The U’s chapter of Kappa Sigma has been officially disbanded for at least two years.
“We felt that the chapter was not making appropriate progress toward our values and standards,” said Kappa Sigma International executive director Mitchell Wilson.
A chapter is a local affiliate of a national fraternity or sorority. If the national organization chooses to revoke the chapter’s charter, a document allowing the group to form under its name, the local chapter must disband.
Recent troubles surrounding Kappa Sigma stem from a Jan. 19 party at the fraternity’s house on Greek Row that resulted in 52 alcohol-related citations.
On Feb. 26, the U’s Greek Judiciary Council placed the fraternity on a one-year probation period and ordered them to pay a fine of $8,150. KSI has a policy that its members must comply with federal and other alcohol regulations.
Although Kappa Sigma has been expelled from Greek Row and greek activities for a period of at least two years, Wilson said the national organization will be in contact with U officials during that time.
“We are going to propose to U officials that we be allowed back on campus in a minimum time of two years,” Wilson said.
Wilson also said the current members of the fraternity will be granted alumni status and can occupy the house until the end of the semester.
Alumni status will allow the current members to attend regional and national leadership conferences and they will continue to receive newsletters from the national organization. However, the current members of Kappa Sigma will not be allowed to participate in greek activities if the fraternity is reinstated, according to Wilson.
Michael Dalebout serves as both the alumni adviser and housing corporation coordinator for the U’s chapter of Kappa Sigma and is confident that the fraternity will rejoin Greek Row as soon as the two-year period is over.
“I think [the members of Kappa Sigma are] very determined to re-establish themselves on campus, and there is a high level of enthusiasm and dedication” toward reaching that goal, Dalebout said.
The next step in the process for Dalebout and Kappa Sigma members is determining the status of the house at the end of the semester.
“We’re probably going to sell the house and take the money to re-establish our organization on campus?I’m not sure keeping the house is a reasonable idea considering what got us kicked out,” Dalebout said.
According to Dalebout, the most important decision now has nothing to do with the house, but with a tree that was planted 14 years ago as a memorial to a member who died.
“We’d really like the U to allow us to transplant a tree from the house to the campus,” Dalebout said. He also said the member’s father visits the tree occasionally in memory of his son.
For other chapters on Greek Row, the challenge now is moving on despite the loss of one of its own.
Cory Peterson, Interfraternity Council President, is convinced that things will start to return to normal.
“The greek system is holding up, life goes on,” Peterson said. “I think the greeks are coming together and standing united with their brothers and sisters.”
With Greek Week running through Friday, Peterson is convinced that support from students and those within the greek system will continue.
“The sense of community is so overwhelming right now,” he said.
Reed Sutton, president of Kappa Sigma, could not be reached for comment.