Sigma Alpha Epsilon, one of the nation’s largest fraternities, announced that effective March 9, it will eliminate pledge programming, and the classification of “pledge” will no longer exist.

All of the fraternity’s 226 chapters and 15 colonies nationwide will be required to implement the change, according to SAE’s website.

Since 2006, there were nine deaths from events related to SAE — more than any other fraternity. In total, there have been more than 60 fraternity-related deaths in the U.S. since 2005, according to a Dec. 30 Bloomberg News article.

The organization will install the new “True Gentlemen Experience,” which consists of three major changes to the process of becoming an SAE member, according to the fraternity’s website.

The first is that members must be initiated as brothers within 96 hours of receiving a bid. In addition, to address eliminated pledge-education programs, all members will participate in member education regardless of year or time spent in chapter. The final component is that expectations and requirements of membership have been established to ensure all members of the chapter are being held accountable.

“Sigma Alpha Epsilon understands and acknowledges that change is not easy and that the implementation on our campuses will provide challenges,” according to a document describing the True Gentlemen Experience. “However, we are committed to providing assistance and guidance for this cultural shift in our collegiate operations.”

The fraternity said in a statement that the policy changes were motivated partly by bad publicity, but it was not the only factor.

The document said that the mission of new policies is to ensure equal rights and responsibilities for all members, provide accountability by formalizing expectations of members and to educate members throughout their time in the fraternity.

James Ogden, vice president of recruitment of the Interfraternity Council at Syracuse University and a member of SAE, said the national organization made the decision and the SU chapter had no say. But he said the campus chapter understands the changes and is in favor of it.

In addition, Ogden said the changes help the organization return to its founding ideals.

“I think it’s more going back to how SAE initially started and tying back to our roots,” Ogden said.

He added that the new policies affect how SAE recruits new members since those men will have to be initiated within four days of accepting a bid.

Ogden said before rush begins current members will have to be more proactive about getting to know other potential members who are interested in joining SAE.

He added that he didn’t expect the new policies to have any major influence on the relationship among members of the fraternity at SU.

Said Ogden: “I think as long as we’re proactive about getting to know kids that are interested, I don’t think it will really have an effect because hopefully by the time they’re accepting a bid, we know them pretty well.”

Published on March 17, 2014 at 1:04 am

Contact Brett: blsamuel@syr.edu | @Brett_Samuels27