Sorority & Fraternity Life Partnership

Students walking on Jayhawk Boulevard.

KU sororities and fraternities provide rich opportunities for leadership development, relationship building, philanthropic activities, and lifelong experiences. Sororities and fraternities often involve multiple stakeholders, including alumni boards, local advisors, inter/national organizations, university governing councils, and chapter leadership. Because of the complexity of sorority and fraternity organizations, Student Conduct and Community Standards encourages chapters to resolve incidents occurring within their chapter. We also encourage KU's four governing councils to resolve alleged incidents through their well-established judicial board procedures. Often, the individual chapter and/or governing council is best equipped to resolve low-level violations that do not adhere to the chapter and/or governing council values and bylaws. 

When serious violations occur, Student Conduct and Community Standards works with the relevant stakeholders to resolve the incident. This may include information gathering and investigation phases. Student Conduct and Community Standards investigates all forms of hazing and harm to persons. Organizations are expected to participate fully with university resolution processes, as well as resolution expectations from their governing council and inter/national organization. 

The charts below provide examples of violations and resolution options occurring within the individual chapter, at the governing council level, or by Student Conduct and Community Standards. 

List

Violations investigated and resolved within the chapter. 

  • Violations of chapter and/or headquarters policies and procedures, including social policy and risk management violations 

  • Housing damage 

  • Noise 

  • Hard alcohol and/or drug violations 

  • Vandalism 

  • Theft 

  • Fighting 

  • Hazing (would also be dealt with at governing council and SCCS level) 

 

Violations investigated and resolved by the governing council’s judicial board. 

  • Recruitment infractions 

  • Alcohol violations with a common source, distribution to minors, provision of alcohol, etc. 

  • Violations of governing council policies and procedures, including social policy and risk management violations 

  • Hazing (would also be dealt with at chapter and SCCS level) 

 

Violations investigated and resolved by Student Conduct and Community Standards.

  • Hazing (would also be dealt with at chapter and governing council level) 

  • Forced alcohol consumption 

  • Title IX violations / gender-based violence 

  • Ongoing / multiple alcohol and drug medical transports 

  • Ongoing and repeated violations of a lesser nature. 

  • Violations of a lesser nature that occur while a chapter is under sanctions for previous incidents. 

 

Violations investigated and resolved within the chapter. 

  • Prescribed sanction assessed by chapter or peer judicial board. 

  • Chapter self-governs and sanctions the individuals or chapter as appropriate. 

  • If necessary, chapter or headquarters leadership may refer incidents to the governing council or Student Conduct and Community Standards for additional action. 

 

Violations investigated and resolved by the governing council’s judicial board. 

  • Partnership process: chapter self-reports and self-investigates, then shares findings with governing council judicial board. Chapter may self-sanction. Council judicial board renders decision and sanctions, if any. Or… 

  • Governing council judicial board investigates and adjudicates. Council sanctions the chapter as appropriate. 

  • If necessary, the governing council may refer incidents to Student Conduct and Community Standards for additional action.

 

Violations investigated and resolved by Student Conduct and Community Standards.

  • Partnership process: chapter self-reports and self-investigates, then shares findings with governing council judicial board. Chapter may self-sanction. SCCS renders decision and sanctions, if any. Or… 

  • Incidents investigated and adjudicated by Student Conduct and Community Standards, using the student organization investigation model 

  • Decisions rendered through mutual agreement with the organization or informal/formal hearing processes, as appropriate. 

  • If necessary, Student Conduct and Community Standards may refer incidents to the governing council for additional action. 

Violations investigated and resolved within the chapter. 

  • Governing Council and/or Chapter Headquarters (depending on the nature of the violation) 

 

Violations investigated and resolved by the governing council’s judicial board. 

  • Governing Council Executive Board 

 

Violations investigated and resolved by Student Conduct and Community Standards.

  • University Judicial Board (final decision)