Messages Regarding Unrecognized Groups from Student Conduct

Please see below for messages regarding unrecognized groups from the Office of Student Conduct and Community Expectations. 

TO: Members of the Lehigh University Greek Community
FROM: Christopher Mulvihill, Associate Dean of Students
RE: Co-sponsorship / Participation with Dissolved or Formerly Recognized Chapters by Recognized Chapters.

Lehigh University has a long standing tradition of excellence in its Greek Community. The member
organizations are among the finest in the country and our Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs is at the cutting edge of programing and education in developing a meaningful Greek experience for individual members.

Being a part of that tradition of excellence is a privilege and it requires that organizations meet certain standards of behavior, as found in the Lehigh University Code of Conduct and as evaluated by Lehigh’s nationally recognized accreditation program. When organizations fail to meet those standards, and fail to utilize the incredible resources available to assist them in doing so, they are removed from our community. Most recently this applies to Kappa Sigma Fraternity. It also applies to other groups that are no longer a part of our community such as Delta Phi and Lambda Chi Alpha, (a,k,a,) “Lambda”.

As these groups no longer enjoy the benefits or carry the responsibility of membership in the community, it is inappropriate for our currently recognized chapters to continue to have a relationship with these groups. Doing so diminishes the work that your organizations do and puts your members at risk, as these groups are not required to participate in the trainings related to health and safety issues that your organizations participate in.

Continuing to grant these organizations a sense of legitimacy through socializing and participating in events with these groups undermines the efforts of the Lehigh University Greek Community to provide life-long benefit to your member’s experiences. It also undermines the messages concerning the positive nature of Greek Life as these unrecognized groups are the antithesis of the best in what Fraternity and Sorority Life represent. At a time where the benefit of Greek Letter Organizations is in question because of the lack of concern for the health and safety of others that is sometimes demonstrated, why would you continue to provide a place for groups that have demonstrated a complete disregard for the foundational principles of Greek Life to exist? Failing to hold these groups accountable for their failures makes those organizations that continue to recognize them complicit in the degradation of our community’s reputation.

Lehigh University has a duty to maintain the integrity of the Greek Community and does so by providing resources to the community that are unmatched for an institution of our size and enacting reasonable policies for the management of the community. With that in mind, the following policies are being enacted:

Organizations that participate in or co-sponsor events of any nature (social, service/philanthropic, or
educational) with formerly recognized organizations will be charged with violations of the Lehigh University Code of Conduct including (but not limited to):

• Failure to comply with the reasonable requests of University officials (including law enforcement) while acting in the performance of their duties.
• Violating any Lehigh University policies, rules, or regulations, including but not limited to, residential living policies (General Provisions for Occupancy) and policies related to the use of the University computer network.
• Encouraging or facilitating others in actions that violate the Code of Conduct. (Kappa Sigma is barred from participating in events sponsored by or affiliated with Lehigh University).

The minimum sanction recommendations for these violations will be Disciplinary Probation (Corporate) for one full semester.
 
This memo should also serve to remind our Chapters that are members of the National Panhellenic Council of the NPC policy on Events with Recognized Fraternities and the congruent local NPC Policy as presented in the September 1, 2017 letter from Brigette Gardner.
 
I ask you as members of the Lehigh University Greek Community to take a stand and honor our excellent Greek Community by not giving away the benefits of membership to those organizations that have failed to live up to our standards.

TO: Members of the Dissolved Lehigh University Chapter of Kappa Sigma
FROM: Christopher Mulvihill, Associate Dean of Students
RE: ON-GOING ORGANIZATIONAL ACTIVITY BY FORMER MEMBERS OF KAPPA SIGMA FRATERNITY

Over the past several weeks it has come to the attention of the University that the members of the recently dissolved Kappa Sigma Chapter at Lehigh University are recruiting first-year students into the non-existent Kappa Sigma Chapter. Furthermore, there was an off-campus party the weekend of October 7, 2017 in which 5 former members were cited for having a disorderly house and over 150 students were seen leaving the party and another citation for a disorderly house over the weekend of October 28, 2017.

