Group of students together in the Penland Courtyard

Fraternity and Sorority Conduct

Greek Life

To help you make fully informed choices about joining fraternities and sororities at the University of South Carolina Aiken, we provide a report on organizational conduct violations dating back to 2013. 

In accordance with the Tucker Hipps Transparency Act, the university publishes this report on actual findings of violations involving alcoholdrugssexual assault, physical assault and hazing by fraternity and sorority organizations formally affiliated with the institution. The report includes the name of the responsible organizations; the dates of the incident, report, charge, investigation and resolution; and a general description of the incident and the subsequent charges, findings and sanctions placed on the organization.

Violations

Organization

2022/2023 Academic Year

None

No violations occurred during the Fall 2022 or Spring 2023 semester.

Organization

2021/2022 Academic Year

None

No violations occurred during the Spring 2022 semester.

Tau Kappa Epsilon

Incident: 11/15/2020 (reported 10/13/2021)

Investigation Start Date:10/14/2021

Resolved:11/16/2021

Description: Three members and one alumni of the fraternity engaged two new members the day before initiation in a scavenger hunt that included blindfolding and zip-tying their hands, drinking alcoholic beverages, pushups, getting into the fountain on campus, and consensual touching with a female.

Charges:

  • Hazing (Responsible- Accepted Responsibility)
  • Title IX- Sexual Assault: Touching (Not responsible)

Sanctions:

  • Raise $300 for an Ani-Hazing Organization. The organization can be chosen by TKE and submitted to the IFC Advisor to be approved by December 1st.
    • Completed by Friday April 22nd.
  • Alumni are not allowed to attend any off-campus chapter event. For alumni to attend on-campus events the IFC Advisor will need to approve. This will be in effect until January 5, 2023. Review of this sanction will be in April 2022.
  • Organization can’t host or co-host social events until January 5, 2023. Review of this sanction will be in April 2022.
  • The organization will be on Disciplinary Probation until January 5, 2023. If the organization is found in violation of any conduct incident they could be immediately suspended.

Organization

2020/2021 Academic Year

None No violations occurred during the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semester.

Organization

2019/2020 Academic Year

None No violations occurred during the Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 semester.

Organization

2018/2019 Academic Year

None No violations occurred during the Fall 2018 semester or Spring 2019 semester.

Organization

2017/2018 Academic Year

Delta Sigma Phi - Iota Xi Chapter

Incident: 9/22/17

Investigation Start Date: 9/23/17

Resolved: 10/10/17

Description: Fraternity threw off campus bid day party during which they provided underage students with moonshine. New members of the fraternity were invited to go into a room in the house where they were instructed to drink several shots of moonshine and eat moonshine cherries behind a closed door.

Charges:

  • Alcohol - Providing alcohol to a minor - Responsible (Accepted Responsibility)
  • Hazing - Violation of University Policy - Responsible (Accepted Responsibility)

Sanctions:

  • Disciplinary Probation - No on or off-campus social events will be held with non-members (chapter may not have any social events with or without alcohol.) until the end of Spring semester, 2018.  This includes all official social events, both on and off campus, as well as unofficial gatherings, such as tailgating.  No alcohol will be permitted at any chapter event through the end of Fall semester, 2018.  During Spring semester of 2019 alcohol will only be permitted at events where a university official, approved by the Associate Director of Student Life, is present.
  • Education Sanction - The chapter will develop and implement a hazing education program for their members and the USCA Greek community in consultation with the Associate Director of Student Life. All members of the chapter will attend a Social Host liability workshop.  Chapter will host the National Fraternity’s Director of Responsibility & Accountability to provide event planning and management training.  Chapter will host the National Fraternity’s Director of Responsibility & Accountability to provide training on hazing and hazing prevention.  The chapter’s Standards Board should request and host a Standards Board training from the Office of Judicial Affairs.  The chapter will request and host two (2) workshops focused on academic success planning or related topics provided by the Academic Success Center.  The chapter will request and host two (2) workshops with at least 90% attendance, one focused on alcohol and drug use and the second on bystander intervention. Chapter will collaborate with the USCA Greek Life Office, and the Peer Educator program to identify speakers and other resources.
  • Recruitment - Chapter may not recruit new members until all education sanctions above have been completed.
  • Meetings - Chapter president must meet with faculty advisor every other week for the duration of the probation (through the end of Spring 2019).

