Contact: Sammy McDavid
Having recently committed a serious violation of university rules while on two-year probation, Mississippi State's oldest social fraternity is losing its registration and will have to vacate its campus residence.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon, which opened a chapter at MSU in 1887, will give up all campus privileges Oct. 20. Acknowledging guilt, the fraternity this week signed an agreement with the Division of Student Affairs to voluntarily transfer its national charter to an alumni commission.
Mike White, MSU dean of students, said the chapter may reapply for reinstatement as a registered student organization after May 31, 2004. The organization currently has a membership of approximately 100, nearly 30 of whom resided at the Fraternity Row address.
"The decision to suspend registration is consistent with other cases involving student organizations in which someone was seriously injured through actions of the organization," White said.
"Three fraternities have had their registration suspended in the past five years for causing injury to MSU students," he explained. "The SAE chapter, which still is in on probation for an incident in 2001, will be the fourth."
Like the 2001 case, the most recent SAE situation involved a single case of alcohol poisoning. White said both involved victims whose excessive consumption of alcohol at the fraternity house resulted in hospitalization.
"A university must be concerned for the safety and welfare of all of its students," White said. "Since two students at the SAE house have been hospitalized with alcohol poisoning over the past two years, we naturally have specific serious concerns for the safety and welfare of the organization's members and their guests."
Closing a chapter house that no longer holds campus registration "is both logical and prudent," White said. "Because we understand that having students move out of the house is inconvenient, we are offering the affected members the opportunity to live in university housing at a prorated rent rate."
White said the fraternity's housemother and four members will be permitted to reside in the house "in order to maintain and preserve the facility and provide security for the housemother," White said.
Because of SAE's 116-year presence on campus, White said the "continuing unacceptable behavior by its members is especially sad and regretful." He said members in recent years have done commendable volunteer work on behalf of the Palmer Home for Children in Columbus and the local Habitat for Humanity chapter, among others.
"It is disappointing when some members of a fraternity with a long history of campus leadership and service like SAE make poor choices that jeopardize the well-being of their fellow students," White said. "We hope our actions here will help remaining and future members keep to the right path when their organization returns to campus."