[DeltAlum]

The following is from Fraternal News. I sure would be interested in what SAE International and alumni imposed.

The Herald-Sun (Durham, N.C.)
January 30, 2002

Fraternity brothers' vote may close SAE - for now Duke members of
Sigma Alpha Epsilon opt to exit over moves made by alumni, national
office

By KIMBERLY SWEET

Another fraternity will be exiting Duke's Greek scene, at least
temporarily, after all its members decided to leave the fraternity
over the weekend.

The more than 50 members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon made a unanimous
decision to end their association with the fraternity, saying they
didn't agree with moves made by the alumni and national office to
steer the organization in a new direction.

That leaves the fraternity's 70-year-old charter in the hands of its
alumni, who will decide in the next couple of weeks whether they will
re-establish the chapter and when to do it.

The fraternity's dissolution marks the second for Duke in the last
year. In February 2001, the 55 brothers of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity
had their campus housing taken away and Duke administrators decided
to no longer recognize the group after a number of incidents, which
included more than $ 1,600 worth of damage to their living quarters.

But the members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon shut down voluntarily.

Will Brown, president of the fraternity, said all the members decided
to deactivate their membership after a year in which the national
office and alumni
association put unrealistic constraints on the group.

That included a $ 7,500 fine members say was unfairly issued last semester.

"We felt with the alumni involvement and the national office's
involvement that they wanted us to change in a way we didn't feel
comfortable with," Brown

said.

The Office of Student Development placed the fraternity on probation
last year. A letter sent to fraternity members, their parents and
alumni last summer detailed behavior issues as well as judicial
infractions.

In April 2001, the vice president of judicial affairs also sent a
letter to parents and alumni describing a number of incidents,
including alcohol-policy violations, hazing and damage to university
property.

The national office prohibited the fraternity from holding parties
outside its designated living quarters on Duke's quadrangle. It also
banned nonfraternity members from attending parties.

The fraternity paid the $ 7,500 it was fined by the alumni last semester, but
Brown said members didn't understand the grounds for it.

"It was unclear why they issued it," he said. "We felt they had the
power to keep on fining us with no justification why."

Chris Mundy, director of communications for the national office of
Sigma Alpha Epsilon, said his office and the alumni commission were
working with the fraternity to "raise the level of expectations" of
the members after a series of
incidents.

A revised code of behavior and new rules for the recruitment of new
members were being instated.

But Brown said the new rush rules didn't fit in with the way
fraternities recruit new members at Duke.

"The way the alumni commission handled the situation didn't give us
any power," he said. "They weren't very understanding of our needs."

While the members unanimously disbanded, alumni are trying to contact members
to see if they want to change their mind, Mundy said.

"It's easy to think they will still have the same community living
with friends," Mundy said. "But the benefits of being in a fraternity
are on a larger
"I think it could be successful if the alumni can get members they
feel are more in line with what they picture the fraternity to be,"
Brown said.


Brown said the former fraternity members weren't bitter and support
the fraternity's re-establishment, but with new blood.


Copyright 2002 The Durham Herald Co.