened in a private home??????

But yes, I agree that the individuals should be punished more than the organizations if it's individual behavior that caused the problem.

If it's a chapter event, it's a chapter event. Your "physical location" doesn't define your chapter, so if XYZ held a 10 kegger in the woods (instead of at the officially recognized chapter house), it's an XYZ event and the chapter can be held responsible, even though it was on private property (extreme example, I know....).

Also, at some point people need to realize that if a large majority of your chapter is there, and the chapter president knows it's occuring but does not try to stop it (i.e. calling security, reporting the instigators to the school or HQ and telling them it's an individual action not a chapter sanctioned event, disciplining the chapter individuals who are promoting it as a chapter event), then it appears as though the chapter is condoning it and could also be seen as responsible. Bottom line on that one is if a majority of your chapter knows it's breaking some sort of rule and doesn't want to get into trouble for it, they shouldn't be there. Actions speak louder than words.

PsychTau

Its funny but if you work for ABC company and your entire shift of 500 people decides to go to your house and party its not considered an ABC event . . . but if 5 people from Alpha Sigma Alpha are drinking together the whole organization is considered responsibile.

Bet it would be.

Yeah, I would think so, too. I don't buy into some national rules like if there are two or more (fill in the number) members together, it's a chapter function -- but at some point the organization needed would certainly point that way.

Not speaking specificly to any chapter/event, but the campus dean will assume a lot of power, and make some stupid decisions - if there is not check and balance.

The available check and balance is a lawyer. The dean may think he has a lot of power over students and campus groups, but his/her power over an incorporated GLO on private property might be limited if the GLO gets a lawyer involved.

At UGa a few years ago, a sorority was about to get suspended for "discrimination" until the alumnae asked their lawyer to talk to the dean. Suddenly the dean's tune was changed.

The point: cultivate your alumni who are lawyers.

Maybe it would depend on how it was presented?



But, Greeks do hold a special position dont WE!:rolleyes:

I am sure before the Internet, many of the things going on today were actually unknown. Now it is an open book!

Having just gotten off of the phone with Justin a DU from CSU, his opinion is that The Adm. wants to sweep the Greeks under the carpet or out of their hair.

Not working with Greeks will always create hostilities wont it?:(

The opposite sides that we see on GreekChat from Schools is Mind Boggleing.

The Pi Kappa Alpha chapter at Colorado State will not lose their charter, according to an article in the Sept. 13 student paper. They will, however, not be recognized by the university.

Article:

http://www.collegian.com/vnews/displ.../432653c5c82b5

The article also includes a quote from a fraternity member trying to clarify what the partying was about. In this case, the explanation may not have made things seem a whole lot better :) -->

"It isn't a case of . . . getting drunk at 5 a.m. and then throwing up and blacking out. It was more like a few drinks and then passing out or going to class," Selvy [the IFC president][I said.[/I]

Just to clarify - Justin is a UNC alum, but his sister was a CSU greek.

Please note - for those of you familiar with the greek layout at CSU - all the chapters (save one, I believe) that have been sanctioned are all in the same neighborhood where the Samantha Spady incident occured.

One greek house has already been demolished and rebuilt as townhomes. It looks like Sigma Chi is going the same route. Chi Omega is adjacent to Sig's house. Tri Delt is across the street from Chi O. I believe there is more to this story than just a crack down on greeks (not that it was needed, but it's just a storefront story in my mind).

I would not be surprised that they are trying to get the houses off of this block for developers to come in and build more townhomes/apartment buildings. This is just a two block walk from CSU's campus. The real estate value in that area is just too good to pass up. Don't be surprised if it happens.

To be clear, the Sigma Chi house noted above is the former chapter house, not the current one.

The Beta Tau Chapter of Sigma Chi is still at Colorado State. My understanding is that the chapter sold their old house and moved to a new one. I don't know why it (the old house) is boarded up.

"It isn't a case of . . . getting drunk at 5 a.m. and then throwing up and blacking out. It was more like a few drinks and then passing out or going to class," Selvy, the IFC president, said.

I'm sure this would have made all of their founders proud.

Correct, but there seems to be a lot of real estate activity happening in this area - that's my cause for concern.

Glad to see Sigs still there - I know they were really struggling about 10 years ago, and seemed to be turning things around.

I think he means passing out in the "It's really early in the morning and I am tired" kind of sense.

Most of our founders (male) existed in atime when drinking was even more common than today. You know that Delta Alum.

I would argue that the attitude about drinking has changed in the last couple hundred years and that drinking to excess (embarrassing drunken behavior, sickness, blackouts and death) is a relatively new phenomenon.

I can't speak for yours, but our founders (in 1858) probably weren't at the tavern nightly. The curriculum was too demanding.

OMG, what a true statement!

While We did Drink in College:eek: , We did it with a little more decorum!

Today is Binge Drinking and I just dont understand it!:(

There was a big difference of drinking Socialy instead of Just gettting Screwed UP!:mad:

When we covered this in athropology it was expressed that drinking used to be more frequent and part of the culture.

In recent years drinking has become more and more frowned upon versus more extreme.

Although there does seem to be a correlation between drinking becoming less frequent and standard in every day life and the degree of drinking. For example, people that didn't grow up with wine at dinner being more likely to drink heavier during social occassions.