The brothers of Delta Kappa Epsilon, pictured above, stand in the common space that they will lose due to their sanctions.
On Monday, October 15, Delta Kappa Epsilon received sanctions and were put on extensive probation due to an event that occurred on September 15, 2012.
The sanctions were sent via email to President of DKE Rahul Puttagunta ’14. The email was signed by Senior Associate Dean of Students Trish Williams, and declared that the fraternity had been found guilty of the following sanctions: having a keg and/or a common source of alcohol, violating the social event policy, having an unauthorized party with alcohol and failure to comply with a college official.
On October 5, the fraternity was assigned nine points for these violations.
The subsequent punishments for the fraternity include social probation for the remainder of the academic year and loss of the exclusive use of their common space in Fox North beginning winter term. These sanctions are binding and, if violated, will result in further punishment for DKE.
According to Social Chair and Rush Chair of DKE and Vice President of the junior class, Chris Sainato’s ’14, account of the September 15 event, DKE “had alumni come over, they brought us kegs. As leaders of the house, we failed by letting the kegs into the house and we accept responsibility for that.”
Sainato agreed that DKE’s possession of the kegs explained the first sanction, which included five points. Otherwise, “the biggest reason why it’s unfair is because the punishment we’ve been dealt does not match our actions,” Sainato said. The other four points given to DKE were for holding an unauthorized social event; however, Sainato argued that the number of the people at the house that night was not enough to qualify as an unauthorized social event or party. He claimed that Campus Safety agreed with this assessment upon arrival to DKE on the night of the event. Campus safety was unavailable to comment on the issue.
President of the Interfraternity Council Oliver DeClue ’13 also weighed in on the administration’s handling of the issue. “Normally, in a situation like this when a house is given so many points, you go before the Greek Judicial Board,” he said. DeClue presides over these hearings but he was not contacted during the judicial process to determine DKE’s sanctions. Sainato believed this was unfair: “I think it’s important to be put in front of your peers as a deciding factor but…it was decided to give us nine points without an IFC hearing.”
President of Delta Delta Delta Amanda Librot ’13 agreed: “It’s surprising that this is the first I’m hearing about these extreme sanctions considering I sit on the Greek life Task Force and Panhel. Based on DKE’s clean record, this drastic punishment doesn’t quite seem to fit the situation.”
According to IFC and Panhel, DKE did not have any problems passing their two year renewal in the spring for their house. Dean of Students Steve Leavitt said, “They’re not on my radar.”
The deans who made the decision are Associate Dean of Students and Director of Minerva Programs Tom McEvoy, Dean of First-Year students Kate Schurick and Dean Patricia Williams.
Dean McEvoy explained that DKE did not get a judicial hearing and instead was directly dealt with by the deans because, “once a fraternity hits a certain point level, it is turned over to the deans instead for a hearing. The IFC wouldn’t have heard this case because the point value was so high that it was bumped right up.”
Dean Leavitt voiced his concerns about the issue: “I’ve been worried about the student reaction about the change in Greek Director and that they would blame him,” Leavitt said.
Director of Greek Life Sunni Solomon was contacted about the status of the DKE judiciary situation, but he “respectfully declined” to comment.
Leavitt also added that, “Sunni has not changed anything. He is just coming in and trying to learn how we do things.”
Puttagunta partly believes that the sanctions were given for unjustified reasons. “We feel that we are being unfairly targeted for housing space due to a perceived lack of numbers when, in reality, we will have more than enough people to fill the house,” he noted.
Dean McEvoy mentioned that this issue has been noted by the administration. “Given that there are so many students who are crowded in terms of their living space and that DKE has really not filled their house, that is a lot of extra space they’re occupying. It is a privilege for the Greeks to be living in college-owned housing, so they really need to abide by the rules of the college,” he said.
Puttagunta’s voiced his skepticism and concern— “The nine points are nonnegotiable. No parties for the rest of the year, that is all about the keg. But taking away our house? That is purely based on numbers.” Housing concerns were not specified in the official sanctions sent to Puttagunta.
In regards to precedents in situations comparable to DKE’s, Leavitt wanted to ensure the student body that there is consistency in the behind-the-scenes decision-making. “If they have a keg at a party, they have a keg at a party. There is really no point in sending it to the Student Conduct board. They had the keg, the keg was there, it equals X number of points and the case is done,” he noted.
McEvoy concurred: “We looked at Greek life last year when there were a lot of problems. We were trying to reform Greek life, so when an incident like this comes along, when kegs have been banned for two years, the college has to look at the case and say, ‘that’s outside the bounds,’ and we thought it was.”
He continued to say that the deans understand the negative reaction from the campus community. “We know we’re not going to be looked upon by the students as doing them a favor,” he said, “but the message was received loud and clear last year that there was a lot of trouble with how the Greeks were operating.”
“All I can do is assure you that we do try to be consistent. My concern, and I believe this firmly, is that the deans ought to be consistent from case to case when making their decisions. The issue is that each case has it’s own circumstances, so it’s very difficult to compare…It is hard for me to justify [the deans’s] decision to the students because there are details in these cases that I can’t share with students,” Leavitt remarked.
