Getting Rid of Unrecognized Chapters
 

Just wondering if anyone knows of things that universities have done to get rid of chapters that are no longer recognized. There are two chapters at my school who have lost recognition and continue to operate and steal members from organizations who are still recognized.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

They are hardly "stealing" members. That implies the people joining them have no minds of their own. If students would rather be in an unrecognized chapter than a recognized one, apparently the unrec ones are doing something right and the rec ones are doing something wrong.

Are the chapters still recognized by their headquarters?

public or private school?

Also - what is the Greek housing situation like at your school?

Here's a fun thread about unrecognized GLOs.

lolllers.

If you're making life suck for the recognized chapters with too many rules (e.g., dry campus), you're just going to push kids to take a really hard look at the unrecognized chapters.

Probably your best bet would be to enter into discussions with their HQs to bring them back into the fold (and make them subject to the rules). Absent that, you're going to have to give the recognized chapters a competitive edge, give kids a reason to join those instead of the unrecognized chapters.

I take it, when you say lost recognition, that they are from National Organizations.

As has been asked, private or not?

How strict is the school with the greek organizations?

Do they work with them?

Is there greek housing either off campus or dorm settings?

Is there a working relation ship between the greek community and school?

Two schools come to mind and each is at the other end of the spectrum:

Un. Colorado, who did nothing and gave a free hand. They then stepped in with an iron glove and have had nothing but problems.

Alfred, in N Y. They had both locals and Nationals. A local had a death and the school kicked all off of campus and threatened any member who joined be expelled.

Kevin gives some good advice and another poster does also.
Maybe the reason some join the underground groups is they do not find what they are looking for.

What is sad, when they graduate, they really have no long term ties to that group.

Do the national organizations know that a group is still operating under their letters there? They don't like that.

If there's no way they can be recognized, I'd try to educate the students going through rush about the minuses of joining an unrecognized/unchartered organization. Put it in the rush materials, and/or send a letter to students prior to the school year addressing the situation. Something like a "Recognized vs. Unrecognized" fact sheet. When I was considering Univ. of Washington, I got a letter in the mail along with the rush booklet that was all about a situation like this at UW, warning students to stay away from a certain chapter still functioning underground. Other than education the students, there's not much you can do. Besides withdrawing any support and/or funding, which I'm assuming you've already done.

If their HQs continue to recognize the chapter, I doubt there is much than can be done to penalize them.

So, perhaps as Kevin suggested:

TSteven, we had as LXA had a couple as has been said under the radar for some time.

We do not condone it, but , there has been one brought back into the fold as it were.

The problem is that many times chapters were dechartered until a later date for R M problems.

But, if they have been following rules of the school, it would make sense in them coming back on campus as full members as the original bad boys would be gone and there are young people who still beleive in a certain GLO.

Wonder why this OP has not posted anything lately!

Got notice today that UAlbany is having the same problem. Wonder if one in the same school?

Thanks for all of the info thus far and sorry for the delay in my response.

There are two orgs primarily causing issues. One was a local chapter which lost its recognition from the university and a national which lost recognition from their national and the university. They switched their letters and do their own thing.

This is at a Private school.

How strict is the school with the greek organizations? -Been very lenient with them in the past.

Do they work with them? Yes as much as they are willing to work with the students.

Is there greek housing either off campus or dorm settings? Most are off campus, however the ones on campus seem to be the stronger chapters.

That is intersting. But of course the ones who are under the umbrella would be better or not!! More not!

So, it is two GLO organizations, one an ex (National) and one a local!

The finances and control over Chapers is with Nationals and not locals who have no oversight.

Suggest that You Contact the one with National over sight!
The Local well, you are on your own!:(

If they are not im compliance with the School then get rid of them or have them affiliate with a National.

Harsh, maybe not.

It would be pretty easy to get rid of these organizations. As a private school (assuming you met all the criteria, you have a general counsel, so ask her about it), you should probably be able to make continued enrollment for anyone affiliated with these two groups conditional on their no longer being affiliated with these two groups.

Let's be honest, no kid is going to choose a local GLO over his diploma.

There are less draconian measures at your disposal, such as allowing them back onto campus on a probationary basis and going with option one (above) if that doesn't work out.

If you just want to "get rid" of these guys, then that really doesn't take much. Just get rid of them.

Actually, if they changed their letters and were closed by the national, the national organization will probably want nothing to do with them. I have no idea what money would have to do with this.

The school is private--is there something in the student code of conduct that would help you out? Sometimes private schools have policies against joining unrecognized campus organizations?

There are definitely some liability issues for your school if you do not confront this issue because if something happens, even the school no longer recognizes the org, someone's parents will be upset. Consult the school's legal counsel for advice.

Someone suggested making statements re: the two groups' statuses, and I think in your situation that may help. Perhaps something in the school paper.

Also, support the groups that you do recognize. Help them beef up their recruitment efforts and make it apparent that the groups that play nice are going to be rewarded.

I think (I'm very scared I might understand this) Tom is saying the national group might have the money to either 1) get them operating as a chapter in good standing again or 2) sue to make them cease and desist, but if they've changed letters, then the national really can't do anything about it.

Unrecognized Chapters
 

Two schools have recently enacted policies to deal with this situation-one public, one private. State University of NY-Plattsburgh. Greek Advisor is Allison Swick Duttine. The other is American University. Advisor is Danny Kelly.
Federal Courts have recently allowed public institutions to ban membership in chapters that have lost recognition for violations of school policy and/or law. Private institutions need no reason.

Do you have a link to the ruling or can you cite the case? I'm not questioning this, as much as I would like to know for down the line.

Judge, I did a cursory search on Westlaw. While I could find a few cases which stated that it was not a violation of the First Amendment for a public school to deny recognition to a chapter, I could find no such case which stated that it was okay for a public school to disallow members from associating with a particular chapter.

Do you have anything which might help me locate one of those cases?

I think you are much better off educating them on the PLUSES of joining a RECOGNIZED organization. Subtle, yes, but definitely different.

Kids that join the unrecognized chapters are generally going to do so because the unrecognized chapter has some sort of advantage over the recognized ones. For example, on a dry campus, an unrecognized "wet" chapter is usually a force to be reckoned with.

Universities who have the remedy available ought to simply dispose of these unrecognized chapters by forbidding membership. It's a bit draconian, but I don't really trust that college freshmen are really equipped to weigh all of the relevant facts and make the right decision. Even if they were, going with an unrecognized chapter might be their "right decision."

I know some organizations (TKE, for example) have a lot of chapters which are not recognized by the national organization. That was the case at my school for a few years. I can only imagine their liability situation. What kind of case for punitive damages is made when an organization refuses to shut down a chapter which the university has withdrawn recognition for due to risk management or conduct issues?

Sorry, I am not really sure what your post is all about or what meaning it has to do with anything?


Underwhelming.

dah!!

I was interpreting Your Post!

If I am Wrong, please point out where I should have Been right!! :) :rolleyes: :p

Do you mean the National has the $$$$$$??? :confused:

God-damned unrecognized fraternities and their unsanctioned debauchery. Listening to their rock and roll cassettes and smoking thier marijuana cigarettes ...where's a good Nedermeyer when you need one?

I know at my school at the beginning of every new semester for awhile they sent out a letter to all incoming male students warning them of the unrecognized groups, what possible actions could be taken if they join the group, and a censored version of why the group is not recognized. Also, the letter explained that these groups can't participate in any of the sanctioned activity. It seemed to work as within a few years I haven't heard anything about the groups that had orginally went underground.