AU fraternity Phi Sigma Kappa has decided not to appeal the sanctions the Inter-Fraternity Council has levied on it, according to IFC Public Relations Chair Adam Tager.
The fraternity decided not to appeal the judgment because it admitted to the charges and therefore accepted the sanctions, PSK President Mike Kaufman said. The fraternity had seven business days after the trial to appeal the decision, The Eagle previously reported.
“We chose not to appeal because we felt they were fair given the seriousness of our charges,” he said.
Kaufman said he believes other social organizations — not just PSK — will be inadvertently affected by the events surrounding the fraternity and the IFC.
“We cannot comment directly on the operations of other greek organizations on campus, we do believe that all social organizations at AU will face new challenges in light of the increased involvement that the Office of Greek Life and the IFC are taking in the recruitment process,” Kaufman said.
The sanctions consist of a one-year social probation, no open or closed recruitment for the fall of 2010, chapter participation in AU Campus Beautification Day with an additional five hours per member through AU’s Community Service Office and funding and planning a professional speaker on responsible drinking for the spring of 2011, The Eagle previously reported. The sanctions were effective immediately upon the fraternity’s positive acknowledgment of them, according to Kaufman.
Michael R. Radlick, AU fraternity Delta Chi’s president, said he thinks the sanctions will have a large impact on PSK’s prosperity.
“The members of Delta Chi understand the intricacies on both sides of the issue, and we respect the decision made by the IFC,” Radlick said. “However, as the president of a fraternity who has had size problems in the past, I also know that the rush restriction placed on [PSK] for the coming fall could be very detrimental to their success.”
PSK has not felt rebuked by the greek life collective as a result of the events, according to Kaufman.
“[PSK] in general feels a great deal of support from the greek community at American University that we continue to be a proud part of,” Kaufman said.
You can reach this staff writer at srudnick@theeagleonline.com.
