Tameka Hicks and Karen Blatter

A February party allegedly involving alcohol in the Delta Chi Fraternity chapter house has the fraternity, which is already on probation, appealing Student Development’s decision to pull its Registered Student Organization status.

Richard Kuehl, Delta Chi faculty adviser, said the fraternity appeared March 5 at a closed hearing with Student Development for the alleged alcohol violation, involving a Feb. 13 party at its Caldwell Hall chapter house on Greek Row.

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Kuehl would not elaborate on the violations.

The situation is very delicate because of the violations they have been cited for and the recommendations made by the office of Student Development, Kuehl said. It’s pretty traumatic for present members and to the alumni of SIU.

Jay Curtis, chapter president, said the fraternity lost its status as an RSO until the end of spring 2002 as a result of the decision. The fraternity is appealing, Curtis said.

Nearly a year ago, SIUC became one of four universities piloting the Select 2000 program, which requires all fraternity members to maintain higher grades, community service hours and alcohol- and substance-free chapter houses. The program is to be completely implemented by the year 2000.

Chapter houses on and off campus are to become completely substance free at the beginning of fall 1998.

Since August, chapter houses could not sponsor social events involving alcohol. Any members who are of legal drinking age may have alcohol in their private rooms until fall 1998.

Katie Sermersheim, assistant director of Student Development, would not comment on the fraternity’s suspension because the decision occurred in a closed hearing. However, she said the alcohol violation is not necessarily related to Select 2000 requirements.

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All I can say is this has nothing to do with Select 2000, she said. These are things that would have happened under any situation.

If Select 2000 weren’t here we would be in the same situation as we are involved in now.

Without commenting on the proceedings, Sermersheim explained the process of a fraternity losing University recognition.

If an organization has its recognition pulled, it’s just like any RSO, she said. You lose the benefits and privileges of RSO status,

Such benefits include University funding and use of some University facilities. Sermersheim also explained that though the University can pull an RSO’s recognition only the fraternity’s national organization can pull its charter.

James Adams, director of Chapter Services at Delta Chi’s headquarters in Iowa, said the national chapter will continue its own investigation to determine whether the fraternity will lose its charter.

We are in the process of investigating the situation, he said. We are working with the chapter and the University. We are working to come up with a mutual agreement.

Right now we want to make sure due process is followed through. During the investigation our members are our top priority.

Bill Tallman, the director of Chapter Development at the national chapter, said the fraternity’s outcome was a mistake made by the fraternity that can be worked out with cooperation.

This is a direct result of a decision made by the members, Tallman said. They violated the terms of their probation with the alcohol violation.

Tallman would not say why the Delta Chi fraternity was already on probation.

They had problems in the past but had been making progress. It’s an unfortunate situation, he said. It has to do with policies and standards. Regardless, if Carbondale is a Select 2000 campus, behavior is important. We will cooperate with the University as much as possible. It is a definite partnership situation.

Curtis said his chief concern is his fraternity’s future.

Well, alcohol was there, Curtis said. I’m sure some people there had some. But we’re talking about the end of 43 years on campus. And we have an appeal in front of us.

Being in a fraternity becomes your life, and we’re just in complete shock right now. It’s like becoming a family, and our family is being torn apart.