Delts, SAE sanctions announced

Thursday evening Dean of Students Richard McKaig accepted the judgments of the Fraternity and Social Judicial Board regarding the Delta Tau Delta and Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternities. Both fraternities were brought in front of the Judicial Board for having parties that violated campus alcohol policy.\nNeither fraternity will be expelled from campus. \nDelta Tau Delta will be placed on probation until December 2002 and will not be allowed to participate in any campus activities for the duration of the suspension. The fraternity will face additional social restrictions through the spring semester of 2003, and will not be able to participate in serenades or parties. Delta Tau Delta will remain on disciplinary probation until 2004. Any additional violations during that time may lead to heightened penalties. \nIU has joined SAE's national organization in suspending the fraternity for the rest of the spring semester. In addition to being banned from participating in campus activities for the rest of the semester, SAE will not be recognized as a chapter by the Interfraternity Council.\nSAE will be recognized by the IFC again next fall, and will be able to rush. They will face social probation through the fall semester, and will be put on disciplinary probation through spring of 2003. \nIFC Vice President of Risk Management Jack Summerlin said he feels that the sanctions are fair.\n"I support the decision in that it is holding them accountable in a restrictive way," Summerlin, a junior, said. \nThe national organizations of both fraternities will be reviewing the membership status of chapter members. Some members of Delta Tau Delta have already been asked to leave the house, effective after Spring Break. The membership review of SAE chapter members won\'t be completed until later in March, McKaig said. \nAll members that are asked to leave their respective chapters will have inactive status until graduation. \n"They will be recognized as alumni upon graduation, provided that they don\'t do anything to violate their oath to the organization," McKaig said.\nThe primary difference in the severity of the penalties had to do with what actions had already been taken by the national organizations.\n"The judicial board thought Delta Tau Delta had taken more student leadership action, while things at SAE were more unsettled," McKaig said.\nSummerlin said he was glad neither house would be forced to leave campus.\n"It\'s not good (for the IFC) to lose a chapter for an extended period of time," Summerlin said.\nIn a previous IDS article, IFC President Colin Godecke, a senior, said each chapter brings a unique identity that is lost when they are not able to be a part of IFC.\nIU has expelled two fraternities, Theta Chi and Pi Kappa Alpha, since the beginning of 2001. While both the SAE and Delta Tau Delta parties violated campus alcohol policy, McKaig said the judicial board felt the violations were not as serious as those committed by Theta Chi and Pi Kappa Alpha.\nA student, Seth Korona, died last year from a skull fracture he sustained while doing a "keg stand" at Theta Chi. Another student was admitted to Bloomington Hospital with a .375 blood-alcohol level after an event at Pi Kappa Alpha last September. \nThe Campus-Community Commission on Alcohol is currently making evaluations and recommendations on how to combat underage and abusive drinking among students. \n"We will never make the progress we seek, nor will we substantially minimize the risks our students run, until they join us in this effort by taking greater responsibility for themselves," McKaig said in a statement released Thursday. "Enforcement and education are the two components for which the campus administration must remain responsible, but only our students can make these efforts work by caring enough about themselves and their friends to both choose and act responsibly.