UR Greek: Two organizations join Richmond following SAE's departure

This is the first segment of a four-part series on changes in Greek life at University of Richmond. You can read the other pieces here.

Amidst Theta Chi fraternity’s100-year anniversary since joining Richmond’s Greek community and Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority’s 20-year celebration, Richmond’s Greek community is also welcoming two new organizations this year: Kappa Delta and Phi Gamma Delta.

Kappa Delta will select women this semester with the official recruitment weekend starting on Friday Sept. 25 and commencing in bid day on Sunday Sept. 27. Phi Gamma Delta, or Fiji, will return to campus for its recruitment the week after Interfraternity Council spring recruitment.

Kappa Sigma fraternity will also return to campus in the near future, though no official date has yet been established.

Meg Pevarski, assistant director for Greek life, said that she is excited to see how these new organizations strengthen the Greek communities.

“I think when you bring new organizations in they breathe new life into a Greek community,” Pevarski said. “They challenge students to think about things differently because they are bringing in outside perspectives and experiences from other places, and so the same as we have to help acclimate new organizations, they push us to think about things differently and do things differently.”

The additions will come in wake of the university indefinitely suspending Sigma Alpha Epsilon from campus on July 24.

“That decision came after much thorough review and was based on repeated incidents that violated university’s policies and risk-management procedures,” Pevarski said.

There are no current plans to bring SAE back to Richmond even after the newest member class has graduated, Pevarski said, though she did say this does not necessarily mean that the chapter could never return.

“As of now, to us, they are just a group of friends,” she said. “And I think, you know, just because you remove someone’s recognition doesn’t mean you take away the friendships, and so I’m hopeful for all of them that those deep friendships continue.”

A statement provided by Brandon Weghorst, SAE’s associate executive director of communications, read that: “The Sigma Alpha Epsilon headquarters has suspended the charter of [the] Virginia Tau chapter at the University of Richmond as a result of health-and-safety violations and the failure of members to uphold the stringent policies and procedures outlined by the national organization.

“The chapter has closed for a period of no less than four years. In addition, the members have been suspended, thereby losing all privileges and rights in the fraternity during the suspension.”

Pevarski said that she is working to make sure that Greek organizations understand what Richmond’s expectations are and where the lines are drawn in disciplinary situations. The rules surrounding fraternity and sorority life are not changing amidst the growing Greek community, she said.

University President Ronald Crutcher, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, said all students have to be held accountable.

“We have to have high standards,” Crutcher said. “We have to have standards of behavior for fraternities and sororities since we do for all students. And that’s what happened with the SAE situation.”

Pevarski said that although Greek life is often publicly “under a lot of fire,” approximately 50 percent of Richmond’s student body is involved in the Greek community and many members have a positive impact on campus. In fact, she said she hopes to continue to push these organizations to better understand the value they do add to campus.

“Obviously as a Greek adviser this is my professional work, and I believe in Greek organizations, and I think we’ve done well,” she said. “They’re one of the best experiences for undergraduate students.

“That being said, we’re dealing with safety and security, we’re dealing with decisions that could affect the rest of your life, and so we don’t take any of it lightly.”

Crutcher also said he sees the light in Greek organizations.

“I think there are tremendous benefits to fraternities and sororities,” Crutcher said. “I’ve been impressed with the way that our student life and student development folks work with the fraternities and sororities.”

Contact reporter Ellie Potter at elizabeth.potter@richmond.edu