The decision was also supported by university officials and the Alpha House Corporation alumni group which operated the fraternity house at 401 E. Sycamore St., according to a letter to chapter alumni posted on its website.
In a letter sent April 5, Dennis R. Santoli, the fraternity’s international president, said “over the course of the last several years in many attempts to change the culture of the chapter into one that provides for a positive Sigma Chi experience, concurrent with the values and ideals of our Fraternity.”
“Despite our joint efforts, the benchmarks of the chapter have been persistent illegal activities, a continued failure to uphold the high standards of Sigma Chi and a frequent engagement in highly inappropriate behavior. The chapter’s refusal to move in a positive direction has left the Fraternity with no further recourse to consider other than undertaking a period during which the Alpha Chapter will temporarily close its doors... ,” Santoli’s letter said.
According to Miami spokeswoman Claire Wagner, the chapter was already on disciplinary probation imposed on Oct. 31, 2011 and was to run through May 12.
That probation was in response to violations of hazing, alcohol and other violations between Feb. 22 and March 25, 2011, according to university records.
The chapter was also suspended by the university in 2010 along with being placed on disciplinary probation in 2011, according to university records.
The chapter was also disciplined by the university in May 2008 for damage, theft and unauthorized use of property as well as for hazing.
Wagner said there were 29 students who lived in the fraternity house and that the university was working with 22 students to find them university-owned housing. She said seven upperclassmen were also offered university housing.
“There is no end date for the suspension,” Wagner said. “They have until Wednesday to move out of the house.”
“There have been a series of incidents but there was no one incident that led to the suspension,” said Michael Dunn, the fraternity’s international executive director.
He said all of the current active chapter members were placed on alumni status and the current pledge class will not be initiated as active members.
Dunn said the earliest that Sigma Chi would consider a return to the Miami campus would be in fall 2015 after the current members graduate and depending “what the climate is on campus.”
The Sigma Chi Fraternity was founded at Miami University in 1855 and is one of the largest and oldest Greek-letter social fraternities in the nation. Based in Evanston, Ill., Sigma Chi has more than 224 active chapters and more than 300,000 initiatives.
Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4504 or Ed.Richter@coxinc.com.
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