CRYSTAL LUONG
Editor in Chief
The onset of online postings as the source of disciplinary action led to the suspension of Beta Theta Pi fraternity mid-July, and the current of effects may continue. Two sororities underwent hearings yesterday and two more fraternities face judiciary meetings next Wednesday.
The Greek groups, Delta Delta Delta and Kappa Alpha Theta sororities and Sigma Phi Epsilon and Sigma Chi fraternities, face alcohol-related policy violations, according to Dean of Student Affairs Mark Davis.
Decisions on the sororities are expected within a week, said Associate Dean of Students Tabatha Jones, who also chairs the Student Organizations Judicial Board.
Student leaders received notice over the summer of their organizations’ alleged policy infractions via a letter and photos that suggested findings of improper conduct.
Senior Wade Stout, president of Sigma Phi Epsilon, could not comment on his group’s disciplinary case but said he does not blame Pepperdine for taking action.
“It’s important for students to understand that what they post online and their conduct reflects on the school,” Stout said. “Their privacy isn’t necessarily protected when posting online.”
At the center of the online-based policy violations is thefacebook.com, a directory that connects Pepperdine community members through personalized profiles, photos and links. Davis reiterated that no students have gotten in trouble because of their Facebook profiles but rather for links to photo albums with captions that implicate their actions. The university also has not actively engaged in searching for violations but has dealt accordingly with those brought to its attention, he added.
Thus far, no non-Greek student organizations have been affected by Internet-based queries, according to Student Organizations Coordinator Chris Van Velzer. But that does not necessarily mean the university is cracking down on the Greek system either.
“I don’t think it’s fair to say Greek-targeted,” said Van Velzer, who attributes the perception partially to general student attitudes. “Some students tend to only associate Greek organizations with violations in policy.”
As an adviser to the Greek system, Van Velzer has met with the student leaders of the groups facing hearings.
“In my perception, the groups are making right decisions in taking their response where it’s due,” he said.
Unlike its Greek counterparts, Pepperdine’s Beta chapter’s probationary status caused its hearings to take place over sooner instead of this fall, according to Van Velzer.
As noted in a notification letter to the chapter, Beta’s suspension followed a line of policy violations dating back to April 2004, when the SOJB placed the fraternity on probation for hosting an off-campus formal where members consumed alcohol.
Then in January, the probationary status was extended for a party hosted in the home of several Beta officers, where attendees, several of whom were under age, consumed alcohol.
Online photo albums called the university’s attention to three further incidents that were subject to review this July by the judiciary board.
The incidents included a new-member trip to Las Vegas in fall 2004, a formal in December 2004 and the “Beta-Theta Bayou Bash” in March 2005, which judiciary board members deemed violated the university’s policy regarding alcohol and drug-free activities.
“Most of them (the online photos) were not very arguable,” said Drew Kaspers, former Beta president and now vice president of internal affairs.
Davis said the fraternity did not appeal the decision for suspension.
For Pepperdine’s Beta chapter, the road after discipline contains a series of directives to follow if it expects to regain full privileges on campus.
Student leaders, university officials and Beta Theta Pi National Fraternity representatives met Thursday, Sept. 1, to develop guidelines for the local chapter.
The directives call for the election of new leadership, integration of a risk management chair into the executive board, selection of a faculty adviser, as well as a series of academic, leadership and community service requirements.
The university will decide Dec. 1 on whether to permanently deactivate the chapter, extend its suspension period or begin the path toward restoration of its privileges as a student organization.
Newly elected Beta President Shyam Bajaj acknowledges that the local chapter could have faced deactivation and said he viewed suspension as fair and is looking toward the directives.
“We really wish to somehow improve ourselves,” Bajaj said.
As Greek recruitment season begins, university officials and the student organizations say they do not expect adverse results from the disciplinary processes. Beta leaders plan to pursue recruitment, according to Bajaj, and Davis said he is planning to work with Beta on limited recruitment that is supervised by the chapter’s national advisors.
He adds that he fully supports the ideals of the Greek system and that “the current conversations will only strengthen our groups and keep us focused on the positive impact they can have on academics, service and community.”
Twelve individual students have had administrative or student disciplinary hearings to date because of Web-based material, as previously reported by the Graphic.
Van Velzer acknowledges students’ frustrations but says there’s more to the discussion.
“Too many are frustrated, but none are asking the hard questions of should we accept responsibility for doing this?” Van Velzer said.
“Students aren’t getting in trouble because of the pictures. Students are getting in trouble for what they’re doing in the pictures.”
09-08-2005