Editor’s note: A previous version of this story reported Pi Lambda Phi had also received a hazing violation not resulting in the revocation of the chapter’s recognition. Penn State has since removed this violation from the Score Card to correct the error, as have we. We apologize for any confusion.
Penn State released its Greek life Score Cards for the first time on Friday, giving information about each chapter’s membership, academic performance, governing council conduct, and State College Borough points for violations.
“The Greek Chapter Score Card is an important step toward engaging students in these significant changes. Other impactful actions include shifting the oversight of disciplinary cases from the Greek organizations to the University and the drop-in monitoring of Greek-letter houses by University personnel,” President Eric Barron said in a news release. “We are being aggressive and we are being persistent, but we can’t do this alone. It is our hope that by working with students, their parents, alumni and others, we can achieve a productive and contributing community for our students. But above all, our primary focus remains clear: Safety comes first.”
The score card lists the number of hazing violations, alcohol violations, sexual assault violations, and other violations for each chapter. The score card format does not report any information on whether chapters have been temporarily suspended (but not as of yet had recognition revoked) or if they are on probation.
Despite its current interim suspension while an investigation is completed after a student was found unconscious on Calder Way, Delta Tau Delta is not listed as having any violations. The score card uses data from the spring 2017 semester as reported to each Greek council.
The following Interfraternity Council chapters lost recognition for hazing violations:
- Alpha Chi Rho (lost recognition on July 17, 2017 for one year)
- Beta Theta Pi (lost recognition on March 30, 2017 indefinitely)
- Kappa Delta Rho (lost recognition on May 27, 2015 for three years)
- Phi Kappa Tau (lost recognition on May 1, 2015 for three years)
- Phi Mu Delta (lost recognition on July 10, 2017 for one year)
- Pi Kappa Phi (lost recognition on April 2, 2015 for three years)
Sigma Alpha Mu also lost recognition on April 20, 2017 for two years for “violation of expectations.” The chapter was suspended after Parent’s Weekend for violating the university’s then-brand new Greek life regulations.
After its suspension, the Alpha Chi Rho house was recently charged with furnishing alcohol to minors. According to a criminal complaint filed by State College Police this week, on the night of Sept. 28 officers observed two 18-year-old females on Locust Lane — one slumped over and mumbling with vomit by her feet and another ‘yelling, stumbling and crying.’ They were taken to Mount Nittany Medical Center for alcohol overdoses.
The women later told police they went to a party at the Alpha Chi Rho house and were provided with liquor.
One other fraternity — Phi Kappa Psi — with a reported hazing violation did not lose recognition; the time frame of this violation is not reported. Of the 42 chapters retaining recognition, 23 were cited for alcohol violations and nine were cited for “other violations” like recruitment or bylaws. No sexual assault-related violations were reported.
Alternatively, not one of the sororities within Penn State’s Panhellenic Council have had their recognition revoked. Five of the 22 chapters are cited for alcohol violations, and these are the only violations reported in any category on the score card. This shows a clear divide between fraternities and sororities even within the often-lumped-together Greek community.
One chapter within the Multicultural Greek Council, Sigma Lambda Gamma sorority, lost recognition on April 6, 2015 for hazing violations. The only other MGC chapter with any sort of violation is Iota Nu Delta fraternity, with an alcohol violation; Iota Nu Delta is also the only MGC chapter to tally a higher average GPA than the all-men’s average GPA for the university.
The smaller National Pan-Hellenic Council, which lists only three chapters governed, also has only one chapter with revoked recognition — Alpha Phi Alpha, which lost recognition for three years on April 26, 2016. The two remaining chapters are reported with just five members each, so it appears the NPHC might soon see its final days at Penn State.
Penn State said it expects to implement the Greek organization relationship statement in the coming weeks, requiring new members to sign the statement as part of their initiation and review the statement at a mandatory educational statement with university staff. Current members will also be required to sign the statement, but the university hasn’t yet outlined logistics for how this will all work.
