The Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike) Fraternity has been officially unrecognized by UNH. Once a fraternity or sorority is unrecognized, it no longer receives any form of support, oversight or advisement for its members from the school. Pike will be suspended from the university for a three-year period.
According to Erika Mantz, director of UNH Media Relations, the Gamma Mu chapter of Pike exhausted its right to appeal and was notified of the decision by UNH on April 8.
Mantz stated that the fraternity has “demonstrated a pattern of violating university policies and had numerous troublesome interactions with the UNH and Durham police departments.”
“Members of the University’s Greek system are expected to adhere to the university’s rights, rules, and responsibilities as well as specific Greek policies around social events and hazing,” Mantz said. “A variety of policy violations have been addressed through the office of student life and the university conduct system over a period of several years.”
In addition, Mantz noted that members of the fraternity have been given multiple opportunities to work with university officials to address member behavior.
Pike’s national headquarters has also suspended the chapter. National affiliation provides fraternities and sororities with liability insurance and often oversight policies. These policies include: risk management, hazing and sexual harassment incidents. Without national affiliations, the availability and effectiveness of this is put into question. The UNH Fraternity and Sorority Life website clearly outlines recognized groups, unrecognized groups, and what these terms mean.
Reinstatement could be considered in 2019 if the chapter does not operate as an unrecognized group. If they were to return as a recognized fraternity in 2019, the chapter would maintain probationary status until Sept. 1, 2021.
Erin Courville, coordinator of fraternity and sorority life, was approached to comment on the decision, but she affirmed that Mantz would be handling all inquiries regarding Pike.
Members of the fraternity declined to make a comment about the situation.
“The university plays an active role in supporting, overseeing, and advising its fraternities and sororities. However, the health, safety, and well-being of our students is and must always be our number one priority,” Mantz said.