Leavitt sought to clarify things further. “This is not a reflection of the Sunni regime versus the Timothy [Dunn, former Director of Greek Life] reign. I guess Sunni is being more responsible,” he said.
As far as the next steps go, Puttagunta was optimistic: “We have thirteen guys [pledges] that are what we think are going to be the new face of fraternities. Smart kids, some mechanical engineers, all who are great and love to have a great time.”
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@deanmcevoy Greeks occupying campus housing was a privilege we were forced into accepting after you confiscate our housing for your failing system.
It was not unjust that DKE was put infront of the deans after receiving 9 points. What was unjust was the fact that DKE was never given a hearing for the 9 points. It is understood that 5 points for the kegs is indisputable, but the other 4 should have been presented to a panel of students to decide. This case should’ve never even made it to the deans desk. The brothers of DKE are harmless good kids who made a mistake. This ruling is trying to make an example of them and it’s not fair.
PROJECT X at UNION …LETS GO!!!
Tim Dunn did a hell of a job handling Greek affairs as well making it a priority to get to know Greeks on an individual level. The fact that you are guessing Sunni is more responsible than Tim is the biggest BS statement I’ve ever heard let alone the fact that you are “guessing” about any aspect of this campus if you call yourself a dean.
Agreed. From what I have heard and personally experienced of Sunni, he is just a solider in the administration’s crusade to tear apart the Greek system at Union. I’ve been told that he frequently arrives late to the weekly IFC meetings, and even failed to show up at the most recent meeting in which this DKE issue was to be discussed. Tim Dunn was one of the most cordial, level-headed men I have ever met. He was always willing to explain his decisions, and frequently went to bat for the kids and organizations who deserved it. Sunni declining to comment on this issue indicates to me that he intends to control this Greek system without transparency or compassion.
As for the sanctions given to DKE, there is no way around the points for the keg, but the 4 points from having an “unauthorized party” should definitely have been brought before the IFC council.
The amount of literature I receive hitting me up for cash–and just as I’m about to follow through and donate, I hear these sorts of stories and the full memory of my time, the Hull era, sharpens into focus. As I recall the unpleasant realities of student life caused by petty yet pernicious administrators, I realize that only the names have changed but the kinds of people running the show are generally the same. Keep your chins up, guys…the real world will make all this stuff hilariously irrelevant very soon.
“It is hard for me to justify [the deans’s] decision to the students because there are details in these cases that I can’t share with students,” Leavitt remarked.” — If the Union College can’t be transparent with its students, how can it expect its students to be transparent with it? This is a sickening statement, especially with our recently-instated Honor Code. The lack of respect the administration is showing students in this instance is appalling.
Just thought I would question why is Dean McEvoy one of the decision makers of an issue relating to Greek Life. I think with a position of Dean of Minervas, there is a conflict of issue and he has every means to ruin Greek Life so his money-wasting Minerva Program can look good and he can get paid. Dean McEvoy, you forget that you took the Greek’s housing that they built upon the schools request one hundred years ago and turned them into Union housing. Making Greek Life more and more difficult to exist on campus is only going to make the fraternities move into off campus housing where the school will have no control over what goes on. Yes, the school will have less to worry about on campus, but what does that say about the schools desire to have the best intentions of the students safety.
One last question to Dean McEvoy, have you ever been in Psi U’s lounge? No one utilizes the disgusting, poorly lit, white walled space that has no furniture. Talk about wasted space. Why don’t you furnish them as lavishly as you furnish the Minervas with pool tables and 60″ televisions?
Being the Dean of Minerva life is like being the captain of the JV boys volleyball team in high school.
They’re not investing anything in them because 1) PsiU is going to have the opportunity to possibly reclaim the space next year and it would be a waste of money to move everything out the next year and 2) Fox/Davidson are going to be renovated in the relatively near future and the school isn’t investing any more money into them because it will all be ripped apart soon.
Union college is a 56,000 dollar a year school. This is my fourth year here, and in those 4 years, Tim Dunn was the only administrator who ever inspired me and who ever made me feel as if the administration really cared about the students. He acted as a guiding force, pushing students to do better. He also though understood how to work with students and how to help us and the school achieve success. I believe he truly cared about the students.
As for the rest of the administration that I have had contact with, I believe they only care about the image of the school. They don’t truly work with us to see how all of us feel, and use that as a starting block to join us as we all try to improve and try to make Union a better place. Instead, they alienate us, force rules on us that insult us and what I believe violate our rights as students of this college. I ask of them to lead us, teach us, do what they I presume initially entered academia for. Instead, they force us in directions that are so far from where we want to go. Sometimes I get the impression that the administration doesn’t care at all about what happens within the school gates, as long as it looks good to the outside world.
For many years Union has run a campaign “You are Union.” I think many administrators are either very embarrassed by what Union actually is, or are ignorant to what Union actually is. Either way it seems odd that people who don’t appreciate Union for what it is, are the ones supposedly teaching us and molding us into adults. In reality they’ve taught me how to run a place meant for academia as a business and how to ignore the wants and needs of the people I work with and serve.
These ideas of mine aren’t new, and I didn’t settle on them today either, but a lot of the recent actions taken by the administration, as well as the manner in which Tim is talked about in this article show me that I was not wrong in my assessment of Union’s administration.
