Theta Xi frat may reopen chapter at U.

Will not occupy former campus site Three years ago, the national office of the Theta Xi fraternity revoked the University chapter's charter. Now officials are working with University students and administrators to bring the Omicron chapter back to the campus Greek scene. "Theta Xi has always felt that the University of Pennsylvania is a quality institution where we want to maintain a chapter presence," Theta Xi Executive Director James Vredenburgh said. The national office was contacted by 10 University students interested in re-colonizing, Vredenburgh said. Alumni of the former Omicron chapter have helped the students coordinate their effort to move back to University City. According to Vredenburgh, the national office hopes the group of students will grow to about 20 by late fall, at which point the group can become an official colony. From that point, it will take between one and three years for the colony to receive its charter and become a chapter. Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Acting Director Scott Reikofski said his office will work with the InterFraternity Council and the Greek Alumni Council to provide final approval of the recolonization. He added that any new Theta Xi chapter would not receive its old house, which is located at 37th Street and Locust Walk -- the new site of the Penn Women's Center. Local alumni groups would have to work with OFSA to help Theta Xi find new housing, Reikofski said. "[But] that depends on timing and politics," he added. The students working at bringing the Omicron chapter back to the University said they are enthusiastic about seeing Theta Xi return. They are currently working on ironing out the details of the recolonization program. But they declined to comment further until an official announcement regarding the status of Theta Xi is released in a few weeks. The Theta Xi fraternity was founded in 1864, and the Omicron chapter at the University was founded in 1912, Vredenburgh said. The chapter at the University was closed in November 1992 as a result physical damage caused to the University-owned fraternity house during a party in October of that year. At that point, the national chapter asked the University to withdraw the chapter's recognition, while the chapter withdrew the charter. Then-Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson cited "administrational, organizational and behavioral violations of the risk-management policy" in the decision to de-recognize the chapter. The VPUL report also stated that the national Theta Xi office was investigating the University chapter for two years prior to the incident. The chapter had also been the subject of a sexual harassment investigation in November 1991. The abandoned property on Locust Walk was the subject of much debate in the following years, as the University explored options for the facility. Last April, the building was officially designated as the Women's Center. According to Vredenburgh, the national office is currently working to colonize at three other locations. "We are actively looking to expand our roll," he said.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.