The university chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi was chosen from three applicants to move into the recently vacated 4 Fraternity Row.
The fraternity was chosen over Delta Chi and Sigma Nu after Sigma Alpha Epsilon lost its charter last semester because of hazing and alcohol violations. Vice President of Student Affairs Linda Clement was responsible for the final housing decision.
“They presented a strong profile,” she said. “They have a great deal of alumni support and have certainly achieved the goals of the Greek Vision Plan. They have a strong number — you want to be sure that the group can fill up the house.”
Clement emphasized the rigors of the selection process, which includes chapter performance, history on the campus, scholarship, participation and heavy alumni involvement. Her decision was based on a recommendation from Michael Hayes, director of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.
Alpha Epsilon Pi, which currently has no chapter house, has a legacy on the campus that dates to 1941.
This August will be Alpha Epsilon Pi’s second time on Fraternity Row. They were the first tenants of 13 Fraternity Row upon the house’s completion in 1962 but were kicked off in the late 1980s because of behavioral issues, said Marc Katz, acting executive vice president of the Alpha Epsilon Pi national office. The group returned in 1999 and was rechartered in May 2000.
Alpha Epsilon Pi president Josh Goldman said although the fraternity had no central house, brothers tended to live together by choice, whether in South Campus Commons or other areas of the campus. He added having a house would strengthen the group.
“It’s a tremendous opportunity for our chapter to grow,” he said. “It’s a culmination of a lot of work we’ve done over the past couple of years of philanthropy and scholarship.”
Clement said she is excited to bring the group to Fraternity Row.
“It’s an opportunity for the organization to really get centered,” she said. “It makes the whole Greek community stronger.”
In the interim, the house will undergo general maintenance to prepare it for its new tenants to move in at the end of the summer.