Fraternity on probation for bad rushing

     The Pi Kappa Phi fraternity is under probation after the Interfraternity Council (IFC) filed charges for underground rushing to the Greek Presidential Council.
     “Pi Kappa Phi, without the university’s knowledge, took what we call an ‘underground’ pledge class,” Campus Life Director Tom Miles said. “They are therefore in violation of the deferred rush policy.”
     During the Fall of 2006, the university adopted a delayed rush policy for all of the organization within the IFC, which includes Pi Kappa Phi, Kappa Sigma, Pi Kappa Alpha, Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma. This policy prohibited the IFC from taking in a pledge class until Spring of 2007. This was implemented to keep first semester freshmen males from joining a fraternity until they had an established GPA of 2.3 or higher and at least 12 credit hours. This was also executed as a precaution since the average GPA of IFC last semester was lower than that of the average male GCSU student.
     Pi Kappa Phi is on probation as an organization and will not be able to recruit any new members for one calendar year. They are also banned from participating and hosting socials until May 2007 with the exception of the Rose Ball. They will also not be participating in Greek Week, Homecoming or intramural games.
     “We are denying the organization the privilege of participating in the intramural games,” Miles said. “ We are not denying the individuals, however, the right to participate as long as there are no more than three members of Pi Kappa Phi in any given team.”
     “I believe the judicial board did a good job essentially in issuing a fair judgement,” Miles said.
Failure to adhere from these sanctions can also result in further probation and/or suspension, Miles added.
Loman Martin, Pi Kappa Phi’s president, admits to his fraternity’s unwise and costly decision to violate the policy.
     “We were in direct violation of the Greek System, because we were not allowed to recruit freshman until each of them have 12 or more completed hours here at GCSU. We did break the rules, got caught and are serving our sanctions out to the fullest,” Loman said.
     Pi Kappa Phi hopes that this would only help the brotherhood come closer as they get through the sanctions.
     “We are not suspended from campus involvement. We are allowed to continue our community service involvement and hold events on campus for our nationally recognized philanthropy Push America, “ Loman said. “Now more than ever, we are working to show how beneficial a Greek organization can be here at GCSU.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Jan 26 2007. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry