How did the DePauw situation turn out?
 

Hi,

I'm an Alpha Alpha DZ alumnae and wanted to know whether someone could point me to the most even-handed version of how things worked out over there in Indiana. I know the chapter no longer exists, which IMO is really crummy because that was our Delta chapter, folks!

I won't be able to go to convention, but I do hope that there will be some honest discussion about our sorority's image, even if it's just one-on-ones unofficially among the "rank and file" outside the actual convention. I was a little bothered about how DZ National went kind of "corporate" about the whole thing. It was textbook, right down to the Pres' resignation. Not cool, IMO - not the way we should treat sisters. And now time has gone by and the controversy rests, or... ?

/crashing
I'm sure each side has it's opinion. Here is what is on the DePauw website....
http://www.depauw.edu/news/index.asp?id=20395

Yeah, yeah, I know: God, THIS again? I guess it would just be fine and dandy to "get over it". I'm really not trying to be a rabble-rouser (or worse) here; but (1) when your sorority was the butt of late-night talk show jokes for a week straight; (2) your sorority has the reputation of dissing your freaking DELTA chapter; and (3) the only people who will talk to you frankly about the situation are non-Greeks and other Greeks and not your own sisters (I got the standard stuff from my alumnae chapter rep before the PR firm came in, but no DZ ever spoke up otherwise when I reached out) - well, it sticks in my craw.

??? I think you misunderstood her use of the term "crashing"

She meant she was responding as a non-DZ in the DZ forum.

The whole incident really pissed me off. I think probably because my chapter was closing at about the same time, and the girls at the Delta chapter really reminded me of the girls in my chapter. I understand that chapter reorganizations have to be done on occasion, but I think the whole situation wouldn't have spun out of control had they put the entire chapter on alumnae status. I know a lot of my sisters felt it was wrong as well, however, they didn't speak out because they felt it wasn't their place.

OIC. Thanks for the clarification! :)

My hope is that EVERYONE - Delta Zeta and non-Delta Zeta alike - has learned a great deal from the experience. I also hope that Delta Zeta is able to re-organize later.

While I am not happy with the way the national organization handled the situation (could they have been any more inept?), I think the Greek situation at DePauw is to blame also.

DePauw is a smaller college with a very high rate of participation in Greek life. It also has deferred rush. They have a history of having a sorority "pecking order", and whichever sorority is perceived to be on the bottom has eventually dwindled in membership and closed. Finally, it was Delta Zeta's turn. I was interested to find out how recruitment went this year and, sure enough, a previously successful chapter did not make quota.

Apparently, DePauw has agreed to allow Delta Zeta to return. Unless the campus Greek community takes a serious look at themselves and makes changes which will strengthen all chapters, I don't think returning will do any good. I'm not sure this will happen. Judging from what I've read, DePauw was quite happy to lay all the blame on Delta Zeta and not take a good look at what caused DZ (and other closed sororities) to be in their situation.

Thank you for pointing this out. Northwestern also had deferred rush, and we got our "make your quota" pep talk also. At the time (early 1990s), I remember reading that roughly 45% of the campus was Greek; now I think that it's considerably smaller.

The other thing that really galls me is that the psych prof who submitted the "survey" that pigeonholed the sororities and fraternities in the first place did not (to my knowledge) get called out on the carpet by anyone - not the college, and not even any Panhellenic association. If DZ really wanted to work on their reputation, they could have easily turned it around on the prof. What do you bet that the prof is yet another jaded, misinformed anti-Greek who thinks it's all Animal House and popularity contests, and put out the survey to be a (pardon my French) sh*t stirrer? I'm not a betting person (hello, I'm an attorney!), but I'd practically bet my badge on it.

I don't want to get into all this again, but I just would like to point out that the previous time the "low woman on the totem pole" sorority closed, there was little if any controversy or media attention. All the women in that chapter were made alumnae and the chapter was closed to hopefully return at some future date.

If DZ was horrified at the "Greek situation at DePauw" (which they had observed happening on several occasions) and felt it to be inconsistent with their mission, they were welcome to leave the school at any time.

You've mentioned this twice already, (the whole "freaking DELTA chapter" thing).

Would you have felt any differently if it wasn't a single-letter chapter?

Just curious.

I have no idea if DZ national was horrified with the Greek situation at DePauw. As I said, I think DZ handled the reorganization poorly, but I also think DePauw should examine why three sororities have closed in 16 years and if that is a trend they want to continue.

And I hate it that so many of our chapters are closed (including mine).

It just IMO shows how little history is actually respected. I would think that it would be a matter of pride to make sure that your oldest chapters stay active; it's an embarrassment otherwise - although granted not as much as if Alpha chapter were to close.

JMO.

It's likely they reacted the way they did because it WAS their Delta chapter and they wanted the chapter to celebrate it's centennial, hence their insistence on reopening in a very short time.

Just what pieces I know....

DePauw enrollment has not increased much in the last 10-15 years, but the chapter size has increased. If you are still getting the same numbers going through recruitment, the big get bigger and the small get smaller.

I can't say this is the only reason the chapters have closed, but that could be part of it. I wonder if the same three chapters would have closed if there had been an imposed Chapter Total?