U of A ends fraternity’s suspension
Five-year hazing penalty eased as reward for good behaviour
A University of Alberta fraternity got an early reprieve from a five-year penalty for hazing new recruits — though not everyone is convinced Delta Kappa Epsilon is ready to resume campus activity.
After demonstrating good behaviour and community leadership, the fraternity known as the “Dekes” will this fall regain full student group status, allowing them to recruit up to 15 students, use university facilities and advertise their events on campus, after serving three years of a fiveyear suspension, said dean of students Frank Robinson.
Under the suspension, which started in 2011, the Dekes still operated their house near the campus but weren’t allowed to use the university crest, book space in campus buildings, have access to the university liquor and gaming licence, or participate in university governance.
Under the “provisional reinstatement,” the group will continue to report to the dean’s office monthly and “will continue to be under scrutiny” for the next two years, Robinson added.
But after working closely with new student leadership, prominent Edmonton alumni and the U.S.-based parent group, Robinson said the group “has made remarkable progress in responsibility.”
The Dekes raised more than $25,000 for local charities, provided anti-hazing education and leadership training and performed about 1,500 hours of community service, far beyond the 500 required, he said.
“They’ve been very responsive to the advice we’ve given,” Robinson said. “They done a lot of positive things.
“There’s no intent to have the ‘bad-boy’ image,” he said, adding that reinstating them will allow his office to “coach” the group for two years.
The fraternity lost its formal status as a student group after an investigation into allegations of hazing in 2011. A video surfaced on Oct. 21, 2011, allegedly showing people yelling at new recruits, telling them to eat their own vomit and closing them in a plywood box during the initiation weekend.
The Dekes admitted hazing had been going for a few years on their initiation weekends and that those activities “contravened university rules and the policies of our international fraternity.”
David Howe, president of the local chapter, declined to be interviewed, but sent out a release thanking Robinson for “his counsel” to the group over the last three years.
“We are excited about returning to campus and being a positive contributor to student life as a recognized student group,” says the release.
Gail Gallagher, former president of the Native Students Association, questioned the Dekes leadership’s learning after a fundraising event called “Western Bros and Nava-hoes” was planned by some members of the fraternity in November 2012.
The event’s title was quickly changed after controversy arose and aboriginal students voiced their objections, Gallagher said. She was also “happy” when a fraternity member called her to to apologize.
“But it was very offensive to aboriginal people,” Gallagher said.
Most critical, it is unclear the fraternity members learned much from the controversy because they did not follow up when the native students’ association offered to provide cultural sensitivity training to the group, she said.
“They just disappeared after the controversy broke in the media,” Gallagher said.
Howe declined to comment about the fundraiser or Gallagher’s concerns.
Robinson said he viewed that controversy as “a bump in the road ”of the fraternity’s progress.
The Dekes quickly reported the controversy to him and did not try to hide it, he said.
“We talked about it, the Dekes apologized and I’m pretty confident they learned from it,” Robinson said.
“I sympathize with any group that felt harmed, but this was a bump in the road and a learning opportunity for the group,” he said.
Gallagher disagreed that this incident was a “bump in the road” and that the fraternity has learned lessons.
The incident was a “major controversy in the aboriginal community” and the fraternity did not follow up on the offer to discuss cultural issues, she noted.
“We just want the group to show some accountability, but we never heard back from them. We followed up in a positive way, but they just ignored us.”
Gallagher also noted the controversy over the fundraiser was the second incident to occur while the fraternity was under suspension.
In September 2011, fraternity members were recruiting students during the fall orientation on U of A campus.
The U.S. parent group based did not return calls.
Robinson declined to give names of the Edmonton community members in the Dekes alumni who worked with his office.