A fraternity at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville has been censured and seven of its officers have been told to resign after 23 members of Pi Kappa Alpha held an unregistered off-campus party that had a theme “based on disrespectful racial stereotypes.”
“Forty-ounce bottles of alcohol and fried chicken - not good,” said Scott Flanagin, director of communications for student affairs at the university.
The seven officers, including the chapter president, attended the Jan. 20 party that coincided with the holiday celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.
“We have told those officers that they need to resign,” Flanagin said. “They are being forced out of office. You can’t have leadership that operates that way.”
On Jan. 31, UA officials received reports about the unregistered, off-campus event. The fraternity chapter doesn’t have a house, Flanagin said.
After an investigation, a letter was sent to the fraternity Wednesday by Rachel Eikenberry, director of the Office of Student Standards and Conduct, outlining disciplinary action.
The fraternity chapter will be censured for one year. That’s a warning similar to, but more serious than, a university reprimand, according to the letter.
In addition, the fraternity can’t participate in recruitment activities during the spring semester and must pay $500 to the university’s Educational Fund account.
The 23 fraternity members must complete 15 hours of community service, and all chapter members must participate in an alcohol-education program.
According to the letter, “the investigation supports the conclusion that participants in the unregistered party took part in certain themed activities based on disrespectful racial stereotypes that run counter to core values of the University of Arkansas.”
“The university strongly condemns these actions, which reflect poorly on the persons involved, the chapter, and are directly contrary to the university’s decades-long effort to create an environment that is welcoming, respectful and inclusive of persons of all racial and ethnic backgrounds,” according to the letter.
Flanagin said the university has no evidence of the racially offensive theme, such as invitations to the party.
“We believe that this incident did occur in this way, even though the members denied that there was a theme,” he said. “The university believes something did occur along those lines.”
Flanagin said the fraternity will go through educational training on cultural sensitivity.
Arkansas, Pages 10 on 02/28/2014