sig ep disaffiliates from national org.

www.chicagomaroon.com/article/2018/1/16/sig-ep-disaffiliates /

The above link is the recent article regarding Sigma Phi Epsilon Chapter of UC disaffiliating from their National Organization.

The University’s Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity chapter has disaffiliated from its national organization and rebranded as the “Epsilon Club.”

The statement of disaffiliation established that economic reasons played a motivating role behind disaffiliation. The history page on their new website reads: “In forming an independent organization, we were also able to lower dues by 37 percent and thus reduce the barriers to entry for low-income students and further improve the diversity of our organization.”

The vast majority of members supported disaffiliation, but chapter leadership acknowledged that the vote was divisive enough that some members decided to leave on “amicable” terms.

“In 2017, 83 percent of the members of the chapter decided to withdraw their membership from the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity and form an independent organization that is built on the foundations of the culture, camaraderie and traditions of our local chapter’s alumni,” the club’s website reads.

The Epsilon Club hopes to remain integrated in the Greek culture on campus, since their motivations for disaffiliating stem mainly from conflicts with the national organization, not UChicago’s Greek community.

Varshant Dhar, president of the Epsilon Club, along with Chaplain Will Darling and various members of the Epsilon Club, wrote to The Maroon: “Both alumni and current members express a general sense of apathy towards the national organization, as well as a general discomfort towards the implicit association we have with Sig Ep chapters across the nation. There are also many of us who feel that nationals imposes an unreasonable financial strain on our operations which inhibit our recruitment efforts, and our ability to hold member events.”

“Our decision isn’t the result of a specific incident,” Dhar said. “It’s the product of years of deliberation, voting, revoting, and consideration. This just happens to be the year when the motion passed.”

He said disaffiliation has been discussed informally among members for years.

“This issue came up at least once every year for the past 20 odd years. And while we haven’t been holding parliamentary style debates at chapter, brothers have talked amongst each other about this issue for some time. In terms of the actual logistics, we spent last quarter holding chapter presentations from both sides, and then took a vote. Once the motion passed, we contacted nationals and they provided us with the necessary paperwork.”

A final vote came after months of deliberations. While the majority of members voted in favor of disaffiliation, Dhar said, “Some of [the dissenting members] came around to the idea of the Epsilon Club, and now endorse the move wholeheartedly. Those who haven’t [have] left the organization on amicable terms.”

As the club moves in a new direction, Dhar said he hopes to preserve the chapter’s best traditions.

“We always try to provide a welcoming and relaxed social environment. And with our new independence, we hope to improve upon that standard,” he said. “For starters, we remade our yearly Student Excellence Scholarship into a $500 grant for first-years.” The Student Excellence Scholarship is an annual sponsorship rewarded by upperclassmen to chosen first-years determined as high achieving and promising members.