FIU takes a bold stand against Greek culture by halting Greek activities for at least a month
UPDATE AS OF FEB. 5, 2018:
In an email sent out by President Mark Rosenberg, FIU will reinstate 32 of the 37 Greek organizations on campus. With the reinstatement, Rosenberg has also initiated a semester-long alcohol ban for any activity hosted by any of the organizations.
The new alcohol ban will make it mandatory for reinstated chapters to register events(on and off campus) with Fraternity and Sorority Life. If a chapter violates the ban, they will immediately be placed on interim suspension and will no longer be recognized as a Greek organization.
Fraternities Tau Kappa Epsilon (Teke) and Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) have been placed on a two year suspension. Pi Kappa Phi will continue to serve an indefinite suspension.
Below is a list of the reinstated Greek chapters:
Multicultural Greek Council (MGC)
· Lambda Theta Alpha
· Sigma Lambda Gamma
· Omega Phi Beta
· Sigma Beta Rho
· Phi Iota Alpha
National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC)
· Iota Phi Theta
· Phi Beta Sigma
· Sigma Gamma Rho
Panhellenic Council (PC)
· Alpha Omicron Pi
· Delta Phi Epsilon
· Phi Mu
· Phi Sigma Sigma
· Sigma Kappa
Interfraternity Council (IFC)
· Delta Sigma Phi
· Sigma Phi Epsilon
· Zeta Beta Tau
Chapter presidents are required to continue to attend monthly workshops to redefine current Greek community standards. The Board of Trustees will submit an updated code of conduct later this summer for approval of Fraternity and Sorority Life.
Florida International University announced in a campus wide email that it will halt all Greek life activities. The suspension will take place on January 1, 2018 and will take place for at least one month.
The decision was made after recent events at FIU and at universities nationwide made headlines. Florida State University’s Pi Kappa Phi lost pledge Andrew Coffey after a night of partying. Timothy Piazza was pronounced dead at a local hospital after enduring an intense night of hazing at the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house at Pennsylvania State University.
“The purpose of this pause in Greek activities is to allow time for the Greek community and university administrators to review and strengthen policies and procedures with the goal of enhancing safety and promoting behavior that is consistent with FIU’s values and our Student Code of Conduct.” President Mark Rosenberg said in the email.
FIU’s own has been under the limelight for its own Greek life. Tau Kappa Epsilon was suspended earlier this semester for sharing texts regarding pedophilia, rape, nude photos of female students, a deceased sorority girl, anti-semitic jokes between members. FIU’s own Pi Kappa Phi was suspended after the brotherhood's own Facebook posts surfaced with content concerning drug dealing, nude photos and hazing.
Not at all activities will be suspended. Chapter/council meetings along with educational meeting will be permitted for the “purpose of improving Greek life at FIU and discussing next steps.”
FIU fraternities and sororities have yet to publicly comment on the verdict.
Rosenberg addressed the university back in November to address the Florida State University’s back to back Greek scandals.
In another university wide email, the president expressed his solidarity with FSU’s president John Thrasher and Florida Board of Governors in FSU’s recent ban. He advised FIU’s own Greek life to take a closer look at their own actions and make motions to change its detrimental norms and attitudes.
FIU is not the only university to react to recent misfortunes. FSU suspended all Greek life activities indefinitely after Cottey’s death. University of Miami suspended three of its own fraternities for violated Greek life policies during orientation week this last fall.
“We encourage all community members to take an active role. Community members are encouraged to engage in bystander intervention and take steps to address concerning behavior” said Rosenberg.
Photo taken from the FIU school website.
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