Potential fraternity brothers could have one more option this year - Zeta Beta Tau is looking to come back to campus.
The fraternity will try to re-establish its presence after having been expelled from Penn two years ago.
The expulsion occurred after participants at an unofficial pledge event in 2004 were sent to the emergency room at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where they were treated for alcohol poisoning and bodily injuries.
It was the fraternity's fourth policy violation in three years.
But national ZBT leaders believe enough time has passed since the incident for a fresh start for the fraternity, which had been at Penn since 1907.
ZBT is now ready to recolonize on Penn's campus, said ZBT's national executive director Jonathan Yulish.
"Everyone involved at the time ZBT was closed has graduated," Yulish said.
Yulish said national ZBT has discussed the fraternity's recolonization with the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs.
OFSA officials were not available to comment on the recolonization.
According to OFSA guidelines, the general criteria for recognizing a new Greek organization include sponsorship by an approved national group, identification of an active corporation board and identification of a chapter adviser or liaison.
The group must also provide information about membership, governance structure, financial plans, projected services and activities and evidence of academic performance.
In 1989, national ZBT abolished pledging practices, making rushees full brothers within 72 hours of receiving an offer to join.
But Yulish isn't sure whether Penn's ZBT was following those rules when the group was expelled two years ago.
"That group wasn't exactly the best rule followers," he said.
But he said Penn's ZBT will do it right this time, putting an emphasis on leadership and service.
ZBT's national director of expansion will be at Penn for much of September to recruit upperclassmen, Yulish said.
He plans to get students interested in ZBT, a historically Jewish fraternity, by working with Hillel and the InterFraternity Council, as well as though advertising on campus.
National ZBT hopes to initiate a group of upperclassmen by October.
The fraternity will then recruit freshmen in January during the regular spring recruitment. Yulish hopes to have a group of 30 to 40 brothers by the end of the year.
Yulish said the fraternity will not have a house this year, but hopes to return to its old fraternity house next fall.
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