The alumni office needs to tell the student affairs office to step down, killing the greek system will piss off a lot of alums, and make people think twice about giving donations. Mark my words, people will never feel compelled to donate because they had fun at their minerva.
“Mark my words, people will never feel compelled to donate because they had fun at their minerva.”
–> Wait, people have had fun in minervas?
I was never a part of the Greek system in my time at Union, though many of my friends were. I agree that before slapping DKE with 9 points there should have been some sort of discussion, especially if campus safety agreed about numbers.
I don’t in any way think that Union is trying to kill the Greek system, however. Union has, for ages, been trying to build it’s reputation as a top-notch liberal arts college, but our party reputation precedes us. With the Minerva system, Union is trying to level the playing field. Put an emphasis on entire college community, and put the focus back on academics.
As for Union forcing Greeks to accept the housing change… well, duh. Only one fraternity actually owned the house they were leaving in, and they were allowed to stay. When Sig Phi’s lease was up, the college opted not to renew. Why should students who are paying more than 50K a year have to live in sub-standard housing when the college has the potential to offer them more? Some of those houses were gorgeous, and no offense to the fraternities, but they took awful care of them. Put the fraternities in housing that is designed to take a beating until the frats purchase their own property.
You must realize that the lease was set at 99 years for one reason, there were two spaces for numbers on the lease. Had there been another space for a number, it would have said 999 years. Perhaps if a fraternity wants to beat there house that they paid for and constructed, so be it. You want to talk about substandard living, try going into Fox or Davidson. Greeks pay more than 50K a year too and yet they should be exempt from living in anything but concrete jail cells? Granted, the question isn’t just living space, its unjustified college administration rulings with no student comments. There is a new honor code in place to put more responsibility on the students themselves. Why then, must the students have no say in the punishment of our peers? Can we not make competent decisions?
You seriously believe this campus folk story? This is obviously not true. In the early 1900s, there were not lease “forms.” There were no computers, no printed spaces. Leases were type-set or written by hand. Had the school wanted to give them a thousand year lease, they would have. The lawyers who drafted the original lease didn’t have to fit their years in the spaces. It’s irresponsible to give anything more than a 100-year lease on anything just because the future is so unpredictable. 99 years was historically and is a very common lease length for things like tax breaks, new substantial constructions, etc. It’s time we stop spreading over-exaggerated and obviously false things to hype people up.
So the events of the past year, including some hazing and transport events, went up before the IFC judicial board. But now all of the sudden having a keg is far too extreme and requires the disciplinary power that can only be brought on by the infinite wisdom of the deans? Seems incredibly inconsistent seeing that keg violations are commonplace and fraternities have previously only received points for these violations. Dean Leavitt says that they try to be consistent, but how is this consistent at all? I have lost all faith in this administration.
The only reason why DKE went before the deans was because Sunni found a loophole and gave them points without going to IFC first. If DKE had in fact gone before IFC first, I doubt they would have been given this amount of points, and therefore eliminating the deans review because they had “too many points.” Let’s give the brothers of Delta Kappa Epsilon a fair trial, like has been the procedure for years.
I agree with the “Annoyed Alum”, the names have changed but the socialists who failed with the joke of social engineering, the Minerva flop have painted a bull’s eye on the Greeks. They will do all they can to redistribute the social wealth of the Greeks. If you compare the Union administration to the Obama administration, you can see the parallels. Obama has his Czars and Union has its Deans.They both take the law into their own hands and deal out their brand of social justice. Check the political affiliations of the Deans and you will see what ruthless ideologues the Greek system is facing.
A certain Sorority had some transports…got a fair trial, and the opportunity to keep their house. A certain Fraternity was found with animals (road kill?) and they still live in their house. Many Fraternities were on probation last year and they still live in their house. Is NFL Commish Rodger Goodell now running Greek Life? Are we going to see bounty suspensions? No due process in front of their peers?
Minervas aside, (the Minervas really shouldn’t be part of this debate–unless they also have kegs now–many Greeks live in Minervas–and co-sponsor events with Minervas) students used to have the opportunity to present their case to a panel of their peers. What happened to this? As Union students, we must be responsible for each other. There is no precedent for this type of harsh action on a greek organization that has had a relatively clean record as of late. If what DKE is “bad,” PsiU should never have a house at Union.
“Leavitt sought to clarify things further. “This is not a reflection of the Sunni regime versus the Timothy [Dunn, former Director of Greek Life] reign. I guess Sunni is being more responsible,” he said.
I was never in the greek system, but I got to know Timothy Dunn throughout the years that I attended Union. I have never once doubted that he was looking out for the best interest of the students. “You are Union” has been one of the motto’s of the college since I arrived there in 2006. Timothy Dunn, if anything, truly taught students (greek or Goddam Independents like myself) that we really were the backbone of Union. To say that someone is being more responsible than Tim is atrocious. Dean Leavitt even says himself that Sunni, “has not changed anything. He is just coming in and trying to learn how we do things.” What does that tell the students at Union? Union hires people whom they can mold into minions to be at the administration’s beck and call?
What happened to U? The administration has got everything backwards.
I recall a quote by Thomas Jefferson, “When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.” I sure hope things change soon because greeks are NOT the only ones who are outraged by this.
