The Sigma Delta Tau sorority will be placed on a two-year probation for violating several University alcohol and anti-hazing policies, national organization policies and state laws during a February incident.
According to a statement released by the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, an investigation conducted by the Office of Student Conduct "found the chapter responsible for dangerous behavior involving their new members and some sisters in which large amounts of hard alcohol was served to numbers of underage undergraduates."
The statement also said that "the provision of alcohol occurred wholly without adherence to/regard for the University's alcohol policy regulations and without concern for the health and safety of the students in a number of locations, creating a high-risk environment."
The investigation found that several women "consumed excessive amounts of liquor" and that four were treated at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania following the incident.
According to OFSA, the sorority violated the University's Alcohol and Drug Policy, the Anti-Hazing policy, the Code of Student Conduct and the policy on Recognition and Governance of Undergraduate Social Fraternities and Sororities.
SDT was also found in violation of several state laws and of the sorority's national regulations.
In addition to the two-year probation period, an "Agreement of Responsibility" devised by the University in cooperation with the SDT National Headquarters also calls for the national organization to conduct "a full membership review in which sisters may be disciplined individually, including but not limited to suspension or expulsion from the organization," the statement said.
Penn's SDT chapter will make regular reports to OFSA and to the sorority's national headquarters. Throughout the probationary period, the University's Fraternity and Sorority Advisory Board will also conduct an annual review of the chapter.
Additional disciplinary action will include social restrictions, chapter officer training, implementation of improved transition procedures and minimum recruitment and continuation of membership standards, participation in risk management and alcohol peer education programs and completion of a community service requirement.
The OSC began its investigation in February after OFSA reported an incident that occurred involving the sorority on Feb. 6, and the investigation's findings were passed to OFSA Director Scott Reikofski March 6. The decision for disciplinary action represents a collaboration among the University, chapter members, the national sorority and alumni.
Reikofski said that although the probationary process spanned nearly two months, the end result was a more complete search that gave OFSA "a clear idea of the truth."
"Sometimes it doesn't move along as quickly as we would like, but we feel a need to be thorough," Reikofski said. "We wanted to decide on some action that's going to be educational and not just punitive."
OFSA's statement noted that "on those occasions that a chapter violates the rules, it is imperative that all invested parties, the alumni/ae, national and the University, work in partnership to address the issues, support the students, and bring the chapter back into congruence with its stated values."
Panhellenic Council President Alison Ng said she thinks the disciplinary agreement is "appropriate" and that it will have a positive impact on the Panhellenic community.
"When a chapter breaks the rules, they have to face the consequences," Ng said, noting that the agreement "will give the chapter a chance to re-evaluate their values."
She added that she thinks "SDT is definitely a strong chapter, and with the probationary agreement, they'll become an even stronger chapter."
Ng also said that the terms of SDT's agreement will be "very beneficial to them and will be beneficial to Panhellenic."
"It'll be educational for the community outside as a whole," she said, adding that Panhel will "be with them every step of the way to help them."
SDT President Suzie Cohen did not return repeated phone calls for comment.
