The Miami Student Oldest university newspaper in the United States, established 1826
VOLUME 139 NO. 53
TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2012
MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO
TODAY IN MIAMI HISTORY In 1989, The Miami Student reported the Alpha chapter of Beta Theta Pi fraternity’s charter was suspended for three years by its national organization
following hazing “abuses” involving alcohol and writing on pledges with a pen and marker. The Student reported Miami University had not taken formal action against the fraternity yet.
Sigma Chi loses charter
University Senate votes on regional campus proposal
By Jenn Smola and JM Rieger
By Jenn Smola
The Miami University Alpha chapter of Sigma Chi International Fraternity, founded 157 years ago, lost its charter as an active chapter Thursday evening. Associate Director of University Communications Claire Wagner said the Executive Committee of Sigma Chi International Fraternity voted Thursday night for the revocation of the chapter’s charter and notified the members of the chapter 9:30 p.m. Thursday. According to Wagner, there is no return date set for the chapter, but Wagner said she estimates potentially a four or five year hiatus, allowing all current members to graduate. According to Wagner, the fraternity’s headquarters have had ongoing concerns about the Alpha chapter. “Sigma Chi International Fraternity, the headquarters, have been working with the chapter for a few years because they have [had a] concern about a culture of misbehavior,” Wagner said. The fraternity was on disciplinary probation through May 10, 2012 following reports of prohibited use of alcohol, hazing and violation of the law, according to an Office of Ethics and Student Conflict Resolution file. A letter from the Executive Committee of Sigma Chi to the brothers of the Alpha chapter said the chapter has persistently engaged in illegal activities, failed to uphold the standards of the fraternity and engaged in inappropriate behavior. According to the executive committee letter, “the chapter’s refusal to move in a positive direction has left the Fraternity with no further recourse to consider other than a period where the Alpha Chapter temporarily closes its doors until the Fraternity has the ability to establish a chapter that all Sigma Chis can be proud of.” A source with knowledge of the situation said the chapter lost its charter following a number of “issues” including hazing that occurred in front of the chapter’s live-in advisor, as well as drug incidences. The source said all members of the fraternity are required to be out of the house by Wednesday. According to Miami’s Interfraternity Council (IFC) website, the fraternity had 35 members as of fall 2011. Wagner said Sigma Chi had a fraternity second-year exemption, allowing sophomores who would otherwise be required to live on campus to live in the fraternity house. The 22
In a packed session Monday, Miami University Senate reviewed and voted on the provisions of the proposal to establish a new academic division for regional campuses. In a roll-call vote, the majority of the Senate voted down the creation of a new academic division on the regional campuses, with 21 members favoring the proposed division, 27 members opposing it and six members abstaining. Senate Chair Steve DeLue said the Senate’s vote was not binding on the administration but would be considered by President David Hodge, Provost Bobby Gempesaw and the board of trustees. After a report from the Academic Policy and Ad Hoc Regional Campus Committees regarding its considerations of the proposal, the Senate discussed each of the first seven specific provisions of the proposal. The first provision stated a new division will be created on the regional campuses. This new division would be given the authority to develop new degrees and programs with the same procedures used by other academic divisions. Additionally, the new division could not offer the same degrees offered by other academic divisions. Faculty members voiced their opinions of the provision. History Associate Professor Charlotte Newman-Goldy said the proposal was confusing and left many questions unanswered. “I’m very concerned,” NewmanGoldy said. “We don’t know really what this division is academically about. A lot of us have grave reservations on provisions having to do with faculty, and yet we’re supposed to give a sense of the Senate on each one of these. I think this proposal leaves too many open questions and did not respond to the committees’ report that showed that there was a widespread concern about parts of it.” Madelyn Detloff, associate director of English and director and associate professor of women’s gender and sexuality studies said the proposal felt rushed. “I’m a little worried this feels very, very rushed,” Detloff said. “Even if it were a good thing, and my mind’s not made up about that, it would have the flavor of something that was imposed.” Finance Department Chair Steve Wyatt said the provision could benefit the regional campuses by giving them a way to reach their own unique goals.