Please read the story on this link. It is a story from Sunni’s last school, where he was let go after being too aggressive with penalizing greek life. He was fired for the very actions he is exhibiting at Union. The lack of transparency in the case makes me sick. Union makes us believe in this “Honor Code” but doesn’t trust the students enough to make informed decisions? You are training us to be leaders, yet you rip away our ability to lead. I hope Sunni either changes his views in accordance with Greek life here at Union, or he suffers the same fate at Union as he did at Binghampton.
http://www.bupipedream.com/news/9460/solomon-greek-life-boss-doesnt-bid-2014/
Just a note about Sunni, his past and his qualifications, a quote from Pipe Dream, the student run newspaper at the University of Binghamton University where his contract was not renewed…
“Aaron Ricks, who will serve as Student Association vice president for academic affairs next year, told Pipe Dream that Solomon’s reputation in the student body’s Greek community is largely negative, however.
“From what I understand, Sunni has been an unpopular, polarizing figure among student leaders in Greek Life organizations since he arrived here a few years ago,” said Ricks, a junior majoring in political science. “Either way, this is the University’s decision and I hope it’s for the best.”
Sunni said about his role there …”Solomon said he was one of the first to address underage drinking and hazing in BU’s Greek system.“I think I’m the first person to really crack down on it, which is interesting,” Solomon said. “And there has been some pushback on that strangely enough, not from the students, but from the administration. That either I’m getting too tough, or going too far to enforce the rules, but we had issues. It’s no secret that we have issues.”
His qualifications are at best, underwhelming….”Before coming to Binghamton, Solomon worked in medical claims at State Farm Insurance and then at the University of Alabama as coordinator of student involvement in Greek life. He is completing his graduate degree in college student affairs from Eastern Illinois University. Solomon was born and raised in Pittsburgh and completed his undergraduate education at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania in business administration and marketing. ”
I found a ranking for Cheney University, 3860. Union is consistently in the Top 50. Just a guess, but he appears to be way out of his league. I’m guessing his idol is Eric Holder.
This event should be a huge wake up call for the entire greek to community. The entire Greek system is clearly under the threat of administrative “initiatives” meant to slowly cripple greek life. I sincerely hope that all houses unite on this issue and bring the justice that DKE deserves. A new student led hearing needs to be implemented and a punishment that is more closely related to the “crime” needs to be in order.
The thing about our new friend Sunni however, is that despite being essentially forced out of his last position because even the administration at his previous school found him to be unreasonable when it came to Greek life, he was STILL hired here at Union. This in itself is something to consider. It seems to me that you don’t go out and hire someone with that kind of record unless being ridiculously hard on Greek life is exactly the direction you wish to proceed.
These administrative decisions have painted a picture for students that the powers at Union read all these articles regarding Sunni being so strict and ruthless with pledging and Greeks, then smiled and said: “this guy is perfect!”
One might notice that in the BU article, Sunni’s contract does not actually expire until March 2013, suggesting that Union contacted him specifically for his antagonistic position towards Greek life, but even if not, then CERTAINLY not for his willingness to foster positive relationships between the student body and administration – a point proven most pertinently by his keenness to completely bypass the IFC judicial system, then remain averse to commenting on his decisions to the public (or anyone for that matter).
How a member of the administration can possibly view Sunni’s actions as being “more responsible” than those of a man who did everything in his power to understand both the situation and the students themselves as individuals rather than wallets (Tim Dunn) is reprehensible to a fault.
You clearly have no idea how the hiring process works. Union did not contact Sunni. Sunni applied by finding the vacancy posting on the College’s HR website or through another channel of communication. He was then interviewed by panels of STUDENTS and deans, both Greek and independent, and THEY, the GREEK STUDENTS, made the recommendation to hire HIM over the other candidates. Everyone has seemingly forgotten this little fact. Why don’t you ask the students what they saw in him?
Maybe I’m not as knowledgable as “Classic,” who clearly has some sort of beef with Greek life, but I do recall having heard from an acquaintance who was on that student council that they had leaned towards other candidates and were a bit surprised that the school had chosen to hire Sunni. If you think students have that much influence or power over the decisions of the administration, then…you obviously don’t go here.
No, I’m really not down on Greeks at all. I support them incredibly. My entire family, three generations back has been Greek. And I also know people who were on that adhoc and they said the opposite, that none of the candidates were stellar but that Sunni was the best. So if anything, it looks like they settled.
It’s just a shame that people can’t handle this issue humanely and with some respect. Why don’t you circulate a petition for the resignation of Dean Leavitt if it’s such an issue? At this point, it sounds like every Greek would sign it. Do you think the Board of Trustees would ignore a petition with half the student body’s signature on it? The school listens to its students a lot more than you would expect, you just don’t ever see the evidence of it unless you really look for it. Bad press for the College is the worst case scenario.
@Not in Delta
What “Classic” means by that post is that he doesn’t hate Greeks, just DKE.
Yeah, I was in those meetings. The Sunni dude kinda sucked, and I also spoke with dean Williams… very clear that the meetings were a publicity stunt. Student input counted zero on that decision.
