Boise State University has suspended official recognition of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity for five years after repeated violations of university policies and the Student Code of Conduct.
The Office of the Dean of Students issued the decision Monday following a recommendation by the university’s Conduct Hearing Board. Specific details from student conduct hearings are excluded from public release by state and federal laws. The fraternity chartered at Boise State in December 2014.
“Consequences this severe do not come lightly or easily, but all members of our university community have a responsibility to each other to be respectful and safe,” Boise State Dean of Students Christian Wuthrich said.
Boise State’s fraternity and sorority system has grown dramatically in recent years and has become a vibrant and positive part of the university experience for more than 2,000 students and a growing number of recent alumni. In partnership with the students and international fraternal organizations, Boise State has strived to build a community that focuses on scholarship and service as deeply as it does on engagement, belonging and lifelong friendship. In fact, since 2013, Boise State’s fraternity and sorority members have posted higher average GPAs than the university students who are not in the system.
Individual Boise State students and officially recognized student groups agree to follow Boise State’s Student Code of Conduct, which “exists to assist in providing the best possible learning and living environment for all students.”
“The University upholds the shared values of academic excellence, caring, citizenship, fairness, respect, responsibility and trustworthiness as the foundation for a successful academic environment,” the code states. “As a tool, the Student Code of Conduct helps promote growth and learning as students interact with their environment and accept responsibility for decision-making. The Boise State University student conduct process educates students about their responsibilities as members of an academic community and imposes sanctions when student conduct puts the members of the community in jeopardy or when the University has a clear and distinct interest in addressing the student behavior.”
The student members of Pi Kappa Phi remain Boise State students, and university resources are available to them as they continue their studies and strive to reach their academic goals. Any student with concerns or questions can always contact the Dean of Students at (208) 426-1527 or deanofstudents@boisestate.edu.