Chapter loses Charter

[SoCalGirl]

State is super anal w/ their fraternities. There's is always some chapter getting suspended or charter pulled.

From The San Diego Union-Tribune
Saturday March 30, 2002
by Samuel Autman

For the third time in 15 months, San Diego State University has expelled a fraternity for alcohol use by underage pledges.

In a separate action, Kappa Delta, a university sorority, was suspended by its national office after an adult adviser found alcohol at a sorority-sponsored baseball game.

Both infractions were announced yesterday. Students who were caught could be suspended or expelled from the school. SDSU refused to release their names.

Kappa Sigma was expelled from the university and its charter was revoked by its national office after several underage pledges and at least one fraternity officer were caught with large amounts of beer and hard liquor at a university parking structure Jan. 16.

The alcohol was intended for an initiation ceremony. The fraternity had a similar incident five years ago. The expulsion means Kappa Sigma will be banned from all Interfraternity Council and social activities on the campus and can apply for reinstatement in the 2005-2006 school year.

Kappa Sigma's national headuarters, based in Charlottesville, VA, declined to comment. The telephone number listed in the campus directory for Kappa Sigma was disconnected yesterday.

In a written statement, James Kitchen, SDSU's vice president of student affairs, said students and organizations who break the policies will face consequences.

"San Diego State University takes the issue of alcohol abuse seriously and has a comprehensive set of measures in place to address underage drinking, binge drinking and other alcohol related problems among its campus population," according to the statement.

The sorority, Kappa Delta, was placed on indefinite suspension by the university and its national headquarters in Memphis, Tenn., after an adult adviser found members of fraternities drinking at a sorority sponsored baseball game on Feb. 24 in Ocean Beach.

Neither Kappa Delta members nor the national office would comment.

In December 2000, Beta Theta Pi and Tau Kappa Epsilon were expelled after underage pledges were hospitalized for alcohol poisioning. In 1986, SDSU expelled Pi Kappa Alpha when an 18-year-old alleged she was raped. The District Attorney's Office found there was insufficient evidence to file charges, but the fraternity has not returned to SDSU.

I find it odd the KD gets nailed for alcohol at a softball game w/ no mention of any other chapters. Girls don't together to play softball by themselves w/ alcohol. In my opinion it was either a softball philanthropy or a game of Sloshball that got busted.

[madmax]

Originally posted by DeltAlum
Max,

Read it again.

It said the second violation "within a five year period." That could mean it was two years -- or four -- or one. It would very likely mean that there are still some members who were there for the first violation.

And, by the way, James certainly doesn't need me to defend his positions, but I believe you've taken his comments out of context. In the posting I read he clearly said he wasn't advocating automatic and immediate expulsion, while perhaps understanding (not putting words in his mouth, I hope) that the liability problem is so serious that it might be necessary for that to happen in the strictest interpretation of the law.

DA..

I did not take James comments out of context. His exact statement was, "Expell members that drink underage. Immediately."



PS.. According the the SD Tribune article(3-3--02) just posted by SoCalGirl, the previous incident happened 5 years ago, not 2.

[DeltAlum]

Max,

In terms of context, see below. I copied this from James' original post. Read the last sentence:


"Expell members that drink underage. Immediately. They are in violation of the Law and are the single greatest threat to in terms of liability.

If they are drinking underage and get hurt the lawsuit is much more likely to come.

I am not advocating this personally, but this is certainly the where the context of many of our conversations are taking us."

I read SoCal's post. So now we have two quotes to deal with -- the one from the SD Newspaper and the one from the release from the school and/or fraternity. I don't know which is correct. Anyway, I would guess that their organization uses the 5 year period as some sort of benchmark. In any event, in these days it is more than possible that even if the two violations were at the extreme ends of five years, there were/are still members who cross both violations during their time in the chapter.

By the way, it doesn't matter whether James advocates automatic expulsion or not. I just got home from a lunch with a number of Delt alums and one of the other Division VP's, who is sitting on an Alumni Supervisory Committee at one of our chapters told us that liability insurance for Delt chapters will increase by 50% this year. That means that more than half of the chapter's budget will go to National Dues and insurance. How can we keep this up?

[Kapsig1]

Originally posted by DeltAlum
Max,

In terms of context, see below. I copied this from James' original post. Read the last sentence:


"Expell members that drink underage. Immediately. They are in violation of the Law and are the single greatest threat to in terms of liability.

If they are drinking underage and get hurt the lawsuit is much more likely to come.

I am not advocating this personally, but this is certainly the where the context of many of our conversations are taking us."

I read SoCal's post. So now we have two quotes to deal with -- the one from the SD Newspaper and the one from the release from the school and/or fraternity. I don't know which is correct. Anyway, I would guess that their organization uses the 5 year period as some sort of benchmark. In any event, in these days it is more than possible that even if the two violations were at the extreme ends of five years, there were/are still members who cross both violations during their time in the chapter.

By the way, it doesn't matter whether James advocates automatic expulsion or not. I just got home from a lunch with a number of Delt alums and one of the other Division VP's, who is sitting on an Alumni Supervisory Committee at one of our chapters told us that liability insurance for Delt chapters will increase by 50% this year. That means that more than half of the chapter's budget will go to National Dues and insurance. How can we keep this up?

DA, etc.

Been out of the loop. Sorry gang. Our former chapter's previous infraction was three years ago, and there were definately some members remaining from that period.

My understanding is that the chapter leadership, to their credit, was EXTREMELY forthcoming in their responses to the investigations. They confirmed that the alcohol found was to be used at a function later that night with the pledges that was part of their brotherhood development program that was "traditionally" part of their Pre-Initation activites. This is patently forbidden in our Alcohol and Hazing policies. Being that it was their 2nd violation in 3 years, I think the decision was sound. Sad, but sound.