These actions clearly violate the sanction of Dissolution that was imposed on Kappa Sigma Fraternity on July 14, 2017. There are several repercussions from the continued existence and operation of the organization both for the now defunct organization and the individual members:
 
For Kappa Sigma Fraternity:
The Kappa Sigma Chapter was dissolved effective July 14, 2017 through July 4, 2019. The failure of the organization to adhere to the dissolved status jeopardizes the organization’s ability to return to campus at a later date. Additionally more active measures to disallow continued activity will be taken:

• No more than two former Kappa Sigma members may participate in intramurals on the same team.
• Any organization hosting or co-hosting social, service, or other events with the formerly recognized Kappa Sigma fraternity or a portion of its members is subject to disciplinary action.
• No former member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity can reserve campus spaces without direct permission from the Dean of Student’s Office,
• Any attempt to circumvent these limitations will result in the organization being barred from returning to Lehigh permanently.

For Individual Members:
Former members of Kappa Sigma Fraternity continue to act as an organization through recruitment and social events. That being the case, continued activity that could be construed as organizational activity on the part of individuals will be adjudicated through the University Conduct Process. As of the issuance of this letter, the minimum recommended sanction for this activity will be deferred suspension for one full semester. Furthermore, activity meant to circumvent the above limitations on organizational activity, will also be adjudicated through the University Conduct System.
 
All former Kappa Sigma members are required to provide the Office of Student Conduct and Community Expectations with their off campus addresses. Failure to do so will result in students being held accountable for failure to comply with this request. You can submit off campus addresses to the Office of Student Conduct at inosc@lehigh.edu.

Lehigh University imposed significant sanctions, including dissolution, against the Kappa Sigma Fraternity because of its repeated violations of the Lehigh University Code of Conduct. The former members of this organization are required to adhere to that decision. Failure to do so will result in significant consequences for the individuals and far reaching ramifications for the future status of Kappa Sigma at Lehigh University.

Lehigh University commends the Kappa Sigma National Office for severing ties with this currently
unrecognized chapter and hopes that they will hold their members accountable through their internal
processes as well.

Feature Friday: Lindsay Wilson, Alpha Phi

 

Being an Orientation Leader at Lehigh is easily the most rewarding and impactful experience I will have at Lehigh. Getting to start off the year working with 80 other people who are just as eager to meet the first-years and make new friends is incredibly refreshing. This was my second time serving as an OL and it was definitely the most meaningful to me. Shifting from my role as a first year OL to my role as a returner OL required a change in mindset in order to succeed. As a returner, I wanted to mentor the first-time OLs and help them feel comfortable in their new role. My experience in Alpha Phi helped me prepare for this role since I serve as a mentor to the younger girls in my chapter. I am very involved on campus and always encourage my sisters to participate in on-campus events and really take advantage of all of the incredible opportunities Lehigh has to offer. My experience in Alpha Phi helped me feel confident taking on more of a leadership role within Orientation this year.

I think the best thing about Orientation is that it encourages you to step out of your comfort zone and interact with people you might not have met otherwise. I think the Lehigh Greek community could really improve by adopting the open and inclusive environment that the Office of the First Year Experience (OFYE) has worked so hard to create. Being able to look beyond our own chapters and meet people in all different chapters and groups on campus would help propel the Greek community to do even greater things for the overall Lehigh Community.

We only have four years at Lehigh and we must make every second of it count. My best advice as both a member of the Greek community and an Orientation Leader is step out of your comfort zone. Make an effort to meet new people and try new things!  

Serving as an Orientation Leader has helped me to be a more thoughtful and impactful member of the Greek community and person. Apply to be an OL when the applications come out! 

Letter to the Lehigh Community from the Interfraternity Council

 

Please see below for a message shared with the campus community from the Interfraternity Council earlier this week.  

Dear Campus Community,

As many of you are aware, a Lehigh University student and a guest to our community were
engaged in an incident involving a racially motivated statement.

While we respect the due process of an ongoing investigation, Lehigh University’s Interfraternity
Council (IFC) wants to be clear in stating that the executive board and all of its participating
organizations not only condemn racially motivated remarks, but condemn any action that
discriminates against another person or group.

