Four Syracuse University Greek life organizations have been placed under sanctions for Code of Student Conduct violations since the beginning of the fall 2018 semester, according to the university’s Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs.

The Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha sorority — a Latinx-based sorority — has been suspended from campus, according to the FASA website. When a chapter is suspended or expelled, it is not allowed to operate on campus as a chapter, publically or “underground,” per the FASA website.

“The campus community can expect swift action whenever the University becomes aware of possible violations of the Code of Student Conduct,” Dean of Students Robert Hradsky said in a statement Sunday. “As our top-to-bottom review of Greek life is underway, we continue to hold our fraternities and sororities to the highest standards of behavior.”

Investigative status means that a chapter potentially broke a policy and is being investigated by the university, according to FASA’s website. When a chapter is under investigative status, it is not allowed to host activities or recruit new members, Hradsky said.

In the past two weeks, the Sigma Chi, Sigma Phi Epsilon and Zeta Beta Tau fraternities have been put on investigative status.  

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Sig Chi is also on disciplinary probation, according to the FASA website. FASA’s website currently says that ZBT is on “disciplinary reprimand,” but Hradsky said in a statement Sunday that ZBT is on “disciplinary probation.”  

FASA has not released specific details of the conduct violations that led to the chapters’ new sanctions.

ZBT’s disciplinary probation is set to end in December 2018, and Sig Chi’s disciplinary probation is set to end in May 2019, according to FASA. Probation is a status between good standing and suspension or expulsion from the university. Probation can include different restrictions but usually means the chapter is not allowed to host social events. Further infractions can result in suspension or expulsion.

The presidents of Sig Chi and Sig Ep and the vice president of SIA did not respond to requests for comment on this story. ZBT’s president, Matthew Wiener, initially agreed to speak to The Daily Orange on Sunday, but then did not respond to a phone call requesting comment on this story.

During the 2017-18 academic year, four fraternities — Alpha Epsilon Pi, Sigma Alpha Mu, Delta Tau Delta and Theta Tau — were suspended or expelled from SU.

The sanctions come as SU conducts a “top to bottom” review of Greek life policies, activities and culture in the wake of the spring 2018 Theta Tau videos controversy.

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This summer, Senior Vice President for Enrollment and the Student Experience Dolan Evanovich announced that external consultants would conduct the review and visit the SU campus on Sept. 16.

SU has suspended or expelled the following Greek organizations since the beginning of the 2017-18 academic year:

• The Delta Tau Delta fraternity was suspended in fall 2017 for conduct violations that included hazing.
• AEPi was suspended in spring 2018 for behavior that threatened the safety of a person participating in its new member process.
• Sigma Alpha Mu was suspended in spring 2018 after a months-long hazing investigation.
• Theta Tau was permanently expelled in spring 2018 after videos surfaced showing people participating in behaviors Syverud has called “extremely racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, sexist, and hostile to people with disabilities.”
• SIA was banned from operating at SU in fall 2018, according to FASA. The nature of the conduct violations is currently unclear.

According to FASA, the following SU Greek organizations are being disciplined for code of conduct violations:

• The Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity is on disciplinary probation through December 2019 and social probation through December 2018, for conduct violations related to hazing.

• The Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity is under investigation. The nature of the possible conduct violations is currently unclear.
• Sig Chi is on disciplinary probation through May 2019. It is also under investigation for possible conduct violations. The nature of the conduct violations is currently unclear.
• Sig Ep fraternity is under investigation. The nature of the possible conduct violations is currently unclear.
• The Psi Upsilon fraternity is on disciplinary reprimand through October 2018. The nature of the conduct violations is currently unclear.
• The Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity is on disciplinary probation through December 2019. The nature of the conduct violations is currently unclear.
• ZBT is on disciplinary probation through December 2018. It is also under investigation.

Published on September 9, 2018 at 10:52 pm

Contact Catherine: ccleffer@syr.edu | @ccleffert