Campus Editor
Campus Editor and News Editor
JM RIEGER THE MIAMI STUDENT
An Oxford Police Department cruiser sits outside the Miami University Alpha chapter of Sigma Chi International Fraternity Friday evening.The fraternity’s charter was revoked Thursday evening. sophomores currently living in the fraternity house are required to move back on campus. “Miami has been working with them since Friday to give them rooms,” Wagner said. According to Wagner, seven upper class students also lived in the fraternity house, and they have been given the option to live on or off campus. In addition, 18 students joined this semester’s pledge class. According to a letter sent to Sigma Chi from its Alpha House Corporation notifying it of the chapter’s suspension, “the current pledge class is suspended and will not be initiated into the Fraternity.” Over 10 Oxford Police Department (OPD) officers entered the fraternity house Thursday night following the executive committee’s vote, and a combination of six police officers from OPD and the Miami University Police Department were then stationed in the house for 65-straight hours to make sure no damage was done to the house, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. Individuals from Sigma Chi’s International Headquarters removed “valuables” from the house Thursday evening, according to the source. The chapter’s charter removal followed an interview process that took place in January, where about 30 percent of the chapter’s members were placed on alumni status, keeping them from interacting with the active chapter in any way. The live-in advisor was placed in the Sigma Chi house at this time, according to Mike Dunn, executive director of Sigma Chi International Fraternity. Dunn said about 30 members were left in the chapter following the
membership review at the beginning of the semester. According to Dunn, the chapter was on probation leading up to the decision. He would not elaborate on the type of probation the chapter was on, but said the chapter violated the probation terms. “They certainly had probation, all of which was violated,” Dunn said. The status of active Alpha chapter brothers enrolled at Miami has been changed to alumni status, according to the letter from Sigma Chi’s Executive Committee. Despite being founded at Miami, Dunn said the fact it was the Alpha chapter did not influence the decision to revoke the chapter’s charter. “It doesn’t matter whether it was the Alpha chapter or the last chapter we installed,” Dunn said. “It’s always a decision that’s not taken lightly. It wasn’t without a lot of consternation that [the executive committee] made the decision. There’s probably a heartstring to the Alpha chapter, but they treated them on the same level as they would treat any other chapter.” According to a letter from Sigma Chi’s International President Dennis Santoli regarding the closure of the chapter, the fraternity will begin planning for reactivation immediately. Dunn said this is the first time the Alpha chapter of Sigma Chi has ever had its charter revoked. Sigma Chi was suspended from Miami from March 2, 2010 through Dec. 31, 2010, and then was on disciplinary probation from Jan. 1, 2011 through Aug. 23, 2011 following
SIGMA CHI, SEE PAGE 9
“I actually see this as a way to allow these people to have an identity, and have some degree of autonomy and power to reach their own mission,” Wyatt said. Chair and Assistant Professor of the School of Engineering and Applied Science Diane Delisio said the university needs to find a way to view the regional campuses as complimentary to the main campus. “I don’t understand how this university can talk about diversity when we can’t handle diversity within our own institution,” Delisio said. “We should be able to figure out a way to value the regional campuses, integrate them and see that they’re complimentary, not threatening to the Oxford campus.” The second provision of the proposal stated new faculty would be hired through the new academic division and that search committees may consist entirely of regional campus faculty. While final hiring decisions rest with the provost, Oxford faculty may serve on regional campus search committees as well. Associate Professor of Zoology Paul Harding said this provision would impact what kind of faculty is hired. “Implementing this proposal would make it impossible to hire quality faculty,” Harding said. The provision was opposed by 35 senate members, leaving five members in favor and eight members abstaining. The Senate discussed the third, fourth, fifth and sixth provisions of the proposal very little. The third provision of the proposal stated there could be joint appointments between Oxford academic divisions and the new academic division, should it be created, and was opposed by the majority of the Senate. The fourth provision stated current faculty members on the regional campuses would continue to be tenured and promoted within the departments they are currently in, with 40 members in favor of the provision. The fifth provision stated the new division would continue to collaborate with divisions in Oxford to enhance teaching, research and outreach partnerships. There were 29 members in favor of the provision and 21 abstentions. The sixth provision stated that should a new division be established, its name will be determined after consultation with stakeholders. There were 36 members in favor of
