For Immediate Release
March 16, 2017
Contact: Ashley Martin, Director of Communications
amartin@deltau.org
Delta Upsilon closes its Grand Valley State Chapter
Effective immediately, the Delta Upsilon International Fraternity Board of Directors has revoked the charter of the Grand Valley State Chapter as the result of repeated violations of the Fraternity’s Loss Prevention Policy.
The difficult decision to close the chapter was made following a hearing between the Board of Directors and chapter delegates on Feb. 17. The Board of Directors respects the delegation’s commitment to the hearing process and the candor and honesty provided during the hearing. However, the difficult decision to close the chapter was made.
Throughout the fall 2016 semester, the chapter violated a number of Fraternity Loss Prevention Policies regarding alcohol and drugs. In addition, the Board of Directors took into consideration that the chapter and/or chapter members have been identified in multiple reports of violations of university policies over the course of the past 18 months.
As a result of the charter’s revocation, all chapter operations have been ordered to cease immediately. Chapter members have been given alumni status, and all associate members have been released from the Fraternity. Those men living in the chapter facility have individual leases with the third-party owner and will be able to fulfill their leases for the remainder of the school year at the owner’s discretion.
“The decision to close a chapter is the most difficult decision the International Fraternity makes,” said Executive Director Justin Kirk. “Delta Upsilon is committed to being the premiere men’s fraternity on college campuses today. As such, we hold our members and chapters to a set a standards that, unfortunately, the Grand Valley State Chapter could not sustain.”
The International Fraternity will consider reinstatement of the Grand Valley State Chapter at a mutually agreeable date agreed upon by the Fraternity and Grand Valley State University. Such a date will be discussed once all current undergraduate students are placed on alumni status, have graduated or left school.
“The University believes that a strong fraternity/sorority community contributes much to the life of the campus,” said Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, Dr. Eileen Sullivan. “Because of that, we look forward to working with the general fraternity headquarters to determine a date that we will welcome Delta Upsilon back to GVSU.
Established on Nov. 4, 1834, Delta Upsilon is an international men's college fraternity with 76 chapters and colonies across the United States and Canada. The Fraternity, founded at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, is the oldest, non-secret, Greek-letter society and is committed to Building Better Men for a global society through its Four Founding Principles: friendship, character, culture and justice. More than 130,000 men have joined the Delta Upsilon Fraternity since its founding more than 182 years ago.