Lehigh University prides itself on fostering a welcoming campus climate. The Interfraternity
Council accepts and appreciates the differences amongst the members of our community, and
will continue to stand up in support of The Principles of our Equitable Community.
 
The Interfraternity Council is committed to holding its participating organizations and all general
members accountable for their actions. We engage in discussions with Lehigh University’s
Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equal Opportunity as well as the Office of the General
Counsel to enhance our ability of promoting equity on campus while also developing a better
understanding of the process for Title VI investigations. Pending the outcome of the ongoing
investigation, the IFC will follow its own procedure to ensure that the responsible organization(s)
and student(s) understand the consequences of their behavior and the resulting negative impact
on Lehigh’s community.

If Lehigh University students, faculty, staff, or guests to our community experience and/or
witness harassment, retaliation, or sexual misconduct, we encourage them to visit this link for
options on reporting the incident. Additionally, in an effort to further hold the organizations in the
IFC community accountable for their actions, students, faculty, and staff can submit an incident
report via this link, which the IFC judicial committee will review in determining an appropriate
course of action. We do want to emphasize, however, that using the IFC’s link for reporting
should not be used alone, and that any person reporting should also go through Lehigh
University’s options for reporting as well.

If you would like to reach out to us with any questions or concerns, please email
lehighifc@gmail.com.

Only together can we truly be Lehigh Strong.

Sincerely,
Lehigh University’s Interfraternity Council

Feature Friday: Haley Donovan, Kappa Delta

My name is Haley Donovan, and I’m currently a sophomore and a member of Kappa Delta. During my first year I decided to apply to become an Orientation Leader, and was luckily selected for a position on the OFYE staff. Becoming an OL was one of the most rewarding and fun experiences that I have had at Lehigh so far. I’ve been fortunate enough to make great new friends through the process and create memories that I’m sure we’ll talk about for the remainder of our time at Lehigh. 

For me, deciding to join Greek Life was an easy decision and I’ve loved being part of a chapter with so many women that I connect to and can rely on for anything. I’ve also loved how joining a chapter allows students to become more involved in the Lehigh community through philanthropy events and other opportunities. However, I still wanted the chance to work with people outside of my own chapter or even outside of Greek Life altogether in order to truly get the most out of my time at Lehigh and expand my connections to different groups on campus. Working on the OFYE staff has allowed me to meet members of many different fraternities and sororities as well as students who are not involved in Greek Life at all, but often had a lot to share about different clubs and organizations that they were passionate about. 

One of the most important things that being an Orientation Leader has taught me as a sorority member was that Lehigh has so much to offer outside of an individual chapter or even Greek Life as a whole. I often hear people say that it is easy to get caught up in a type of social bubble within Greek Life or that there is some level of distance between non-Greek students and those who are involved in Greek Life. Meeting students from all across campus has reminded me that finding outside interests via clubs or other means is a great way to reach another level of involvement on campus and have a well-rounded experience while at Lehigh. 

In addition to expanding my interests on campus, working with the OFYE has taught me how to be a more effective leader and problem solver, which I believe can be useful within my chapter. Much of the Orientation Leader training revolves around connecting with all of the students within the groups that we are assigned to and addressing everyone’s concerns. This can be helpful in bringing a chapter closer together by helping each member to connect with one another more. Additionally, if a bigger decision has to be made on behalf of the chapter, keeping the interests of everyone involved can help ensure that everyone will be happier with the final result. 

Joining the OFYE has been one of the best things that I have ever become involved in. Learning how to be a better leader and team builder as well as making some amazing new friends is something that I wouldn’t have obtained as easily without this amazing experience. If anyone has even considered applying to work with the OFYE, I strongly encourage all to do so. After becoming involved, I can’t see my Lehigh experience without it.

Phi Delta Theta Alumnus Receives the Chapter Adviser of the Year Award

We are thrilled to share that John Papazian, Chapter Advisor Chairman to Phi Delta Theta, has received the Samuel V. Stone Outstanding Chapter Adviser of the Year Award by Phi Delta Theta General Headquarters.

