Due to a number of housing policy violations in the 2008-09 school year, Sigma Nu has lost its privilege to a fraternity house this year, Director of Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life and Assistant Dean for Campus Life Victor Felts said.

According to Felts, members of the fraternity violated policies in the Undergraduate Housing Agreement that require that all residents comply with the public law as well as all University and Residence Life and Housing policies and regulations.

“There were numerous violations of housing policies, including instances of vandalism and property destruction to their own house as well as others,” Felts said.

Other violations include, but are not limited to, underage drinking in the house, improper storage of athletic and other equipment, smoking marijuana and cigarettes in the house, shooting bottle rockets from the deck of the house toward other fraternity houses, failure to clean properly and starting a fire in the house.

As outlined in the Undergraduate Housing Agreement, the Office of Residence Life and Housing “reserves the right to ... terminate the privilege of housing for anyone who ... has demonstrated behavior that significantly disrupts or poses a danger to the residence hall environment or has received such a sanction through the conduct process.”

Sig Nu Vice President and Interfraternity Council (IFC) President David Izbicki said the fraternity plans on moving back into the house on campus for the 2009-10 academic year.

In order for Sig Nu to return onto campus, Felts wrote in an e-mail to the Wheel, the fraternity must meet biweekly with Felts, present a plan of action detailing how University procedures will be followed, respected and valued, decrease the number of members found in violation of University policies and submit chapter by-laws that include judicial procedures to address inappropriate behavior by chapter members.

During the meetings with Felts which began in August, fraternity leaders discuss programs, concerns and other issues relating to the fraternity according to Felts.

“The sanctions are pretty straightforward,” Izbicki said. “We need to attend the meetings, get the paperwork in on time and have our members stay out of trouble.”

He said that the fraternity will be using the Delta Phi Epsilon sorority lodge for upperclassmen recruitment, which began last night.

He said that he is not sure how the lack of a house will affect recruitment and rush.

“Kids see fraternities as less of a fraternity without a house, regardless of the fact that we will have a house next year,” Izbicki said, “but only time will tell.”

He said that the members took the house for granted, but the loss of their house for the year has made Sig Nu a stronger brotherhood. He said that now, brothers really have to come together to meet because they are scattered both on and off campus.

Until Sig Nu moves back into their fraternity house in the next academic year, the house is occupied by international business students, Felts said.

— Contact Alice Chen