University of Missouri frats still studying recommendations

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Fraternity chapters at the University of Missouri are still studying a consultant's October report warning the school to change the culture of Greek life on campus, chapter officials said.

University dean of students Jeff Zeilenga told the Columbia Daily Tribune on Friday the school is still looking at the recommendations from Dyad Strategies.

The Office of Greek Life had only two employees, little positive engagement with organizations and "bounces from one fire to the next, spending the bulk of its time advising council officers and responding to allegations of misconduct," Dyad's report stated.

The consultant recommended the university change Greek life recruitment, ban freshmen from living in chapter houses and require residents' rooms to be open for inspection during parties.

But Zeilenga said one of the objections to banning freshmen is many fraternities are in debt for large new houses and need the revenue.

"Over the last 15 years or so, they have built some really, really big frat houses that accommodate a lot of students, so the economic model is to keep those houses as full as possible," he said.

Zeilenga said the full response to the report is being studied by five working groups established by a fraternity and sorority advisory board made up of faculty, students, staff and parents.

Two fraternities have been shuttered by their national governing organizations since the university received Dyad's report. Two more fraternities have been put on disciplinary probation for hazing.

One of the shuttered fraternities, Sigma Phi Epsilon, is being sued over allegations of assault by two members also facing felony charges for breaking a student's jaw and knocking out another's tooth.

Members at the other shuttered frat, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, have until Thursday to move out of their chapter house. The statement issued by the national organization cited "multiple health-and-safety violations and an inability to adhere to the national organization's standards and guidelines" but didn't give specifics.

Information from: Columbia Daily Tribune, http://www.columbiatribune.com