John is always present and radiating with joy over whatever achievement the chapter’s recently reached. He’s incredibly proud, yet humble, and quick to point out that the work was shared across a number of folks. However, we are not naïve and know for certain much of the chapter’s successes are in part because of his continued and unwavering commitment to guide, coach, and mentor the undergraduate men so that they may become the greatest versions of themselves. In many instances, John has put forth the extra effort and energy to handle difficult situations, resolve conflict and, put simply, get things done. He does all of this expecting nothing in return less the betterment of the Fraternity.

To learn more about John and his contributions to the Pennsylvania Eta Chapter at Lehigh University, please read the biography shared with his award announcement below:


Brother Papazian started as a freshman at Lehigh University in 1974. He was initiated into Phi Delta Theta during his freshman year, and was an active member his entire four years at Lehigh. During this time, Brother Papazian held minor positions within the chapter, but never held an executive board position. He became an Alumnus of the Pennsylvania Eta Chapter of Phi Delta Theta in 1978, when he graduated from Lehigh with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. 

John began his career as an Engineering Manager at Lehn & Fink, a firm that produced household goods such as Lysol. During this time, he also pursued an M.B.A. from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. In 1989, Brother Papazian started at The Mennen Company, which would later be acquired by Colgate-Palmolive, where he has worked ever since. Brother Papazian currently serves as Colgate-Palmolive’s Worldwide Director of Global Information Technology. 

In 2001, the Phi Delta Theta Chapter suspended operations at Lehigh University indefinitely. In 2012, Lehigh University put out a call to National and International fraternities that it wished to expand Greek Life for Lehigh men by adding another fraternity. Brother John Papazian saw this as an opportunity to rebuild Pennsylvania Eta into the thriving brotherhood that he experienced as an active Samuel V. Stone Outstanding Chapter Adviser of the Year Award brother, and a way to pass on to new Lehigh Students the pride and excitement associated with becoming a Phi. 

Brother Papazian was highly influential in rallying alumni support for the recolonization of Pennsylvania Eta, a fact that was cited as a major reason for Lehigh supporting Phi Delta Theta over the approximately 20 other fraternities that submitted applications to install chapters at Lehigh. Brother Papazian’s incredible dedication gave the University comfort in knowing that this new chapter would have the support needed to grow and be successful at Lehigh. 

Since the reinstallation of the Chapter, Brother Papazian has undertaken countless monumental tasks associated with bringing the Pennsylvania Eta chapter to where it is now. Along with his wife Carol, Brother Papazian spent countless hours planning the installation ceremony of Pennsylvania Eta. He attended almost every colony meeting, and almost every chapter meeting following installation. He was incredibly influential in raising close to $100,000 in donations from fellow alumni in order to furnish our new Chapter House. He took it upon himself to locate, refinish, and frame every Pennsylvania Eta Composite from 1960 until 2001. This list, however is not fully inclusive of all the work and minor tasks that Brother Papazian took on to help Pennsylvania Eta reestablish itself within Lehigh’s community.

Feature Friday: Holly Gwydir, Alpha Phi

The CGE gives us another fantastic blog post, this week from from Holly Gwydir!

Like most college freshman, I entered Lehigh feeling enormously overwhelmed. I had no idea what I wanted to do or where to go, but I knew that I needed to find two things: somewhere that I could feel comfortable to be myself, and somewhere that I could pursue my many passions. I was fortunate enough to find both of these things in more than one place on Lehigh’s campus. The first place I discovered this was in my chapter during formal recruitment. In Alpha Phi, I found women who were kind, intelligent, and fun-loving, somewhere that I felt at home, and a structure that would allow me to pursue my goals and passions in a way that had the potential to benefit a whole group of people. I had this same discovery one year later in the Center for Gender Equity (formerly the Women’s Center), and today I am lucky enough to still be a member of both groups.

