The Inter-Fraternity Council officially will recognize fewer Greek organizations than in years past after they dropped two of their affiliated fraternities last week.
Low membership numbers prompted Sigma Alpha Mu alumni to revoke the charter of the fraternity's University chapter, according to IFC President Ryan Ewalt.
"The alumni decided it was time to close down the house and refocus their efforts on starting brand new," Ewalt said.
Although the decision was made in the spring, it did not officially go into effect until the first day of classes last week.
"I had a conversation with the [Sigma Alpha Mu] president last spring, who indicated that they wanted to continue as an IFC fraternity," said Aaron Laushway, associate dean of students and director of fraternity and sorority life. "The Office [of Fraternity and Sorority Life] has received no paperwork from them as we enter into the new academic year, so they have no relationship with the University."
Also missing from this year's IFC roster is Alpha Delta Phi, who missed the fall semester deadline to complete the University-mandated Fraternal Organization Agreement, Ewalt said.
The IFC, now comprised of 30 social fraternities, is one of the University's four Greek governing councils.
The University requires that each fraternity complete several components of the annual FOA. One section includes responses to presentations on hazing, drugs, alcohol, personal safety/sexual assault and discrimination, Ewalt said.
Alpha Delta Phi only completed the alcohol and drug requirements, and is therefore no longer recognized by the University or the IFC, he added.
Lack of University and IFC affiliation means a number of things for a fraternity, one of which is exclusion from informal recruitment in the fall and formal recruitment in the spring, Laushway said.
Both Sigma Alpha Mu and Alpha Delta Phi will be unable to attend the weekly IFC President's Council meetings, where many fraternity policies are voted on, Ewalt said.
Non-affiliated fraternities also are excluded from practices such as "Party Patrol," the IFC's method of policing its own events to prevent the involvement of University or Charlottesville Police.
"We police ourselves so others don't have to," Ewalt said. "We can take care of the problem and the police are never involved."
Sigma Alpha Mu and Alpha Delta Phi also are excluded from access to the University server to maintain a Web page and from participation in intramural sports as a fraternity, Laushway said.
While the future of Sigma Alpha Mu remains uncertain, the IFC has outlined conditions by which Alpha Delta Phi can become a member of the IFC in time to participate in spring rush events, Laushway said.
Alpha Delta Phi must complete the three missing FOA educational requirements by the end of this semester in order to be eligible to participate in formal rush. In addition, they must complete all five FOA educational requirements for this academic year, Ewalt added.
"We are definitely working to get [the requirements] done, and we are going to complete all eight by the end of this semester," said fourth-year College student Luke Giannini, former Alpha Delta Phi president. "It is something we want to get done and put behind us."
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