Well there it is folks, once again Classic has proven his antagonistic nature in the guise of spreading “facts” however incorrect they may be. You attacked that alumni’s perceived lack of knowledge pertaining to the hiring process when it appears, your own information needs quite a bit of reassessment. A first person account of the events you are trying to portray as a student driven decision has just completely contradicted you. Try again. Or better still: don’t.
You got me Romney, I’ll give up being “antagonistic” now. If anything I was trying to quell points of contention with some background info, but it’s clear peoples’ only interest is to rabble-rouse and actually get nothing accomplished.
That’s hilarious. You mean the same way you were trying to quell contention by calling the brothers of DKE “[not] the most intelligent on campus” at http://www.concordy.com/article/opinions/october-18-2012/breaking-news-dean-mcevoy-defends-%ce%b4ke-sanctions/5444/#comment-21194 right?
Take your snide comments to 4chan, your self-perceived superiority has no place here.
As a side note, for someone so hung up on “facts” the response “UCJunior” gave to your little piece of hate-mongering in addition to the above comments serves as a fair indicator that you should really check yours before spewing misinformation towards the rest of us.
I was the Inter-Fraternity Council president when the keg policy went into effect and it was meant to help the fraternities, not harm them. This policy was put in place to ensure that houses were not in a position to be shut down because of a potential insurance violation when kegs are present. Instead, it appears the ban is being used as an excuse to shut down the houses it was meant to protect.
The fact that the fraternity was not given a chance to go before the IFC judicial board is ridiculous. I understand that there is incontrovertible evidence that a keg was present, but the leaders of the house deserve a chance to explain themselves to their peers. Since it was alumni that purchased the keg and brought it into the house, the judicial board might have been able to offer invaluable insight into how DKE could have avoided this situation or at least let the administration know why such an incident could have occurred. Instead, the house gets immediately slammed with 9 points and no one is benefited in the end.
Dear Dean Leavitt,
With all due respect, as someone who has had dinner at your house, spoken to you privately about Greek issues and completely respected you during my four years at Union, I am incredibly disappointed. Once before you made comments about the Greek community that crossed a line and you recanted your words and publicly apologized. I expect no less from you here.
Saying that you “guess Sunni is being more responsible” than Timothy Dunn is disrespectful and a slap in the face to the students that he helped. To say such a thing about someone that has not only shaped me as a leader and human being, but has done the same for countless other students, illustrates how little you understand about Timothy Dunn’s effect on Union. Mr. Dunn not only made the Greek community strong and safe while maintaining student morale, but he helped so many individual students (not to mention the incredible impact he had on the LGBTQ community, which went unrecognized btw).
I don’t think Timothy Dunn deserves a medal necessarily, I think he deserves at least a dozen medals. He worked past 5pm and did the work of five men. He ensured that every student seeking to be heard was heard. He ensured every student needing help received help. To say that Sunni is being “more responsible” by taking away a fraternity house, and displacing those that have found support and friendship in that place, makes me ashamed of the current administration. The folks in Reamer clearly do not place much value on students anymore.
Sunni does not have a sole responsibility to the administration. He has a responsibility to the Greek students of Union College to be on their side too. He needs to be an advocate for the students and do his best to ensure that a fraternity house is not taken away because of a single incident brought about by alumni activity. This is why the Director of Greek Affairs position was created in the first place!!!
I always knew that there were wolves at Union that wanted to come after Greek life. Our strongest Shepard has left and has been replaced by what appears to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I’m truly scared and I hope that the students and alumni stand together to make it known that this is not OK.
@Patrick O’Hern – PREACH!!! So on point, thank you!
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Greek community, and the greater Union community,
It is now time to set aside our differences and come together as a unified greek community. I propose all greek houses come together for a congress in which we discuss the issues at hand. We are stronger as a whole community, and we need to stick together to show that we will not allow the school to bypass our rights for their own gains. We can draft a letter to the school explaining our discomfort in their hiring of Sunni Solomon. Our feelings are justified by his recent firing from his last post for overly aggressive methods as well as poor relationships with the students he is supposed to care about. The school hired someone who was known as a polarizing actor in his previous school, showing that the school does not care about the social harm brought about by this man. They do not care about dividing our community and weakening our houses. They have shown their hand, and we must show ours.
It is now time to lead, or die.
I do not want to see the greek community die, as I am sure no one else does. Let us show the school the caliber of individuals they are dealing with.
Sunni Solomon’s actions and decisions are a quickly growing tumor on Union College’s Greek Life as well as the College as a whole and he needs to be cut out before it destroys everything we know. With no attempt to get to know its culture, Sunni is single-handedly damaging years of history which began at our school. His lack of concern for the people he is supposed to be representing is disgusting. Get him out before it become’s too late.
Sunni, I think it is fairly clear at this point that you have chosen the wrong career path in life and I encourage you to reassess.
This is another case of a dean trying to make their mark, because of their “power” as a college Greek life administrator. Where else in the United States is a person penalized without due process? I understand we are talking about Greek life, but for the past six years the school has taken a very hard stance on the issue and done all it can to be rid of the fraternities. Most of this comes from a Princeton Review ranking that they think makes the institution look bad, and fail to realize the benefits the Greek system can provide. Community service, networking, and friendships that last far beyond our years at Union are a small piece of it. However, more than anything it strengthens our ties to the college, makes us want to return to campus, and help future generations of students.This ultimately leads to donations, which are pivotal to the future of Union College. Expect significantly fewer if the current administration continues down this path.
