A UA fraternity and a UA club put on probation last year by the Dean of Students Office for hazing and alcohol violations will be able to start this semester with a clean slate.
Delta Tau Delta ended its probation term Jan. 3 after the fraternity forced pledges to eat ravioli covered in pancake syrup.
Chain Gang Junior Honorary was placed on probation last year for hazing after new members were sent on a scavenger hunt as part of the orientation process.
Jason Hersker, president of Delta Tau Delta, said the
fraternity took the accusations against them seriously, and this semester will be about turning over a new leaf.
"We were under the microscope more intensely with the hazing violation," Hersker said. "Last semester went by smoothly, and we'll be coming back full force this semester."
Hersker also said Delta Tau Delta has taken a closer look at how pledges are treated during the orientation process.
"The whole pledge program has been revamped to where, in the future, hazing won't be an issue at all," Hersker said.
Jamie MacGeorge, former president of Delta Tau Delta, said the new pledge program for the fraternity is geared more toward group activity and building a stronger sense of community.
"It's more about making pledges feel like they're part of the house from the start, instead of that they eventually will be," he said.
Although Chain Gang will technically remain on probation through May for hazing, an alcohol violation the group received has been lifted, allowing them to hold social events this semester.
"The Dean of Students Office took the whole thing very seriously, as did Chain Gang," said Marc Viscardi, president of the honorary.
Viscardi said members of the honorary had to attend an anti-hazing workshop as part of their probationary period.
"Pretty much it was Hazing 101, and it really helped us to look at how to focus our orientation process more on unity and acceptance," Viscardi said.
Like Delta Tau Delta, Viscardi said Chain Gang plans on making the orientation process more welcoming for new members.
"We want them in Chain Gang just as badly as they want to be in it," Viscardi said. "And we want to make that more evident."
In regard to the alcohol violation, Viscardi said the group hasn't had alcohol at a social event since receiving the violation.
Terry Holthusen, program coordinator of judicial affairs for the Dean of Students Office, handled the investigation of Chain Gang.
Holthusen said she is pleased with how Chain Gang has acted after the hazing violation.
"They have shown responsibility and accountability," Holthusen said. "They really want to change for the future, and I'm very proud of them."
Veda Kowalski, associate dean of students, handled the investigation of Delta Tau Delta. Kowalski was also pleased with how the fraternity responded to the hazing violation.
"They've been very cooperative and were very motivated to make changes to ensure the safety of pledges and the integrity of the fraternity," Kowalski said.
Holthusen said the increase in hazing violations for UA fraternities as well as honorary clubs in the past year is not an indicator of the Dean of Students Office cracking down on hazing.
"We're not going after clubs," Holthusen said. "More people are simply coming forward and reporting hazing now than they have in the past."