SENATE,
SEE PAGE 9
Miami introduces Cooper as next men’s head basketball coach By Brian Gallagher Sports Editor
Following an extensive search, hundreds of conversations, as well as several rumors, the wait is finally over as Miami University has named John Cooper as the next head men’s basketball coach. Cooper comes to Miami from Tennessee State University (TSU) where he was the head coach for the past three seasons. His record at the helm of TSU was 43-52, but he led the Tigers to a 20-13 mark this season, the team’s first winning season since 1995-1996. TSU’s season also included a win over Murray State University, one of only two losses the 31-2 Racers suffered in the regular season, as well as a berth in the Ohio Valley Conference Championship game and a trip to the CollegeInsider.com Basketball Tournament (CIT).
“[Cooper’s] values are consistent with Miami’s values,” Miami Athletic Director Brad Bates said. “He is highly focused on the intellectual development of the students, he’s intensely competitive, he works with integrity and he’s got a history of working with great leaders in the industry. He’s worked in the [Southeastern Conference (SEC)], the [Pacific]-12 [Conference], as well as at a mid-major program. So I think his diversity of experience positions him really well for Miami.” In filling the position, Bates had the challenge of replacing Charlie Coles, who retired March 5 after 16 years at the helm of the program. Coles, whose name has become synonymous with Miami basketball, amassed a 263-224 record while at Miami, including seven postseason appearances and three regular season Mid-American Conference (MAC) titles, in the process becoming the
winningest coach in Miami history. “[Coach Coles] is hard to replace because his name is so recognized with Miami basketball,” Bates said. “The easy part is that Charlie has laid an incredible foundation for [Cooper] to inherit and to build on going forward.” Cooper, 43, was at Miami just two months ago when his Tigers knocked off the RedHawks in Millett Hall 68-61. He now returns to Miami as the 23rd head coach in program history, looking to lead the program to new heights. “I will, along with this group of young men, put the pride, passion and excitement into the program,” Cooper said. “It will be a different style of play; I like to get up and down the court, we like to press, we like to attack the offensive team and the defensive team.” Before his time at Tennessee State, Cooper was an assistant in some of
the major conferences in the country. His first destination was Fayetteville State University from 1993-1995 before moving on to the University of South Carolina where he spent six seasons helping the Gamecocks reach the SEC title in the 1995-1996 season and the No. 6 ranking in the country. Following his stint in Columbia, SC, Cooper was an assistant coach at the University of Oregon before his last stop as an associate head coach at Auburn University. Prior to his coaching days, Cooper was a standout player at Wichita State University, where he was a two-time captain and a Rhodes Scholar candidate. According to CBSsports.com, The Tucson Citizen and NBCSports. com, one of the other coaches considered for the position was James Whitford, associate head coach at the University of Arizona. Whitford
was an assistant at Miami for 11 seasons and the top assistant for eight of those years before following current Arizona Head Coach Sean Miller first to Xavier University and then to Arizona. Whitford was not available for comment and Miami ultimately decided Cooper was the one to lead the ’Hawks moving forward. “It was an open search but I’ve been keeping an eye on [Cooper] for the past couple years,” Bates said. “I came from Vanderbilt so I have a lot of cronies down there who told me to watch him. But he really distinguished himself when we went to New Orleans [for the NCAA Final Four] and interviewed a bunch of coaches. And then we brought him to campus he exceeded our already high expectations.” Cooper inherits a Miami team
BASKETBALL, SEE PAGE 9