This action by the administration has confirmed many of the fears of other Greek leaders and Greeks in general. The administration is launching an attack on Greek Life.
First, let’s talk about Tom Mcevoy. Just accept the fact that your Minerva system is a flawed system. It has failed. Continued to fail and will continue to fail. But the school insists on giving them 25,000+ dollars a year. A waste of money that could be better served else where. I bet Tom’s eyes just lit up when the opportunity arose to basically shut down and try to kill one of the fraternities at Union. Tom, just realize that even if there was no Greek life at Union… your Minerva system would still fail. That’s how much it sucks. The general student population attend Minerva events to get free food that’s better than the food served on campus and then leave as soon as they’re done.
Secondly, let’s talk about Dean Levitt. Hey Dean Levitt. Remember during a Greek Task Force meeting earlier this week where you pledged yourself to ensure that it would be very hard for any Greek house to lose their house? DKE had a keg, a social event (which is questionable since even Campus Safety in their report did not deem it as such. Unless Patricia or Tom were at the event, it would seem reasonable that they would read the campus safety report instead of making their own assumptions on it) and got points for noncompliance. For this they received 9 points. Social probation seems totally justified… but taking their house away? Where is the consistency? Psi U lost their house my freshman year for nearly killing a kid among other things. A justified loss of a house. Tri-Delta sent 6 sisters to Ellis Hospital to get their stomach’s pumped last fall. They received social probation and kept their house. Where is the consistency in that? This is by no a means of attacking Delta or Psi U. The Delta incident involved individuals of their sorority and is not reflective of all of them. As for the Psi U incident, I don’t know as much about… but the guys who are Psi U are certainly different from the brothers my freshman year when they were kicked out. Dean Levitt be a man of your word. Step up and have DKE’s back like you say you would. While I’m sure Patrica and Tom hold considerable power as deans we all know if you truly meant that you would protect Greek life housing you would be able to help DKE out.
Thirdly, let’s talk about President Ainley. I think it’s really interesting that everyone is blaming the Deans. Ainley has not been involved in the hearings and the sanctions and that’s the problem. He has let his bulldogs take care of this Greek situation. A Greek situation that Sunni himself admitted to IFC and during his interview that Union College’s Greek Life problems paled in comparison to some of the schools he has been Greek Director at.
Fourthly, let’s talk about Sunni Solomon. First of all Sunni. You are never in your office. You don’t respond to emails. You don’t come to IFC. What does this school pay you for? At least come to IFC so that we can voice our concerns to you or at least ream you out. I really like the fact that you think being Greek Director is a 9-5 job, which is why you don’t come to IFC because you’re, by your own words, “Off the clock.” And when you do show up for IFC you grace us with your presence for about 5 minutes.
Fifthly, Union College. Union College has a rich and expansive history as the mother of fraternities. As such it would make sense that there are many alumni of Union College who were/are Greek. Sunni you recently directed towards our way an initiative to document all the alumni who come by the Greek houses during this upcoming homecoming weekend. This is essentially so that the school can solicit more donations. Go do the work yourself Union College.
Make no mistake that the administration of Union College is launching an attack on Greek life. I agree that as leaders of Greek life we should come together. If we don’t stand up now, this creates a dangerous precedent and will lead us towards a very slippery slope.
President Ainlay doesn’t really handle things like this. He listens to and makes recommendations. The Deans do the administrative work. He’s basically a figurehead, like the role of QE2.
Wrong again buddy! President Ainlay is getting involved and is aware of the situation. Yes, he is a figurehead for the school but for him not to jump in now, days before homecoming, would be detrimental for his image. Ainlay is seeking consistency just like everyone else is.
I wouldn’t pay Classic’s natterings too much mind. Judging from his many nonconstructive posts on all the DKE related article pages today, it’s fairly apparent that the only thing “Classic” about him, are is forum-trolling tendencies.
Non-constructive? I suppose pointing out the facts of the situation and the logic of why the decisions were made is “trolling.”
And the only reason Ainlay is involved is because the College’s image is at stake. That’s his job. He spends 7/8ths of his time flying around the world to schmooze with wealthy alumni. Now that this is exploding, of course he’s going to get involved, the flow of money is at stake. You said it yourself, he’s “getting involved” because he wasn’t involved in this before. Now he has no choice to be.
I suppose this tidbit:
“Albeit, the brothers of DKE aren’t the most intelligent on campus so it’s not entirely surprising they overlooked the fact that a party might crop up on the second weekend back on campus.”
Was just a helpful and “constructive” example of “pointing out the facts”
In case you were wondering, it was not.
This however, is a fact:
Alumni came to the house for a BROTHERS ONLY DINNER event, not unlike AD’s weekly dinners, except for the fact that theirs are open to invitees. The “party” in question was not registered, because, wait for it… there was no party to begin with – a FACT confirmed by campus safety in their report which stated the number of occupants in the house at the time of seizure did not reflect that of a party. The only points that are deserved were the 5 points for the kegs the alumni brought in for their own dinner.
As I assume you are either a past or current student of Union, you surely understand that 5 is a smaller number than 9, and only by inflating the charge was the IFC bypass issue even brought about.
