Chi Phi at Lehigh: All Current Members Become Alums (Hazing, etc.)

[TSteven]

However, Chi Phi will remain a chapter at Lehigh... The task of forming the next Chi Phi new member class for the spring of 2011 now falls on the chapter's local alumni association and representatives from Chi Phi national headquarters.

Allowing a chapter to remain on campus after making all current members go alum, leads me to believe that Chi Phi has some influential alumni. And that the Lehigh Administration knows this and wants to keep the Chi Phi alumni involved with the Lehigh campus. (Think donations.)

All 11 new members are no longer allowed to have any association with Chi Phi, but they may still become involved in the Lehigh Greek system.

I am confused by this statement. Does this mean that the "11 new members" are current Chi Phi pledges and will not be initiated into Chi Phi? And as such, they may join any other fraternity? Or does it mean that they are newly initiated members of Chi Phi, but they may not associate with the newly made Chi Phi alumni? If the "11 new members" are initiated members of Chi Phi, then why were they not given alumni status as well?

(I think I may be reading something into this that may not be there, but my guess is that the "11 new members" are pledges. I blame it on the use of "new members" and what that means to different folk. Thus the confusion.)

According to a representative of the fraternity, a new member wrote an essay for one of his freshman classes describing activities he participated in during new member education for Chi Phi.

The professor of that class reported the details of the essay to the OFSA, which then contacted Chi Phi and told it to suspend all fraternity activities, including new member education, the representative said.

Perhaps, not one of Lehigh's brightest students.

The fraternity was leveled with four counts of violating university conduct including hazing and giving a bid to a non-eligible member.

Perhaps not one of Lehigh's brightest chapters.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by TSteven

Allowing a chapter to remain on campus after making all current members go alum, leads me to believe that Chi Phi has some influential alumni. And that the Lehigh Administration knows this and wants to keep the Chi Phi alumni involved with the Lehigh campus. (Think donations.)

But if the alums are friends with/in touch with the current members, a housecleaning will lead to the exact opposite result.

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by 33girl

But if the alums are friends with/in touch with the current members, a housecleaning will lead to the exact opposite result.

I agree.

However, it might be that the alums didn't really know (what ever that might mean) any of the current members. Or it might be that the members were going to get removed one way or the other. As such, the alums were able to "save" the chapter while making sure that the current members (friends or not) were allowed to go alum.

I guess my point is that it is unusual that all the members of a chapter are removed, yet the chapter remains active.

Given the bolded part below...

"The task of forming the next Chi Phi new member class for the spring of 2011 now falls on the chapter's local alumni association and representatives from Chi Phi national headquarters."

...seems to indicate that the powers that be at Lehigh are willing to allow the Chi Phi chapter (name as it were) to remain. Plus they are flat out stating that the local alumni will have a say in membership selection. Thus the direction of the chapter.

The lack of loosing the chapter's charter - while the whole membership is made to go alum - normally only happens when a chapter has influential alumni. And often with "deep pockets" to boot.