The chapter was found responsible of violating the student code of conduct for having a disruptive house party at an off-campus residence on Sept. 11, where an underage student became intoxicated.
The fraternity appealed their original suspension to the university appeals board Nov. 1. The board upheld the suspension.
An appeal was then made Nov. 5 to the vice president for student affairs, who lessened the suspension as long as the chapter does not violate any rules during the next three years. They cannot hold any events with alcohol during the next three years, but can petition to have that restriction lifted as soon as Jan. 1, 2012. Among other sanctions, the chapter must get written approval for all social events during the three years.
Phi Gamma Delta is the first Greek organization punished since new rules were put in place for fraternities and sororities at Miami University. In August, Greek presidents approved new rules for all groups, including requiring security at off-campus events, training for sober monitors and enhancing the ratio of non-alcoholic events to those with alcohol.
The rules were decided on by a summerlong task force of Greek students, advisors and others. The task force was formed in response to three Miami sororities being punished for bad behavior at spring formals.
Pi Beta Phi and Alpha Xi Delta were suspended after drunken students and their dates damaged Lake Lyndsay Lodge in St. Clair Twp. and the National Underground Railroad Museum in Cincinnati. Zeta Tau Alpha was placed on probation for two years for harassing a bus driver on the way back to campus from an out-of-town event.
Those rules have been effective at social events, according to Barb Jones, vice president for student affairs.
“The events that they’ve been having... operating under the new guidelines, have worked well,” Jones said. “We haven’t had incidents in any of those formal events that have been held off campus.”
Jones said in this case, Miami will be working with the Phi Gamma Delta’s national organization to examine the culture, standards and recruiting practices of the chapter. The national director of the fraternity could not immediately be reached for comment.
The Miami chapter was previously suspended from April 2007 to August 2008 for hazing. On March 1, 2007, the fraternity pledges doing a “running of the bulls” across campus while wearing clothing inappropriate for the weather, according to a news release from the university at the time. It was also reported that some pledges were shouting Spanish words and wearing bull horns while carrying others on their backs. Two days later, pledges were accused of starting a fire in the bathroom of Hueston Woods State Park and providing false information to police there.
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