Editor's note: An earlier version of this article appeared online Feb. 16 at www.thedepauw.com. In a letter sent Monday to Delta Zeta sorority national president Deborah Raziano, President Robert G. Bottoms laid out the administration's "dissatisfaction" with DZ nationals' handling of the reorganization of DePauw's DZ chapter, the campus' smallest sorority in recent history.
Bottoms' letter comes after weeks of debate in the DePauw community concerning the fairness of DZ nationals' decision to place 23 women on alumnae status in early December following a membership review.
In the letter, Bottoms mentions four specific concerns: the negative attention the controversy has focused on DePauw's greek system, the timing of the decision, which came days before final exams, the housing problems for the women now on alumnae status and the confusion caused by poor communication from DZ nationals to the women. The women say they were told the decision to stay would be voluntary.
Dean of Students Cindy Babington, who has met with DZ active and alumna members to discuss the situation, expressed similar concerns.
"What criteria was used to place these women on alumnae status?" Babington said. "Maybe the bigger point of contention that I have is that the women ... have all reported to me that they were told it would be their choice whether to continue or not. ... I just don't think that's what happened."
Before the release of Bottoms' letter, DePauw administrators had remained largely silent on questions regarding DZ nationals' actions.
"It's a difficult time for all the students on both sides, and all along we've been trying to support the women who remain with the chapter and those who have left," said Tom Hansen, director of fraternity and sorority affairs.
Though she did not comment on the ethical status of DZ nationals' actions, Babington said the membership reviews, which took place in November, were out of the ordinary.
"Membership reviews do happen on our campus, but the way they normally happen is you're looking to put on alumni status members who have behavior issues or are creating disruptions ... That just wasn't the situation with this one," Babington said.
Liz Urso, an educational leadership consultant for DZ nationals who has come to campus to lead the chapter's reorganization, said she has not seen the letter from Bottoms and declined to comment. Two other representatives from DZ nationals could not be reached by press time.
Senior Amelia Lyle, an active DZ, also declined to comment on Bottoms' letter and said other active DZs would not want to comment either.
Senior Carolyn Thatcher, a DZ student alumna, said many of the concerns expressed in Bottoms' letter had already been stated by Babington in her meetings with DZ women.
"I'm pleased with President Bottoms' response. I feel it's very appropriate," Thatcher said. "I'm happy that he's expressed his discontent with the actions publicly."
Thatcher said she understands the administration wanted to wait to release a statement until DZ nationals had aired its side of the story. She said she believes the University has taken all the action that is necessary.
"I think it's an appropriate action at this point," Thatcher said. "If things continue, maybe more action needs to be taken."
Some DZ student alumnae are already considering what action they can take against DZ nationals following their dismissal from the chapter.
"A group of us are exploring our legal options, but we haven't done anything formal yet," said sophomore Lindsay Moy.
Moy's father, Eric Moy of Indianapolis-based law firm Barnes and Thornburg LLP, declined comment.
Reorganization continues despite small pledge class
DZ nationals representatives have maintained they plan to reform the chapter's identity and rebuild its numbers. But during recruitment earlier this month, 11 freshmen accepted bids to DZ, and since bid night Feb. 4, eight have chosen not to participate in pledgeship activities to become members of the sorority.
DZ nationals Executive Director Cindy Menges said the chapter will continue with reorganization plans nonetheless.
"We're going to continue with three or none or 30," she said. "I don't know that you can say that you're off-track in a situation like this."
Menges confirmed, however, that she approached Babington about closing down the chapter temporarily if the University could assure DZ it could re-colonize.
"Under the circumstances we are not prepared to make such a guarantee," Bottoms' letter says.
The reorganization began last September when the University informed DZ nationals that the same request could not be granted, per University policy.
A freshman, who asked to remain anonymous, said she had originally accepted a bid to DZ, but the controversy surrounding the chapter influenced her decision not to pledge.
During rush, she said, "they had girls from other schools, and they tried to make it sound like the typical perfect sorority, but you knew it wasn't going to be like that."
The freshman said she asked DZ members during recruitment about the women who took alumnae status and the chapter's future plans.
"They never got specific. They just said they were trying to reform things," she said. "Every time I tried to ask them a question, they didn't really have an answer."
Though Menges said the reorganization was necessary because of a negative perception of the chapter on campus, the freshman said she and her friends who received bids from DZ decided not to pledge specifically because of the chapter's new image.
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