By Mollie Mellon
Senior Staff Reporter

The Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity (DKE) has been reinstated with full privileges on the University of Mississippi campus after receiving a two year expulsion in September 2008.

The fraternity, which received its second strike and expulsion due to a violation of the university’s alcohol policy, has completed an elaborate process through the Dean of Students’ Office in order to gain its spot back on campus, DKE National Executive Director David Easlick said.

“We’ve been very supportive of this (reinstatement) and very involved in the negotiations,” Easlick said. “We want to make sure we do it right this time.”

DKE’s 2008 expulsion came only a year after receiving its first strike and suspension from recruitment activities and social functions for multiple reasons including harassment, assault, disorderly conduct, possession of alcohol and hosting an unauthorized party, a charge which stemmed from an incident with student Jeremiah Taylor.

The Chi Chapter was reinstated in May 2009 after the newly formed Chapter Advisory Board submitted a petition for reinstatement with the Greek Office and the Dean of Students’ Office and agreed to all the requirements of the Interfraternity Council (IFC), Southern Regional Chapter Adviser Chase Treadway said.

“They submitted a written plan of action for the chapter and agreed to the requests of the university,” Assistant Dean of Students Scott Wallace said.

New guidelines for DKE include a new chapter advisory board, which consists of five chapter alumni who act as a judiciary board to aid in the fraternity’s progress during the process.

Wallace said an adviser, along with at least three chapter officers including the president, must live in the house and the fraternity must be a substance-free house.

Fraternity members also went through a screening process by the new alumni council in order to be reinstated, Treadway said.

“We’re making every effort to make sure they don’t screw up again,” Easlick said. “We are fully supportive because these are really nice young men who haven’t had much of a fraternity experience.”

Renovations to the inside of the DKE house have been underway this summer in order to update the interior and although it is vacant right now, Treadway said he hopes it will be occupied in the fall.

The fraternity will have all the rights and privileges of any other fraternity or organization on campus and will be able to participate in all rounds of recruitment in the fall.

“The DKE’s will be as active as any other fraternity,” Rob Gathings, IFC Vice President of Recruitment, said.

The Chi chapter will also be taking extra precautions to ensure that a situation like this does not arise again.

“We’re absolutely going to enforce our risk management policy and work with alumni to make sure there is supervision for this situation at all times.” Easlick said.

Although the fraternity will not be on any type of probation, Wallace said that if any incident should occur, the university judicial system could look to prior incidents to help make decisions about sanctions.