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OPINION & EDITORIAL

SAE fraternity treated unfairly

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Also by Austin Evans:

The taxes are coming (December 3, 2002)

by Austin Evans

Wednesday, March 8, 2006

I was unhappy to find out late last year that my chapter of SAE hosted a Halloween party that not only violated state, local and campus regulations, but also the ideals and traditions of our fraternity. However, I was more displeased and offended to hear that two bodies on which I served while an undergraduate went above their authority in attempts to shut down my fraternity chapter.

In recent weeks, the University Committee on Student Organizations and the Greek Judicial Board issued separate decisions attempting to close SAE. In processes that are meant to hold organizations accountable while protecting their due process rights, both bodies ignored their established timelines and chose to take action that never should have been taken. While I cannot say if these were malicious actions by the bodies' members and advisors or negligence of the rules, both decisions run afoul with the judicial process that exists on campus.

While a due process violation might seem trivial, these bodies are establishing a precedent that states they have the right to go after an organization without any regard to the rules. For example, the Greek Judicial Board process is, by rule, to take a maximum of 27 school days, but it has now entered its fifth month of proceedings. They expect our members to continue their studies and lives while the fate of their chapter hangs over them for close to a semester's worth of time.

During my years in ASM, including one as Chair, I worked to build a strong campus community by empowering student organizations. To that end, I served on and chaired the University Committee on Student Organizations and also served as a justice on the Greek Judicial Board. I was happy to do my part as we helped foster an environment that furthered the growth and accountability of our student organizations. In my years of involvement, we developed an extensive disciplinary plan for student organizations, one that recognized the need for justice, expediency and fairness. We were subsequently able to use that plan to hold several organizations accountable, including a fraternity chapter that faced similar charges as SAE currently does.

I am offended by what has happened these past months. To me, it seems that these bodies have ignored the work that my fellow members and I did. These actions are a degradation of the judicial process and have undone the work I did for over two years. I simply cannot believe that these bodies would ever turn against the organizations they are meant to support, but it has happened and in the most serious of terms.

I recognize that our issues with the process may look like the chapter is attempting to come out of the judicial process without any sanction. Let me be clear that this is not the case. The Fraternity Service Center of SAE, our national headquarters, has already put in place a swift and strict disciplinary plan. Including a full membership review, a live-in advisor and suspension through 2006, the plan calls for alumni to run the daily operations of the chapter while it redevelops itself under our national True Gentlemen Initiative program. The plan is a comprehensive way to rebuild the chapter, and is something the chapter desperately needs. I was encouraged that the national headquarters took such action, and the headquarters, alumni and the Offices of the Dean of Students were looking forward to moving ahead with the plan. Instead, the Committee on Student Organizations and Greek Judicial Board decided to act without bounds and jeopardized the positive momentum of the chapter.

It is my hope that the Committee on Student Organizations and the Greek Judicial Board recognize what they have done to their own processes. When I served on these bodies, I could not have imagined letting us as a committee or board take action outside of our authority, nor could I have taken such action without personally feeling guilty or embarrassed. I hope the members of these bodies can admit their errors and reverse the flawed decisions they issued. Otherwise, I hope the appeals process of the university can uphold the justice my chapter deserves and allow us to move forward under our national disciplinary plan. Doing so would grant the chapter its due process while holding them accountable for their actions, and that is what this whole process is supposed to do anyway.

Austin Evans (ajevans@uwalumni.com) is a UW and SAE alumnus.

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Anonymous (March 8, 2006 @ 1:52am):

Austin-

College is over. You have a degree. Stop meddling in campus politics!

Anonymous (March 8, 2006 @ 6:47am):

The less greek organizations on this campus the better.

Anonymous (March 8, 2006 @ 12:08pm):

Austin,

I, too, would be concerned if there were due process violations. Other than the time frame, however, I don't really see that you pointed out how SAE was specifically treated "unfairly." In addition, I do not understand exactly how a 5 month time lag prejudiced SAE.

Anonymous (March 8, 2006 @ 1:25pm):

Timeline loopholes, a great way to get out of trouble. I hope the Committee on Student Organizations and Greek Judicial Board stand fast...doing what is ethical instead of allowing loopholes

Anonymous (March 8, 2006 @ 7:50pm):

You just piss and moan about being treated "unfairly"... your frat messed up. Take some responsibility.

Anonymous (March 8, 2006 @ 10:23pm):

um, i would hope you have better things to do than write to the Herald but I guess since you graduated and moved to a different city, you can't stop thinking about your old frat. Move on, this school and Austin Evans need to go there seperate ways.

Anonymous (March 9, 2006 @ 1:02am):

First off, just to get it totally out in the open, your frat broke the rules and they are paying for it, as they rightly should. They crammed an unbelievable number of people into that rickety old house with creaky weak floors with absolutely no regard for life. Frankly, you should feel lucky that your frat brothers are only being charged with city and state violations and not criminal (which would have undoubtedly happened if the floor fell in killing numerous students). The very fact the Judicial Board is taking such a long time to reach a decision only further points out just how severe your violations actually were. You noted that you were on the ASM board and "worked hard to build a strong campus community by empowering student organizations," but I assure you that cramming as many people into a party as SAE did is not the way to go about doing it. Also, the very fact that you cited the Judicial Board process rule almost as a way to dodge punishment only further illustrates you and your brothers' inability to take responsibility for one's actions. I say lets put the honor back into the Greek system even if that means severely punishing SAE in order to emphasize what constitutes as the proper and improper way to hold a social event. Personally, I take great pride in being part of the Greek system and I do enjoy parting, but this particular event has only further bolstered this image that all fraternity members are dunk misfits in the eyes of the student community. All those creeds and founding ideas that every member claims to aspire to behind closed doors seem to be easily forgotten at the close of each chapter meeting. Well if that's way it is going to be, lets just strike those ideas out of each fraternity's credos and principles so chapter ends sooner and everyone can get back to throwing massive parties.