The six organizations that currently operate off Longwood University’s campus may be welcomed onto campus in the near future.
Tau Kappa Epsilon, Alpha Chi Rho, Delta Tau Chi, Zeta Chi Alpha, Alpha Beta Psi and Gamma Psi are currently the six organizations not recognized by the university that Longwood students run and operate off campus.
These organizations are off- campus due to varying reasons. Some formed off-campus, some chapters were removed from campus and others are the remnants of previous chapters that resided on-campus at one time.
Longwood University has dealt with the off-campus organization issue for many years now.
According to the Associate Director for Fraternity and Sorority Life Wolfgang Acevedo, “It’s important to delineate what an off-campus group is, and what a group that doesn’t want to be recognized is.”
Acevedo and the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life have started the initial conversation with the off- campus organizations in the past three to four weeks. The conversations have been open with the off-campus groups.
The goal is to find out if the groups are interested in coming on campus and why they aren’t currently recognized by Longwood.
The process for how these organizations will come on campus is not yet decided, but regarding their return, Acevedo said, “I can definitely work with [the off-campus groups], and I would like to work with [them].”
The structure for each of the organizations will individually look different. There is no plan to bring the Rho Kappa chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon back to campus at this time.
The Rho Kappa chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon was removed from campus in 2011 for hazing allegations.
At that time, 16 members were arrested, and the organization was suspended indefinitely.
A re-colonization plan for the Rho Kappa chapter won’t be looked at for another “three to five years out” according to Acevedo.
“It’s going to look different for each group, I think a case- by-case basis is the best way to approach it because all six groups are very different,” added Acevedo.
Delta Tau Chi has not yet been approached regarding a re-colonization as of yet.
The talks with Alpha Beta Psi and Gamma Psi have been mainly “about what they are, what they want to be known as and if they want to be a full- fledged fraternity or sorority on campus,” said Acevedo.
Alpha Beta Psi and Gamma Psi
formed completely off-campus
and had no previous affiliation
to Longwood University, so
Acevedo wants to help find a direction for each organization.
Alpha Beta Psi was founded as a local sorority at Richard Bland College of William and Mary.
The Beta chapter formed at Longwood in 1998 and was formed again in 2008 after its disbanding in 2002. Currently, the Beta chapter is the only active chapter.
Their public relations representative Emily Wilkins said, “The conversations have been really good. Mostly, we have questions about what our role is and what we will look like because we really want to keep the integrity of why we were created in the first place.”
Acevedo is now reviewing copies of the bylaws and constitution that Alpha Beta Psi has provided for him.
Wilkins stated, “We want to come on campus, be recognized, play by the rules, all of that, but we have our own values, and we want to stay true to who we are.”
If Alpha Beta Psi does come onto campus, the members hope to keep their name, size, integrity and values the same.
During this time of change, Alpha Beta Psi is looking for a healthy dialogue with on- campus organizations and “how we could exist in a way that doesn’t threaten how recognized groups can exist,” stated Wilkins.
The conversations with Zeta Chi Alpha have been mostly about identifying who the members are now instead of who they were in relation to the chapter that they developed from.
Zeta Chi Alpha developed after the Alpha Chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha was shut down in 2009 due to hazing allegations.
No members who were in the Alpha Chapter during the time it was shut down were allowed to pledge for the currently on- campus Alpha Chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha.
Zeta Tau Alpha’s nationals have not yet been contacted because these conversations are still in the very early developmental stages, but this specific situation is an “uncharted path” for Longwood, said Acevedo.
He stated that he hopes they understand “what’s best for Longwood is best for Longwood.” Acevedo said that he believes keeping an open line of communication with all of the organizations involved is what is most important.
The Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life met with the Student Government Association (SGA) to discuss the early stages of an action plan for this big change.
A source has said that the SGA has been seemingly supportive of the idea so far.
The main focus between Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life and SGA from here on out will be to determine “what recognition looks like for fraternities and sororities versus student groups.” said Acevedo.
Moving forward, Acevedo hopes to have an open forum for all on-campus Greek organizations to voice their opinions sometime soon.
In regards to feedback from other organizations, Wilkins said, “I definitely do foresee negative feedback just because of how things have run in the past and certain things organizations were told about off-campus organizations.”
She said that her organization is looking for understanding at this time and a mutual willingness to learn from each other.
The process of bringing these off-campus organizations on campus is still very much in the early stages, but Acevedo hopes to work out the idea as soon as possible.
Acevedo said, “There is a difference for groups that are trying to come on campus, and we are setting barriers for them, but the groups that don’t want to be on campus, after these initial conversations, they will not be around anymore ... We will make sure that this systemic issue ... will definitely leave them behind.”