Lambda Chi Alpha - Pi-Alpha Zeta Chapter

Incident: 8/25/17

Investigation Started: 8/26/17

Resolved: 9/20/17

Description: Fraternity threw off campus party during which they provided underage students with alcohol as well as served alcohol from a common source container.

Charges:

  • Alcohol - Providing alcohol to minors - Responsible (Accepted Responsibility)
  • Alcohol - Providing alcohol from a common source container - Responsible (Accepted Responsibility)
Sanctions:
  • Disciplinary Probation - No on or off-campus social events will be held with non-members (this includes Boswell Ball, the Steeplechase, mixers with sororities, etc) until the end of Spring semester, 2018.  No alcohol will be permitted at any chapter event until the end of Spring semester, 2018.
  • Membership Review - A membership review of all current members of the chapter will be conducted by a panel selected by the Associate Director of Student Life.  This review will be completed by the end of October.
  • Education Sanction - All members of the chapter will attend a Social Host liability workshop presented by the four members of the chapter who lived in the residence where the party was held.  The chapter advisor must also attend the workshop.  Implement a Harm Reduction Education Program to include: Guest speaker on Alcohol and Other Drugs Education; Guest speaker on the Application of Lambda Chi Alpha, FIPG, and University of South Carolina Aiken Social Policies; Chapter review of Lambda Chi Alpha's event planning process to be completed by December 1st, 2017. 100% of the chapter must complete the EVERFI AlchoholEdu course by February 26, 2018.
  • Recruitment - Chapter may not recruit new members until the following has been completed: chapter must host a Recruiting with Values retreat during early Spring 2018 semester; All items listed under "Implement a Harm Reduction Education Program" have been completed; and the Social Host liability workshop has been completed.  A representative from the fraternity's national office, a local founding father of the Pi-Alpha Zeta Chapter who lives within 30 miles of USCA, or the faculty advisor, must be present at any recruitment event held during the 2017/2018 academic year.
  • Meetings - Chapter president must meet with faculty advisor every other week for the academic year.

Organization

2016/2017 Academic Year

Zeta Tau Alpha - Kappa Pi Chapter

Incident: 3/20/17

Investigation Started: 3/24/17

Resolved: 3/30/17

Description: Sorority member forged signature of third party venue manager on Off Campus Social Event Agreement form

Charges:

  • Forgery - Venue Management's signature was not properly obtained - Responsible

Sanctions:

  • Social - Chapter social chair has to meet with Greek Life Director prior to planning any social for through the end of her term (December 31, 2017)

Organization

2015/2016 Academic Year

None

 No violations occurred during the Fall 2015 semester or Spring 2016 semester.

Organization

2014/2015 Academic Year

Zeta Tau Alpha - Kappa Pi Chapter

Incident: 12/4/2014

Resolved: 1/13/2015

Description: Damage to wall at off campus social.  Individual causing the damage was a guest of one of the sorority members and was under the influence of alcohol.

Charges:

  • Alcohol - No Third Party Vendor - Responsible
  • Disorderly Conduct - Damage to Property - Responsible

Sanctions:

  • Fine - Chapter had to pay to fix damage to property
  • Education Sanction

Organization

2013/2014 Academic Year

Tau Kappa Epsilon - Sigma Zeta Chapter

Incident: 4/26/2014

Resolved: 5/1/2014

Description: Members flipped furniture in an effort to clear dance floor at an off campus social.

Charges: 

  • Disorderly Conduct - Unruly Behavior of Members - Responsible

Sanctions:

  • Written Warning
  • Educational Sanction Meeting