But really, thanks for playing.
As a frequent visitor of the DKE house, I can say that the brothers of DKE are all great young men who are being treated unfairly by the administration. In this case, the punishment in no way fits the crime committed and these punishments should be revisited by the Union community.
totally agree Leah!
due to a recent caveat added to the end of the student handbook, Minervas may have kegs at registered events as long as a qualified employee of Dining Services is there to dispense the beer. This is in addition to the usual rules regarding alcohol (checking ID’s, etc.). And when I say Dining Services, I am referring to Chet’s employees (also students) as they are the most readily available qualified people.
The brothers of DKE are some of the most respectable and nicest guys on campus with no outstanding history of significant disciplinary action in recent years. I believe administration should be focusing their energy elsewhere, on issues and concerns that actually are adversely impacting students and the community alike.
First Psi U, then Phi Delt, then Psi U again, and now DKE. This list will continue to grow until the school gets it way, a Greek-free campus.
What is happening to this school that I used to have so much respect for? Does Dean Leavitt really believe that students should be prevented from knowing the information surrounding this case? This not only effects DKE and greek life, it effects the sense of community Union is so proud of. Transparency. Do you know what that word means Dean Leavitt? The student body deserves and demands it. DKE deserves the trial by peers it was robbed of by you and the administration! I can’t express how incredibly disappointed I am by how Union’s administration has been handling Greek life lately. The path the administration on is embarrassing and frightening. I hope students protest this and get DKE the justice it deserves, and force the administration to face and fix its corrupt ways.
As someone who was on IFC and went through training for judicial, student conduct and Greek judicial, the dean’s explanation for why dke will not be recieving a trial is a complete bypassing of the rules that the deans themselves created and are expected to follow. I would understand Dke’s current situation if the process by which individual students are treated was the same. However, the process has not been consistent. A student who are accused for serious infractions (worthy of up to 10 points) still are allowed a trial by their peers and are allowe to appeal. The fact that dke has been not allowed this is terrible. The deans and Sunni are treating a group of people who are Greek differently them the general student populace. They are alienating the Greek system and students. There is no way for the administration to dispute this. They have used their position of power to bypass the established judicial process. I am also pissed because I wasted 3 my common lunches going to these training sessions for these judicial boards. I will also note that dean levitt, dean Williams and Sunni were present at these training sessions. There is no excuse or what these people have done. Their lack of tact and inability to level with the ardent body should now make everyone wonder why they are in the positions they are now. I hope that whenever these people have their next contract discussions that they will not be allows the chance to not only destroy the Union Greek system but Union College as a whole.
What is happening to Union? This is NOT the school I graduated from and this is not the school I would want to give back to. The comment above me is 100% right in that even students with EXTREME infactions still go to trial. No matter what the case I believe that DKE should have the chance to defend themselves. Union is a community- I hope that they are not losing sight of the “community values” that help to make it such a unique place.
Dear Dean Leavitt,
When I was having a tough time at Union, you helped me find solutions, because that is your job. I am forever grateful for all that you did for me. Nevertheless, I am not only disappointed in what you said about Tim Dunn, I take personal offense by it. You helped me find reasonable solutions to my problems by looking at Union’s policies because, again, this is your job. Tim Dunn offered me emotional support, not because it was anywhere in his job description, but because he genuinely cared about the students at Union.
Tim Dunn is an amazing man, and what he did for Union goes far and above helping Greek life. His open-door policy gave students the opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns whenever necessary. He brought LGBT awareness to a campus that was virtually devoid of any my freshman year. And he cared more than any other faculty member I have met in school or elsewhere. When my friend was struggling in school, Tim Dunn took it upon himself to personally go to this person’s dorm to ensure this person’s safety. He was a friend to anyone who needed one. That you would call him irresponsible is an insult to us all, because hiring him was one of the best decisions Union ever made in my years there. I hope that in the coming weeks, when students continue to feel alienated and disrespected by the administration, you and your equals come to realize this.
As a greek alumnus myself and daughter of a Union Greek alumnus (who has, by the way, stopped donating to the school because of its actions against Greek life)…I am baffled at this case. Not only has DKE had a stellar reputation for years (as they were always greatly involved in educational and cultural activities, not to mention some of the nicest guys I encountered at school), but an IFC hearing was just casually “skipped?” Sounds like a great idea to boot off the fraternity with some of the most intelligent and respectful guys without a fair trial…. I am telling you, the more Greek life becomes antagonized, the less you are going to see from the alumni.
If Dean McEvoy is so concerned with students living too closely together in the dorms, then why not release some of the students and let them live where they want off campus? That part made me LAUGH OUT LOUD. That’s the most ridiculous quote I’ve ever seen from a dean in my entire life. Do you actually think the Deans are concerned at all with the living quarters of the students? If they were there wouldn’t be asbestos in the basements of fox and Davidson currently.
Anyone else think it was extremely dumb of the deans and administration to try to pull this off? Did they not think that other Greeks and independent students wouldn’t find out about it? Did they not think that people would make a big deal of it? Did they not think that alumni would find out about it? Did they not think that the trustees would find out about this? Did they truly not think about the ramifications of handing down this sanction this week when the trustees and alumni are flocking back to Union? I spoke with a board of trustees member tonight. This DKE situation is all they are talking about right now. All I can say is that the board of trustees meeting that are going to be conducted this weekend are going to be a lot more lively than the ones conducted in the past few years. It just makes me think that administration is either stupid or incompetent or maybe I am giving them too much credit and they are just both stupid and incompetent.
