Beta Theta Pi at Penn State on Temporary Suspension

[exlurker]

Beta Theta Pi has placed its Penn State chapter on a form of suspension pending investigation into alleged risk management violations / issues.

See article, which is part of a news roundup, so you may have to scroll down:

http://www.centredaily.com/news/loca...y/1114699.html

Excerpts from article:

According to . . . chapter adviser Ken Rawley, the suspension is due to “allegations of risk management and hazing violations” and “behavior that violates the fraternity code of behavior.”

Rawley said “risk management” involves maintaining proper control over parties and drinking. The fraternity was put on probation by their national chapter in mid-January . . . .


Here's hoping for a satisfactory resolution of the situation.

Not directly related, but didn't the Beta house at Penn State recently get a spectacular renovation thanks to an alum's extraordinarily generous gift, or am I mixed up?

[ECUJacob]

Further information is being provided on the chapter's website. http://www.betapsu.com/s/435/index.a...=61&calcid=800

2/10/09

Brother Betas,

Today the active chapter has been placed on interim suspension by the General Fraternity.

The General Fraternity had considered this move when the chapter was recently put on probation status, and has now acted upon it.

Representatives from the General Fraternity got involved closely with active chapter affairs in November upon receiving calls from active chapter members (and their parents) who were asked not to return to the House following our interview process. We have cooperated fully with the General Fraternity's investigation and its moves to appoint a new set of advisors to assist in rebuilding our active chapter. Our stated goal is to have the model chapter in Beta Theta Pi, one that is in congruence with the chapters’ published Code of Honor, Covenant, Doctrine and vision statement.

This development may have been inevitable. Because of its historic relevance at Penn State, its location on campus and its recent renovation, Alpha Upsilon is higher profile than any other fraternity at Penn State and almost any other chapter within Beta’s Broad Domain.

The young people in the house are too often not willing to live within the guidelines provided by the University, General Fraternity or the alumni board. They too often actively circumvent house rules and risk management and hazing rules and laws; continue to vandalize the property; and too often display behavior inconsistent with the code of the fraternity.

Regular behavior that is inconsistent with Beta policies and values would inevitably be discovered by governing entities at some point. The actives will be given a full opportunity to explain their behavior, but the evidence at this point is overwhelmingly negative. The chapter cannot plead ignorance of expectations due to repeated education, conference calls, meetings, signing of the Covenant, Code of Honor and other guidelines, and their individual Beta oath of initiation that they subscribed to (the seven obligations.)

The actives have been asked many times to correct things and been warned many times that severe action might occur.

The Code of Beta Theta Pi defines suspension as:
A suspended chapter is a chapter the charter of which has been suspended. A suspended chapter has no inherent authority to act as a chapter of Beta Theta Pi. Its authority to act as a chapter is limited and extends only to the extent of the authority given to it by the General Secretary, the Board of Trustees or the General Convention, and such chapter is at all times subject to such limitations as are imposed by the party granting the authority.

As part of this interim suspension the chapter must cease all chapter events, aside from regularly scheduled chapter meetings. This includes social events, recruitment/pledge education events, intramurals and any other planned chapter functions. The chapter facility must be alcohol-free.

We are dedicated to returning our active chapter to its rightful Keystone position in the fraternity and in the Penn State community, a position that symbolically rests on our chapter seal and is displayed prominently above the chapter door and living room fireplace. There is much work to be done as we reorganize and plans unfold.

We will keep you informed of the situation at the chapter as the suspension proceeds.

Yours in _kai_,
Dan Wilhelm '79

And yes, exlurker, you're right.

http://www.betathetapi.org/index.php...674&Itemid=223:

Alumni and undergraduates gathered on the campus of Penn State University on the weekend of November 3, 2006 to celebrate a $3.5 million dollar renovation project.

[exlurker]

Update: Members Must Move Out; Early Alum Status Granted; Chapter Expected to Return in Future

Sad, but probably not entirely unexpected news:

See article on local newspaper's site:

http://www.centredaily.com/news/brea...y/1128373.html

Excerpts from article:

Members of Penn State's Alpha Upsilon Chapter of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity must move out of their house by March 7.

The chapter, which has been at Penn State since 1888, will keep its charter and return to Penn State when the national fraternity deems appropriate, said MacGregor Hill, director of operations and Education for Beta Theta Pi.

"Current members will receive early alumni status," Hill added. "When they graduate they'll have the full honors and privileges of the fraternity, but while they're at Penn State, they can't acts as a group."

The chapter . . . received an interim suspension on Feb. 11.

The chapter is being disbanded after showing "a disregard for previously imposed sanctions placed upon its membership," Hill said. . . .

[blueGBI]

Wow.

Beta was one of the top fraternities at PSU when I was in undergrad (01-06). I partied there a couple times, it was an awesome house before the renovations. They were very strong, I hope they can come back strong.

[nittanyalum]

They were the isht in the 80s, too.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

They were the isht in the 80s, too.

I think they always were! My mother has scrapbooks from the 1920's and on (she's become the depository of old yearbooks/scrapbooks), and there were photos of the Beta house then, too. If I could only find them....

That's a shame that it's closing for even a little while, though. With so much going on with the house, you'd think they'd realize what a gigantic gift they've been given!

[exlurker]

Update: Students Will Not Be Forced to Move Out of House

See article on local paper's site:
http://www.centredaily.com/116/story/1142716.html

Excerpts from longer article:

Brothers of the disbanded Penn State chapter of Beta Theta Pi will not be forced to move out of their house by March 7, said attorney Kathleen Yurchak.

. . . In response, Yurchak sent a letter to Wilhelm on Monday, which said the alumni board’s threat to close the house and terminate the lease of the occupants through e-mail is “unconscionable, illegal and unenforceable” under the Landlord Tenant Act and Pennsylvania Consumer Protection laws.

The alumni board’s lawyer, Julia Cronin, responded to Yurchak’s letter Wednesday.

“While we hope that all tenants abide by the landlord’s request that they vacate by March 7, 2009, self help eviction will not occur,” Cronin wrote in an e-mail.

The lease signed by each brother specifies that the landlord “does not have the right to throw tenant out of the leased premises (self-help eviction). The landlord can only evict by court action.”

No eviction notices have been filed with any court, Yurchak said. She argued that, in order to evict the brothers, the alumni board would have to prove that each person violated his individual lease.

“I don’t think there’s enough evidence,” Yurchak said. “They haven’t done enough to get thrown out of their home.” . . .

[exlurker]

Update September 28 '09: Alum Donor Creates Site Allegedly Documenting Problem Behavior, Vandalism, etc.

http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive...s_damages.aspx

According to the campus paper ^ the alumnus who has given millions of dollars to renovate, repair, etc. the Beta Theta Pi house at Penn State has established a web site documenting alleged problem behaviors and actions.

[banditone]

haha, that is awesome. that alumni isn't messing around.

They deserve to be booted, that place is a wreck inside and they dont appear to clean up after themselves at all. I understand his anger after giving millions to those clowns.

[The Dorg]

Good for Penn State Beta alumni!

They were probably getting "peppered" by angry parents who claimed their son's fraternal experience was needlessly taken away.

An alum donates 7.5 million dollars to totally remodel your chapter house and the actives proceed to trash it on a ongoing basis. Now that's a fine show of gratitude. How pathetic!