Kappa Sigma has joined the list of Mercer’s functioning Greek organizations once again.
After being previously suspended along with Alpha Tau Omega due to “violations of the Student Code of Conduct related to alcohol,” according to an August 2016 article by The Cluster, the fraternity was reviewed and approved to be back with limited operations in January.
“The group was permitted to come back in [the] spring and hold chapter meetings, community service activities, limited recruitment, and participate in IFC meetings as a non-voting member,” Douglas Pearson, vice president and dean of students said.[related title="Related Stories" stories="20823,19266" align="left" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]
The fraternity has been working with local organizations and churches for their community service events, according to the executive director of Kappa Sigma, Mitchell Wilson.
Wilson also said that the 31-member fraternity had to make a report of their progress and present it at a board meeting to the General Kappa Sigma Fraternity earlier in March.
“The Alpha-Beta Chapter of Kappa Sigma Fraternity is putting some finishing touches on a most successful Spring semester, [and] are on schedule to complete all remaining requirements to complete the Chapter’s sanctions,” he said via email. “We are proud of them.”
One of the sanctions of the fraternity’s suspension was not being able to live in their Greek village house this past semester.
Since the house was not being used by Kappa Sigma, it was opened as a second Pan House.
“This means that Sorority women from any female chapter on campus were eligible to apply to live in the house,” Area Coordinator for Greek Village Caroline Terry said via email. “We selected them based on a combination of first come first serve as well as trying to keep all the chapters as equal as possible in representation.”
Terry said that opening the house to other Greek students is not a new practice by Residence Life. However, she also said that it is not offered in every situation.
“Sometimes, as in the case of ATO this year, decisions about the chapter’s eligibility to maintain their house are made too late in the assignments process for us to reallocate the space and then in that case the house may lay dormant for a semester or a year,” she said.
While the Kappa Sigma house was able to be reallocated this year, it will not need to be used by anyone but the fraternity in the fall according to statements from Wilson and Pearson.
“As of today, both groups [Kappa Sigma and ATO] are on-target for being back in their houses in the fall to the best of my knowledge.” Pearson said.
Kappa Sigma resumes limited operations after suspension
The Kappa Sigma fraternity house, stripped of its Greek letters, is currently being occupied by Greek women during the fraternity’s suspension.
