Longwood University’s Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life continues to hold talks with unrecognized organizations about coming on campus. This includes all female group Alpha Beta Psi, which is the first organization to begin the formal process of becoming a recognized organization. However, all male organization Delta Tau Chi is content with remaining off campus.
The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life has reportedly reached out to all five of the student-run organizations that the university does not recognize: Alpha Beta Psi, Zeta Chi Alpha, Gamma Psi, Alpha Chi Rho and Delta Tau Chi.Unrecognized organizations are off-campus groups with no national recognition that were either created locally or organically, or born underground after the removal of a nationally recognized fraternity or sorority chapter from campus.
Wolfgang Acevedo, associate director for Fraternity and Sorority Life since July 2013, said the conversations are part of the office’s efforts to “refocus our philosophy and our approach when working with off-campus groups.”
Acevedo said Fraternity and Sorority Life decided to take this new approach after speaking with staff within the offices of Student Activities, Student Affairs and Student Engagement, who all came to the conclusion that the offices should take a “different route” regarding unrecognized organizations.
“We’ve had an opportunity to sit down with all the groups and just basically say there’s a difference between being an off-campus group, a group that doesn’t want to be recognized and doesn’t do what they need to do to be recognized, and groups that have met some barriers to be recognized, and having them identify which one they want to be,” Acevedo explained.
Acevedo admitted that unrecognized groups previously faced barriers that “may have not been appropriate.” He wanted to ensure that these groups had the chance to become recognized so long as these organizations operated according to university and Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life policy.
“We are in no way advocating for more local groups, but we think that the approach has been, at points, not the best foot forward for our office,” explained Acevedo.
When the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life reached out to the unrecognized organizations, Acevedo said they received “mixed reviews” from members of these organizations. Ultimately, Acevedo said, the office strives to “identify and work with each individual group and how they want to be treated.”
Acevedo added, “This is by no means a very easy decision. It really is student-focused and really trying to [have] our organizations be values- based groups, which are what fraternities and sororities are all about ...”
Acevedo said that Alpha Beta Psi, an unrecognized group of women, is most likely only a few months away from becoming a recognized organization on campus. He said the group will probably be recognized as a local sorority and operate under an independent council.
Emily Wilkins, who handles public relations for the organization, said Alpha Beta Psi members were “cautious” when Acevedo first approached them, wanting to maintain their values, integrity and their name. Wilkins said after working with Acevedo, they trust him and would like to experience the benefits of becoming a recognized organization.
Alpha Beta Psi President Taylor Innes said the organization is “definitely going to benefit from Longwood’s support. That is something that we have strived for, for so long.”
Wilkins said Alpha Beta Psi is a values-based organization and stressed the group’s emphasis on their motto, “Embrace the individual.”
Innes added that the organization’s members have “similar interests and similar beliefs, and that’s what ties us together, but we all are very, very different from each other and that’s what ties us together. We’re like a big puzzle.”
Member Morgan Teeple stressed the importance of maintaining the organization’s values as they move on campus. “Especially in the future, we always still want to stay unique ... we always want to be small, we never want to lose our values, we always want to remain who we are.”
Innes said Alpha Beta Psi also gives back to the community regularly at FACES Food Pantry and Woodland Retirement Community. It is a requirement for members to volunteer at FACES at least once a semester.
Regarding the organization’s official recognition, Wilkins said group representatives will soon visit the Student Government Association to have various processes, including those for recruitment, approved. The members have also found an adviser. She said that the major step to becoming recognized on campus this semester is finishing up the paperwork.
Innes said Alpha Beta Psi should be “fully operational” on campus in about a year.
Wilkins added, “We have a picture about what we’re going to be and who we’re going to be and how we’re going to relate to the other organizations, but I think it’s going to be trial and error because I don’t think this exists anywhere else.”
Wilkins described Longwood as an “innovator in Greek life,” citing the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life’s reaching out to off-campus organizations as “one more way for them to innovate and one more way for them to empower and recognize students.”
However, not all off-campus organizations would like to make the move to campus. Acevedo said he has heard back from every off-campus organization except Delta Tau Chi. Corbin Slaughter, president of Delta Tau Chi, explained that while previous presidents have been approached about bringing Delta Tau Chi on campus as a recognized group, he has no interest in bringing the organization to campus.
“I love being off campus and genuinely value what Delta is and what it represents,” said Slaughter. “In my opinion, not having to meet a quota set by nationals is a huge benefit which allows us to pick the people we want and not just take people because we have to meet a certain number.”
Slaughter said he is for “quality over quantity, and I think that brings us even closer as a brotherhood.”
Slaughter thinks that having national backing for an organization is “more of a hindrance than a benefit.” He said an advantage of being part of Delta Tau Chi is that 100 percent of the group’s dues go toward the organization.
Slaughter values Delta Tau Chi being off campus and believes that “building bonds and earning your brother or sisterhood is what pledging is all about.” He added, “Pledging makes you truly appreciate and value what you’re striving to become a part of, and without it, you cannot truly develop bonds with others without facing hardships alongside them. There’s a definite reason why the military still hazes.”
Slaughter added, “Now, in no way am I comparing us to the military or saying that we haze, but what I mean by that is they still haze simply because it works to create unity. It’s about becoming one of them. Going down the same path as the brothers’ decades before you had. Getting broken down and built back up into something stronger. It’s just part of the process, or paying the debt. It’s the rite of passage to prove your worthy not only to everyone else, but to yourself.”
Slaughter is proud of Delta Tau Chi’s being “off campus and carrying on tradition for 23 years now.”
Acevedo said the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life “will be moving forward in a very, very strong public relations stance working with the three councils [College Panhellenic Council, Interfraternity Council, and National Pan Hellenic Council] and any of these groups that end up joining on really featuring our fraternities and sororities, featuring that collegiate experience as a values-based organization and really trying to facilitate that students join those groups that are recognized or want to be recognized ...”
Moving forward, Acevedo admitted that while “this is going to be a rough area ... I’m ready to do it as long as the students are willing to work hard as well.”
Members of Beta Chapter of Alpha Beta Psi Sorority Morgan Steeple, Taylor Innes and Emily Wilkins stand proudly with their banner to celebrate the sorority's efforts to become a recognized sorority on campus.
