Texas State Announces Process To Reinstate Greek Life To Campus

Greek life will be facing new regulations concerning social events, recruitment and its return to campus life after the announcement on March 1st… 

By: Undria Wilson  

Texas State University suspended Greek chapters from campus after the death of a Phi Kappa Psi fraternity pledge, Matthew Ellis, who died in an off-campus apartment last November.

According to KXAN, emergency crews found him unresponsive at the scene, and he was pronounced dead shortly after.  

A cause of death has not been officially released. However, officials reported Ellis, 20, had a blood alcohol content of .38.

Texas State officials said Ellis had attended a social event hosted by fraternity members; the event was not held on campus.

As a result, Greek life will be facing new regulations concerning social events, recruitment and its return to campus life after the announcement last week.  

According to the Fraternity and Sorority Recommitment and Reinstatement Program, no registered social events with alcohol will be allowed for fraternities or sororities not already on social probation until Sept. 1, 2018, for the spring 2018 semester.

The program also states for fraternities and sororities to be reinstated, chapter presidents, advisors and members must sign the program terms; those with social event sanctions must continue to comply with them until sanctions are lifted.

Before the program, fraternities practiced the 365-day recruitment of new member education and recruitment, meaning anytime during the year a pledge class could be taken by a chapter and the pledgeship process started. The recruitment process depends on individual Greek chapters, according to the University Star. 

The Inter-fraternity Council will require each chapter to utilize no more than a four-week new member education period unless their national organization requires a shorter period.  

Texas State University’s vice president, along with 24 Greek Affair task force members developed an eight-step goal that was created after an overview of the existing Greek system and culture of Greek life at school. The eight steps are goals fraternities and sororities must follow to be reinstated: 

1. Introduction to Greek Life & Recruitment: Each Greek Council must develop a Potential New Member Orientation while current members must attend recruitment training. The training must be completed by May 1 with more to follow in the 2018-2019 school year. 

2. New Member Education: Each chapter needs to develop and submit a new member education plan outlining what happens after initiation. 

3. Risk Reduction Events, Monitoring and Training: Each chapter must create a risk reduction plan each year and agree to participate in training. At least 75 percent of each chapter’s members must attend the training before an event, and events have to be held within 100 miles of San Marcos. Additionally, the chapter’s grade point average for the previous semester will determine how many events they can hold and how many can involve alcohol. 

4. Chapter/Graduate Adviser & Faculty/Staff Adviser Certification: All advisers must complete university certification training, which must be renewed every two years. Part of the training will include a section “on how to ‘re-educate’ alumni members about appropriate behavior and university expectations during their interactions with the undergraduate members of their respective Greek organization. 

5. The Chapter Advancement & Awards Program: Each chapter must participate in this program by submitting data about its members, including community service hours and average GPA, and has to meet a minimum score to remain active. This is a change from previous semesters, which had a scale similar to the one above, but if the chapter had a collective GPA above a 2.7, the chapter could participate in an unlimited amount of social events approved by the Greek Affairs office. 

6. Leadership Development: Texas State will host an annual leadership training, and at least 75 percent of chapter members must complete leadership training. 

7. Fraternity/Sorority Chapter Reinstatement on the Texas State Campus: Chapter presidents and advisers must meet with Greek Affairs staff to discuss the changes by March 30. Then, the chapters can begin training during the spring 2018 semester.

8. Individual Member Recommitment to Fraternity & Sorority Programming Document: Each member must recommit to their fraternity or sorority and sign a document agreeing to the steps the group must take to regain their active status. They also must affirm their commitment to ending substance and alcohol abuse, hazing and sexual misconduct. 

Dr. Joanne Smith, Vice President of Student Affairs, said fraternities and sororities might feel the new regulations are a punishment, but the changes to the system aim to keep students safe.

The recommitment process will be available after March 31; fraternities and sororities must complete the program by Sept. 1 to be reinstated.