The University of Alabama’s Office of Greek Affairs called a mandatory meeting for all chapter presidents of the Interfraternity Council and the Alabama Panhellenic Association on Wednesday, Sept. 26.
According to an email obtained by The Crimson White, director of greek affairs Kathleen Gillan required the presence of the president or highest-ranking officer of all IFC and APA chapters in Room 133 of Lloyd Hall at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
The e-mail was sent to all presidents at 4:57 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 25, just hours before the announcement of pledgeship suspension at an IFC meeting. The e-mail was co-signed by Dean of Students Tim Hebson and assistant Dean Lowell Davis. Todd Borst, director of Judicial Affairs, attended the meeting.
Hebson said the mandatory meeting was not called in response to pledgeship suspension or the lawsuit regarding Sigma Chi and Kelly Johnson.
“Next week we’re taking a week off,” Hebson said. “It has nothing to do with like, what one website just said, Kelly Johnson and this Sigma Chi situation. Nothing at all to do with any of that. We are going to start this as a tradition that that week will be a week off.”
Hebson thanked the students for making the time to attend the meeting and said he just wanted to go over some announcements.
“I mean, there’s no individual event in order for us to have this meeting,” he said. “We just want to get everybody together before fall break.”
Hebson did discuss the new IFC pledgeship suspension, effective Oct. 1 through Oct. 8.
“It gives them an opportunity to sort of regroup, catch their breath, look ahead,” Hebson said. “Midterms are coming up right after fall break. We really want people just to focus on academics and focus on being successful in the classroom.”
Hebson also discussed the importance of self-reporting of hazing among sororities and fraternities and the non-punitive effects of the medical amnesty policy. Houses involved in instances of self-reporting will have a suspended pledge program until the report is looked into, and anyone who takes a drunken or hurt friend to the hospital will not be in trouble with Judicial Affairs, he said.
“That’s because [there is] zero tolerance for hazing here at The University of Alabama. That’s not something we tolerate. When we find know that one situation is going on, we’re going to stop that situation,” Hebson said. “We’re just trying to stay on top of the little things because the little things — when you handle them — will not become big things.”
