Multiple school chapters

[arvid1978]

I'm wondering in what ways Alpha Phi Omega could have chapters where students attending different accredited schools are in one chapter.

Unless the university has specific inter-activity arrangements with another university, most schools frown heavily upon people who are unaffiliated with them being involved in their student groups, especially if that student group draws any funding from fees, which most groups do, and which people from other schools do not pay.

Additionally, as it was explained to me, there is liability when a student from School A joins a chapter at School B without being enrolled at School B because they are not ultimately accountable to the policies and practices of School B.

Yes, I know our bylaws say you must follow them, but what recourse does a school have against a person who is not enrolled at that campus who violates their student code of conduct? Additionally, what recourse through the school does a non-student have against the chapter or its members when they possibly violate code of conduct? The answer is very little or none, unless you start going to court.

Bottom line, I believe this is one of the reasons extension membership was taken away. That, and there are several examples of it being used improperly (pledging a student at a neighboring college without permission from M&E, and with no intention of starting a new chapter). It may have been somewhat working in Region I/II, and I'd be curious to see some statistics on chapters that were chartered/rechartered due to extension membership, however my money is on it having been used improperly more than it was used correctly. This is from my experience, where in Region VI I can't think of a single time it was used correctly as intended, but I can come up with two specific examples off the top of my head where it was used in a manner contrary to its intention (two different chapters pledged in students from a neighboring school around the same time, never asked permission, and in the end after a couple of years both memberships were declared null and void. They both eventually "re-pledged" their chapters when they transferred to those schools.)

Members of the NPHC may do it, but I have a feeling that when it comes down to the details you will find that most are either not recognized organizations of the schools (IE, they're a "community chapter", who limits their membership to those who also happen to be students at those schools) or the campus has specific inter-campus agreements allowing participation of non-students in their affairs. Of course, since NPHC chapters are social fraternities/sororities (instead of just student organizations, like APO), they're not exactly hanging out in the student organization office and probably either have a special exemption granted to them by the greek affairs office, or they're just flaunting school policy, with the latter happening way more than it should.

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by arvid1978

Members of the NPHC may do it, but I have a feeling that when it comes down to the details you will find that most are either not recognized organizations of the schools (IE, they're a "community chapter", who limits their membership to those who also happen to be students at those schools) or the campus has specific inter-campus agreements allowing participation of non-students in their affairs. Of course, since NPHC chapters are social fraternities/sororities (instead of just student organizations, like APO), they're not exactly hanging out in the student organization office and probably either have a special exemption granted to them by the greek affairs office, or they're just flaunting school policy, with the latter happening way more than it should.

You have an awful lot of maybes, feelings, and probablies going on here.

[naraht]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

You have an awful lot of maybes, feelings, and probablies going on here.

Can you give us a concrete example , in particular how Alpha Phi Alpha works for the undergraduate students in the District of Columbia attending a school other than Howard U or UDC?

Randy

[arvid1978]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

You have an awful lot of maybes, feelings, and probablies going on here.

This is from my perspective from here in Illinois, where pretty much every school specifically prohibits students from other campuses joining RSO's on their campus. Any organization that is doing it in this state is most likely disregarding school policies (either knowingly or not), or is not directly chartered as an RSO to that school (which is ok, just makes them not 100% officially university affiliated)

I'm sorry, I should have clarified that I meant many groups often flaunt school policy and not imply that it is something unique to NPHC groups. I say it happens in socials more often because how often do you see in various student newspapers that a social is losing their charter for breaking various policies? A lot more often than you see non-greeks, guaranteed.

[GMUAPhiOAdvisor]

Originally Posted by arvid1978

Bottom line, I believe this is one of the reasons extension membership was taken away. That, and there are several examples of it being used improperly (pledging a student at a neighboring college without permission from M&E, and with no intention of starting a new chapter).

Hold on a second. I'm feeling a little chastized here. I did specifically tell the National Office that I wanted to Rush because I was planning to transfer to that school. And I didn't want to lose out on being part of a group I would have joined anyway. And my initiating chapter DID receive permission to bid me. So, the National Office was clearly aware of how I was becoming a brother.

Also, I agreed to follow all the rules and regulations of the university, just as anyone who attends an event on campus is expected to do. Had I failed to do so, I would have been asked to leave the campus and/or the chapter, just as any other student would have been. As for student activities fees, I offered to pay the school and was told it wasn't necessary.

Just clarifying, but I want to make it clear that all rules were followed and nothing was done "improperly" in my situation.

[arvid1978]

Originally Posted by GMUAPhiOAdvisor

Hold on a second. I'm feeling a little chastized here. I did specifically tell the National Office that I wanted to Rush because I was planning to transfer to that school. And I didn't want to lose out on being part of a group I would have joined anyway. And my initiating chapter DID receive permission to bid me. So, the National Office was clearly aware of how I was becoming a brother.

Also, I agreed to follow all the rules and regulations of the university, just as anyone who attends an event on campus is expected to do. Had I failed to do so, I would have been asked to leave the campus and/or the chapter, just as any other student would have been. As for student activities fees, I offered to pay the school and was told it wasn't necessary.

Just clarifying, but I want to make it clear that all rules were followed and nothing was done "improperly" in my situation.

I'm not chastizing you, I'm giving my opinion why it was pulled. Your chapter did it correctly, but there are many out there who did not. It is very unfortunate that you were made to feel second-class considering you were granted full rights by national bylaws. I also submit that this "second class citizen perception" is another reason it may have been pulled.

I'm also not saying you didn't agree to follow rules and regs of the host campus, but that doesn't mean you were bound to them by anything other than your word. You're a good person of character, obviously, but there are plenty of people out there who are not, and schools have taken steps to protect themselves and their students from liability. Part of that is limiting who may participate in groups that are sponsored and recognized by that campus.

Those two brothers I talked about who were pledged in when according to the rules they should've have...they were some of the most dedicated to APO people I have seen, especially considering they stayed involved at the Section staff level while they were waiting until they transferred. One of them had been in APO for 3 1/2 years when their membership was nullified, when they had been told previously that everything was OK.