As a freshman in Alpha Phi, I fell in love with Greek life. Don’t get me wrong, I will not pretend that it doesn’t have its problems- Greek life is far from perfect. It tends to be non-inclusive, sexist, and overly competitive. However, it is also centered on the values of philanthropy and helping others, as well as individual and group empowerment. It is a place where so many men and women have found other people that they now call family, in an organization that allows them to learn leadership skills and excel in any way that they desire. It is my philosophy that you should never discount something just because it has flaws, because if you do, you’ll end up overlooking all of the positives and lose out on something that can be incredibly beneficial. Because of this, I have been actively working towards reforming Greek life through my work in the Center for Gender Equity.

The Center for Gender Equity aims to create a more inclusive campus where members from every gender will have the same opportunities and chances for success. This goal is not far from that of Greek life, as sororities were originally created to empower the first generation of college women and help them to support one another against the hostility they experienced on male dominated campuses. In the CGE, I found a place that recognized my anger at the gender inequity that still exists on campus and in Greek life and challenged me to do something about it. I found a space where I could think not only of myself and my chapter, but of all women. When I started working towards empowerment and reducing inequity in Greek life, I found that I was able to shift away from all of the worst parts of Greek life- like the inter sorority competition and emphasis on partying- and embrace the best parts- like mutual empowerment and friendship. I became more aware of Panhellenic and campus climate issues, and became more passionate about fixing them. Even more than that- through the CGE and my role in Alpha Phi, I was given the opportunity to be a part of that change. With the help of CGE staff and other Greek leaders, I hope that Lehigh can continue to make changes that can benefit everyone and create a more equal and inclusive campus for future generations of Lehigh students.

Feature Friday: Cristiana Villani, Gamma Phi Beta

 

Puzzle me this: Accurately constructing someone’s identity without having all the pieces to who they are, where they are from, what they love, hate, speak etc.

At the Center for Gender Equity (CGE aka “ge-spot”) retreat, we designed puzzle piece paper cut-outs with descriptions of our inner most identities and had a colleague, who was practically a stranger, try to piece together and explain our lives back to the group. It was probably one of the most vulnerable, yet enlightening experiences for me at Lehigh. Regardless of how many theories I read or histories I sympathize with, this activity showed me how influential and frightening it is to be on the other side of the a socially-constructed perspective.

            

I now understand why Lehigh and the CGE ardently encourage students to practice bLUeprint foundations, like inclusive leadership, that culminate in better and deeper relationships. I strive to employ these guidelines in planning my events. My CGE project, Love Your Body day & campaign, aims to impact students and staff of all genders, races, ages, abilities, mindsets, organizations, etc, so that everyone’s intersectional identity is represented and celebrated. It also starts a conversation about ongoing campus sexism, racism, homophobia, ageism, and other beliefs destroying people’s self-image. The events planned have the potential to influence not just our school, but also society’s unwritten discriminatory and unfair procedures.

            

It is important that more voices be heard and dominant culture be awakened to communities they typically do not interact with, blatantly critique, or deliberately undermine. The tension on campus is at an all time high and through the CGE, I have learned how (and would suggest others) to get more involved, meet new people, create unexpected relationships with the faculty and staff, and get voices heard AND respected.

             

I think many Lehigh students get caught up in the mainstream college experience and forget about the dynamic communities outside Greek life. Fortunately, my Women’s, Gender, Sexuality Studies and Africana Studies double major offers me a kaleidoscope lens to look through, seeing beauty and opportunity in places others overlook. This is what led me to the Center for Gender Equity. I had often walked by (collecting many pro-woman pins), but never entered until this year. It is like walking into another universe, one that I had been searching for throughout my past two years here. The staff and interns are like me; we speak the same nerdy activist language. I feel truly confident to be un-apologetically me AND get school credits!

             

With a dynamic group, the “ge-spot” undeniably allows me and any person who walks in the opportunity to unforeseen connections with individuals across campus, connections that are absent in the Greek community. Thankfully, some of my CGE colleagues (shoutout to APhi’s Holly Gwydir) are trying to change that.

             

Projects and events I learn about whether it be CGE or Greek Allies-related, I share with my sorority and beyond. In GPhi, I became a self-appointed deputy house manager, decorating the bulletin boards around with upcoming events, body positivity posters, and other creative designs that relate to the CGE and other clubs. The change that is needed for progress to be transformational requires action from all parties.