Brad

[DeltAlum]

Thanks Brad,

The information was kind of confusing. It really saddens me when any chapter closes, but I wish you guys well when you recolonize in the future. Two serious violations in three years would seem to indicate substantial problems, and closure was probably justified.

It's understandable, but also unfortunate that these situations always turn into "us vs. them." I continue to hope that there is a revelation among our chapters and that we (really they) can get this situation under control.

I know it sounds like a broken record (well, some of us remember records) but we won't survive unless something drastic happens.

[shadokat]

I agree with DeltAlum that chapters closing is very sad, but it's not so sad when chapters bring it on themselves. As KapSig1 said, the activities they were planning are explicitly outlawed in their policies, and every member of the organization has a responsibility to know the policies and follow them. I do think it's promising that Kappa Sigma wants to recolonize, and speaks volumes to their commitment to continue chapters on positive routes.

[josh8o]

As a student at SDSU, and a member of a Fraternity I can tell you that it sucks to see a 3rd Fraternity kicked off in a 2 year period.... With that aside, I can tell you that the articles did not mention that Kappa Sig was in the middle of their I-Week, and that all the pledges were wearing the exact same thing, with the exact same alcohol, and marching in a straight line in the parking structure. If this does not show the school that someting involving hazing took place, then I don't know what would. As a member of the Greek system at SDSU I know how if you do even the slightest thing wrong and get caught, you sugar coat it so you will not get f***ed in the a**!

[DeltAlum]

From Fraternal News Volume 180.

Question: With two suspensions in the past three years, four other GLO's kicked off local campuses and specific rules you've agreed to, how do you justify these actions?

Are the adminstrations "out to get" fraternities? Maybe/maybe not. Are the rules too strict? Could be. Are groups being targeted? Possible.

So, was it worth the alcohol violations, pledging the extra men without the minimum GPA?

Bottom line? It dosen't matter. The charters are gone.

Live with the rules or get them changed or be prepared to close the doors.


San Diego Union-Tribune
April 19, 2002

USD suspends fraternity over hazing, alcohol

By Samuel Autman
STAFF WRITER

The University of San Diego chapter of Phi Kappa Theta fraternity has
been suspended indefinitely for hazing and alcohol-related violations.

In the last three years, the university placed the fraternity on
probation twice. After repeat violations, the university and national
fraternity agreed last weekend that it was time to take action
against the group.

This is the fifth San Diego-area fraternity to be suspended or
expelled for hazing or alcohol violations in the last two years.

It also highlights how universities are responding with increased enforcement.

Thomas Cosgrove, USD's dean of students, said Phi Kappa Theta was
suspended because of an accumulation of violations over the years.
Some of the episodes involved hazing, which he did not elaborate on,
and providing alcohol to minors. Cosgrove said any hazing violates
campus and national fraternity guidelines and is illegal in
California.

He said the fraternity had agreed to clean up its act. The university
ordered the fraternity to limit the number of pledges to 15 this
year. And all new members needed at least a 3.0 grade point average.
But the fraternity broke the agreement by admitting 24 people,
Cosgrove said. Only six had a qualifying GPA.

"We describe ourselves as a value-based university," said Cosgrove.
"We are serious about standards and holding people to them. We gave
them the opportunity to make changes and they simply have not."

USD is a Catholic university with about 6,900 students enrolled in
some 50 graduate and undergraduate programs.

Efforts to reach fraternity members were unsuccessful.

The group had 45 members. It will now be barred from campus and
conducting any business in the name of the fraternity. It had no
house on campus, nor do the remaining four fraternities and five
sororities at USD.

Craig Melancon, executive director of Phi Kappa Theta's national
office in Indianapolis, said that because the fraternity had agreed
it would accept only 15 members with a certain GPA, the 18 pledges
who did not meet the criteria would not have been covered by the
fraternity's insurance.

"As 18-to 22-year-olds, you think you are bulletproof," Melancon
said. "You don't realize their parents' homeowners policies could
have been in jeopardy and that it could affect their parents' lives."

The fraternity had been on USD's campus for nearly 40 years. Melancon
said members were a vital part of student life at USD.

He said that while colleges and universities across the nation are
coming down hard on Greeks, as fraternity members are called, Greeks
are not the only ones who drink.

Citing statistics from the North American Interfraternity Conference,
Greeks have a higher graduation rate, contribute millions of dollars
to charities and give participants a healthy way to socialize while
on campus, he said.

In October, the San Diego State University chapter of Phi Kappa Theta
was placed on probation after Melancon's office expelled 16 members
for violating that school's alcohol and drug policy.

SDSU has expelled or suspended more fraternities than any other local
university in recent years. Last month, SDSU expelled Kappa Sigma
fraternity for providing alcohol to minors.

On the same day, SDSU announced that the national office of the Kappa
Delta sorority suspended the SDSU chapter after an adult adviser
found alcohol at a sorority-sponsored baseball game.

And in December 2000, SDSU expelled Beta Theta Pi and Tau Kappa
Epsilon fraternities after underage pledges were hospitalized for
alcohol poisoning.

Last April, Point Loma Nazarene University expelled Psi Omega Theta
fraternity for hazing that left pledges needing medical attention.

Marian Novak, coordinator of SDSU's Community Collegiate Alcohol
Prevention Partnership, which works with all local universities on
alcohol prevention, said campuses nationwide are responding in the
same way to drinking.

"Youth today are not drinking more," she said. "It's enforcement and
awareness that has changed. The college campuses are becoming
proactive and fighting against these issues."

(c) 2002 Union-Tribune Publishing Company

[GreekLetterGirl]

Can some one post the link to Fraternal News, I had it but it some how got lost. Thanks a gain