I truly feel bad for the DKEs. This has become a very public spectacle. I have never visited the concordy website until tonight. A sentiment that I feel many people around campus share with me. I do feel that DKE has been treated unfairly. However, there is no way that DKE will get out of this situation. Just think about how devastating it would be for administration to recant these charges and sanctions. They cannot afford that. It would look bad on them. They have dug themselves a hole they cannot dig themselves out of. This is not something they can now cover up now that it has blown up. I think this article has about 4,500 views. Incredible since this campus has about 2000+ students. Just think about that. The treatment of Greek Life by administration has slowly been exposed more and more to Greeks and independents. This event is the culmination of all that buildup. It is unfortunate that DKE is being made an example of. No matter what happens though, Greek Life must stand up and make a stand. If nothing is done now, Greek Life at Union College will be suppressed more and more until it becomes a shell of itself.
To the Union College Board of Trustees,
I write to you as an active Greek member and an involved Union student. My freshman year at Union, I loved it. I loved the students, the faculty, and the administration. The experiences offered at Union in terms of the influence of student leadership were unparalleled in comparison to the options my friends had at other schools. A student trustee? A Student Forum that was completely student-led and had the power to assign three-quarters of a million dollars to various clubs on campus? Numerous committees that advise everyone from the Director of Dining Services to President Ainlay? I proceeded to join many of these committees and delve into the operations of Union College. Now, as a current upperclassmen, I can honestly say that I am disappointed about what I have discovered. My excitement and joy about the options and influence I can have at Union have turned into bitterness. I choose to remain involved in various extracurriculars so that I remain in the loop, no longer because I feel that I have a voice. The facade of “student-run” positions has been uncovered. While my enthusiasm for the students and wonderful faculty at Union remain, my disappointment in the Administration has risen to new levels. Our voices are not heard by the administration. Our “inclusion” into administrative processes occurs so that the administration can show face and make false claims that they made certain decisions with the help of students.
For example, the new social rules implemented with students and administrators. If you call being backed into a corner and being told to either work with the administration or suffer their wrath, cooperativity, then please ignore my claims. Tri-Delta was given the option of losing their house or working to reform Greek life – what would you choose? Now, DKE is being harshly punished for having two kegs at their house. Obviously, this is an infraction punishable by social probation for whatever period of time the student-administration review finds necessary. But, removing their house sets a precedent for all other houses on campus. Furthermore, Dean McEvoy used Tri-Delta as the precedent. He essentially said that the administration tried reforming Greek life, adopted new policies, and DKE broke them. So, after one intermediate infraction, DKE loses their house for having beer in a form that is not covered by insurance. While, on the other hand, Sunni does not show up to IFC at all or on time. Dean Williams hides behind Dean Leavitt and Dean McEvoy when making decisions, and some students do not know to this day the extent of her involvement in this issue. These actions do not reflect the actions of an administration that demands accountability and responsibility from their Greeks and students.
As I’m sure you have read many comments over the last 24 hours, I implore you as a student of Union and fellow Greek to not listen to the lies you will be presented in your Board meeting today. I am sorry that you come back to your Alma Mater under such circumstances, but we, as students, feel extremely betrayed by the events that have transpired over the past few days. Many have lost their faith in the administration and are relying upon you, the supreme rulers of this school, to resolve this issue once and for all. Obviously, you are going to be told that the situation is under control and everything will be solved. This is false.
When the students of the school are unhappy, unsatisfied, and so blatantly angry about the way an overbearing administration is behaving, then that administration has failed and actions need to be pursued. I hope that you will continue reading the comments on these various articles instead of believing the denials and false information you will be fed today to ensure you that the administration is succeeding.
Please stand up for not only DKE, but for the students of Union. As you have so rightly posted all around campus: We Are Union. Well, Union is standing up for something that they believe in. Please hear our voices.
Sincerely,
A Proud Union Student And Greek
Ainley is another Liberal. He leads in a Liberal fashion, from behind. Even ‘Classic’ should have figured that out.
I find it odd that Mr. Sainato wants a pass on this but wouldn’t cut some slack to other people!
I wouldn’t cut ANY slack to someone who disrespected my fraternity and then sucker punched me either, would you?
Then I wouldn’t cut any slack to a group that broke the rules and then wines about it!
If after reading all this you think Mr. Sainato just wants a pass, I invite you to reassess your college career with due haste, as it is painfully clear that your reading comprehension is not quite up to Union standards. Mr. Sainato has expressed repeatedly that he is not trying to duck out of punishment whatsoever, simply requesting that DKE be granted due process. Nothing more, nothing less.
I’m sure even the drunken idiot who assaulted him in the doorway of his own house got at least a hearing.
The handbook says once the point level is exceeded the whole process changes. DKE got the punishment that is in there. So lets chuck the rules, everyone do what they want with no consequences or we have rules, as harsh as they might be, and we follow them. You can’t change the process to suit the situation or people involved.