What is going on at University of Iowa?
 

Delta Upsilon just announced the closing of their University of Iowa chapter for disciplinary reasons. That is the 15th chapter closing in the past decade! Others which have closed are Acacia, Alpha Kappa Lambda, Alpha Tau Omega, Beta Theta Pi, Delta Tau Delta, Kappa Sigma, Phi Delta Theta, Phi Gamma Delta, Phi Kappa Sigma, Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Alpha Mu, Sigma Tau Gamma, Tau Kappa Epsilon and Theta Xi.

This huge Big Ten campus now has only eleven N.I.C. fraternities active and two colonies! Why are fraternities doing so poorly here?

I could probably lend some insight, but what makes you think that fraternities are doing poorly?

Five words:

University Administration
and
Changing Campus Atmosphere

When more than half the fraternities close within a decade; when the number of chapters is less than half that of other institutions of the same size; and when half of those chapters are small in size...I consider that a serious problem!

Imagine that....a university administration that does not tolerate drug trafficking in the fraternity houses.

The closed chapters will eventually be back....after everyone realizes that RISK MANAGEMENT issues are not a joke...but everyone's job to observe.

The recent closing of Delta Upsilon is due to their own members being idiots, but over the past two decades, the University has seen large shifts in the Administration (at least two different presidents) which directly affects Greek Life.

IMO, the campus atmosphere at Iowa has more to do with the decrease in chapters than the University, but the Administration still has had a part in it.

'Cause he's the Greek Master... he sees all and knows all about Greek life everywhere and makes new threads about it... didn't you know that? :p:D

Why ridicule someone for bringing new life and conversation to this place. I love hearing the happenings at different campuses, what is changing, how different GLO’s are doing, etc. Makes the forum worth visiting.


You can only read so many threads about never saying a bad word about any GLO, or someone rushing and choosing between sororities coded after clothing designers.

Kudo’s to you OldU, although I’ve never been up to Iowa, it’s interesting to hear what’s going on up there.

When, do you know what size the average fraternity is? For some reason I think it's fairly low (40's?)

A simple guess is that the University of Iowa administration (or administrations as the case may be) has chosen to take a firm stance on risk management issues. Until everyone "gets it", then chapters are going to be closed. At at the same time, when students see so many chapters being closed they can become leery of joining any fraternity. Simply because the many positive reasons for joining are being overshadowed by the negative actions of the few.

As for chapter size, of the chapters that have closed, would they be consider the traditionally large chapters at Iowa? And is the "small in size" average chapter size a result of the number of men participating in rush (i.e. campus culture), or the number of bids extended? For example, while I do not know for sure if the Iowa fraternities do this, I know that many fraternities on Midwestern campuses extend bids based on the number of men that may live in the house. Give or take a few men. So if the current eleven houses on campus are at their own self-imposed total, then statically, it would be possible to suggest that those chapters are doing well.

Side note here: While I understand wanting (needing) to fill beds and having that as a goal, I have never understood the rational to stop bidding quality men once the beds are filled.

Having said all this, I am guessing that most of those chapters closed have extensive alumni that they can draw from. Both financially and in numbers. As such, once the suspension is lifted, I am sure more than a few of the chapters will be back. And it would not surprise me with membership numbers near or at what they were before.

I agree.

oldu - Thank you again for bringing these interesting topics to our attention. The more we know about our history *and* what is currently going on, the better for all of us. As individuals, as chapters, as national organizations.

By the way, Delta Upsilon is still listed on the Iowa IFC website. I'm guessing they haven't had time to remove Delta Upsilon from it. However, both Beta Theta Pi and Tau Kappa Epsilon are listed on the Iowa IFC website as well. Would anyone know if Beta and TKE are recent closures as well? Or did they re-colonized (comeback) since they previously closed?

Are these the historical/traditional/normal size of the chapters? Or are the chapter numbers lower or perhaps higher?

The small size is due to campus culture. Formal rush is being formally eliminated after last semester as a result. The IFC website isn't updated too often. Beta and TKE have recolonized since their closures. Kappa Sigma as well but has since disbanded. Some of the closures were due to risk management issues DU, Fiji, Pike, Beta. Of which were all big houses in terms of membership. Others due to membership, Kappa Sig and Phi Delt. I believe Delta Tau Delta is scheduled to come onto campus, they have been attempting to expand by one IFC chapter each semester.

Another issue is that traditional houses are being converted into apartments. Thus there is no space for some chapters in terms of housing. Off the top of my head I can think of three houses that have been converted, and one that is about to be converted.

Beta & Teke are the two colonies on campus. Several of the groups that left were among the oldest and traditionally strongest, and I presume still own houses on campus. However, it is often a long and difficult struggle to restart a chapter and such a tragedy that such good long term efforts were wasted by a few irresponsible members.

Thank you for your comments. I didn't realize that my items were so offensive to a few people. Some people like inane subjects but I like them meatier. I guess you find your intellectual level and enjoy it.

I hate this. Those gorgeous old fraternity houses right on the river. I understand some Housing/Alumni corps have to sell their houses due to financial reasons, but still...

At least Iowa City isn't to the point of Ames, where there's a new apartment building going up every month it seems, yet less than 2/3 are filled.

I don't think anything has said that anything you post is "offensive" - I think people wonder where you get your info, if you are Greek yourself, and if not, why the intense interest in Greeks.

I mean, I post on a board for a profession I am not in, but I have come out and said I'm not a professional, just someone with an interest in the industry and how it works.