Last spring, Phi Kappa Psi fraternity thought they would be off probation by the end of the year. In August, they were suspended from the university, forbidden to recolonize until the fall of 2011. And within the last month, Phi Kappa Psi nationals have extended the suspension tentatively until 2012.
At that time, all of the former brothers will have graduated, including the sophomores who pledged the chapter right before it was sanctioned.
“I think it was hard on all of us, but I feel worse for my pledge brothers because our first chapter meeting after becoming brothers involved our president telling us we were on probation for the rest of our college careers,” sophomore Andrew Hawkins said.
Vanderbilt put the chapter on probation last semester as a punishment for an off-campus party that resulted in an undergraduate being set to the hospital.
On Aug. 22, the Phi Psi brothers broke their probation, violating the university and Interfraternity Council alcohol policies during an incident at the Phi Kappa Psi house that involved freshmen drinking and playing beer pong, according to the Vanderbilt University Formal Notice of Charges that Phi Psi received from Daniel Swinton, assistant dean of student conduct and academic integrity. The chapter was suspended from Vanderbilt until August 2011.
“Phi Kappa Psi was suspended because of a history of repeated risk management violations,” said Kristin Torrey, director of Greek Life. “The incident that occurred in August was a violation of their prior probation as well as a violation of their alcohol policy. It was not this incident alone. The chapter needed to make changes related to risk management, and given the repeated violations, those changes were not made.”
Phi Kappa Psi nationals extended the sanction earlier this month.
“The national fraternity has also levied a sanction against that chapter. Phi Kappa Psi does not intend to begin their recolonization efforts at Vanderbilt until 2012,” Torrey said.
Many of the former brothers are disappointed, feeling that the sanctions came at a time when Phi Psi was ready to have a positive impact on campus.
According to former Phi Psi President JD Peters and other previous brothers, Phi Kappa Psi had recently made strides to oppose their reputation on campus and provide a positive impact on the Greek community.
“The overall attitude of Phi Psi changed greatly from when I first joined. We were near the bottom of the fraternities in GPA and didn’t give back to the community,” said junior and former member Kyle Brennan. “During my time, our chapter really transformed and started to make the right steps toward being an asset on Greek Row. We finished second in GPA and we had a huge philanthropy week planned out for this fall.”
Former Phi Psi President JD Peters also said Phi Psi had increased efforts to work more closely with alumni to change the culture of the house.
Vanderbilt now has to deal with the empty Phi Kappa Psi house, which is owned by the Phi Kappa Psi Alumni House Corporation.
Torrey said Phi Psi is the only fraternity on campus that owns their house, complicating the process of filling the empty space. Negotiations are ongoing with the Phi Kappa Psi House Corporation about the future of the property.
“The house is guaranteed for Phi Kappa Psi when they do recolonize in 2012, presuming that the house corporation does not decide to sell the property,” Torrey said.
When Phi Psi is allowed to recolonize in 2012, the national fraternity will work alongside the Office of Greek Life to create an expansion plan and recruit new members. Using recommendations from area alumni or administrators, national Phi Kappa Psi staff members will likely meet with sororities, resident advisers or other campus leaders in order to identify potential members.
“Phi Kappa Psi will return as a brand new colony,” Torrey said.
