The Inter-Fraternity Council released a statement Tuesday afternoon regarding the recent terminations of the Fraternal Organization Agreements of the University’s Sigma Nu and Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity chapters. In a short statement, the IFC expressed disappointment in the behavior a University investigation uncovered.
“The IFC is disappointed by the dangerous and unhealthy actions of these fraternities, which run contrary to the remarkable movement towards more sustainable new member education that has been achieved by many chapters across the IFC,” the statement reads. “The suspension of these two chapters highlights the need to continue implementing safe and beneficial new member education processes, and how imperative it is that any chapters not in compliance do so immediately.”
IFC President Tommy Reid, a third-year College student, said the Council “absolutely” supported the University’s decision to terminate the FOAs, which allow fraternities to access University resources and support.
“Hazing is illegal in the Commonwealth of Virginia and it’s entirely contrary to what we’ve been trying to create — a more sustainable Inter-Fraternity Council and individual fraternity environment,” Reid said. “The University took the complaint and headed up the investigation and found that hazing did occur. We back entirely their decision to suspend both FOAs.”
Reid said there were concerns among those in the affected chapters that they were punished despite great strides in making their practices safer in recent years, echoing comments by Dean of Students Allen Groves.
“I think [the members of PIKA and Sigma Nu] see some internal factors that didn’t play as big of a role in decision making for the administration as each of the chapters hoped,” Reid said. “If you look at where the Inter-Fraternity Council was as recently as 12 months ago, or 24 months ago, to where we are now, the reduction in dangerous practices during the new member education process and in other aspects of fraternity life is astounding.”
Reid said the dialogue about how to best handle the new member education process is still ongoing, and that the IFC and the University will continue to look for ways to limit hazing.
“This is an issue that is plaguing Greek life across the nation,” he said. “We at U.Va. are really lucky to have a proactive Office of the Dean of Students that can provide institutional assistance to the Inter-Fraternity Council. … The progress we made from last year to this year is tremendous and something that we very much look forward to building upon.”
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