Fraternities Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Second Fraternity Suspended By WVU This Year

West Virginia University has suspended a fraternity for allegations of hazing.

The Pi Kappa Phi fraternity was suspended by the university Tuesday evening for reported hazing incidents in violation of the Student Conduct Code.

The interim suspension went into effect immediately and prevents Pi Kappa Phi from all recruitment activities, as well as participating, organizing or attending social functions, among other restrictions.

Pi Kappa Phi was one of three fraternities sanctioned in March, receiving a disciplinary reprimand related to fighting.

This is the second fraternity suspended by the school this year for hazing after Delta Chi was suspended for three years in March.

August 12, 1925: Alpha Psi Omega Fraternity Forms at Fairmont State Normal School

On August 12, 1925, the Alpha Psi Omega fraternity was formed at Fairmont State Normal School—now Fairmont State University. At the time, the college’s drama club wanted to join a national honorary theater organization. But the club members discovered that no such organization existed, so they formed their own, under the leadership of English professor Paul Opp.

Alpha Psi Omega grew quickly in popularity across the country. Each chapter was referred to as a “cast.” Fairmont was home to the Alpha cast. The second chapter, the Beta cast, was founded at Marshall College—now Marshall University. Within a year, 18 additional casts were founded, and a national convention was held in Chicago.

The fraternity’s home office, initially located at Fairmont State, published a nationally circulated magazine called The Playbill. Alpha Psi Omega soon founded auxiliary branches for junior colleges and high schools. In the 1930s, the national office was relocated to Cincinnati, where it still remains.

Alpha Psi Omega now has more than 600 casts in the United States and abroad, while the high school fraternity lists 3,200 troupes with an aggregate membership of nearly 2 million.

Two More WVU Fraternities Suspended

The chapters of three fraternities at West~Virginia University were suspended this week.

Sigma Chi’s local chapter was indefinitely suspended by its national office and the WVU Office of Student Conduct. According to a WVU news release, the suspension was due to an April second social activity that violated fraternity and university regulations.

The suspension is effective immediately, pending an investigation.

Sigma Nu Fraternity’s local chapter was placed on social suspension for the rest of the semester. The chapter registered a planned social function that included violations of the fraternity’s risk management policies and procedures.

The reprimands come after Delta Tau Delta’s local fraternity chapter was suspended Tuesday in response to a fraternity member’s video.

Dean of Students Corey Farris says in a statement that the bar has been raised in terms of what the school expects from students.

Marshall: Frats, Sororities Must Do Risk Management Training

Marshall University is requiring its fraternity and sorority chapters to undergo training for risk management and party hosting after hundreds of students had to be dispersed by police last month.

Marshall says in a news release the training must be completed before the chapters can host social events.

Those that don’t follow the guidelines can be placed on probation for a semester for a first violation and would be suspended for a semester for a second violation in a calendar year. A chapter would lose its status for a third calendar-year violation.

The release says the university’s Interfraternity Council also passed a policy barring events involving alcohol during the week before classes begin and the first week of classes, and during recruitment events in the second and third weeks.

Police and Marshall to Investigate Large Fraternity Party

Police and Marshall University are investigating a mass fraternity party involving several hundred hundred students.

The Herald-Dispatch reports that several parties at fraternity houses along 5th Avenue merged into one gathering on Aug. 22, the first weekend of college.

Police Chief Joe Ciccarelli says about 20 officers responded to the scene after police received calls about the parties. He says a majority of the students were cooperative.

Ciccarelli says police issued a number of citations to students for underage consumption, public intoxication, obstruction and noise violations.

Marshall Office of Student Conduct director Lisa Martin says students or organizations could face sanctions or intervention in the form of specialized training.

WVU Partially Lifting Greek Activity Ban, Pledging Allowed

West Virginia University is partially lifting a ban on Greek activity.

Effective Monday, Dean of Students Corey Farris tells the Charleston Daily Mail that fraternities and sororities can restart pledging and initiation procedures.

A moratorium on social events will remain in effect. Students are developing a course of action to address hazing and other issues regarding the Greek organizations.

The university suspended Greek activity following the death of 18-year-old freshman Nolan Burch on Nov. 14, 2014. Burch was found unconscious and not breathing at the Kappa Sigma fraternity house.

Students will return to campus from winter break on Monday.