**University Announcement Regarding Delta Zeta
March 12, 2007</p>
<p>Today Dr. Robert Bottoms communicated with Delta Zeta president Deborah Raziano and severed the University?s relationship with the national sorority. His letter to alumni describing the reasons for his action and a copy of the letter to Ms. Raziano follow.</p>
<p>March 12, 2007</p>
<p>Dear Alumni of DePauw:</p>
<p>As most members of the DePauw family know, the New York Times article of February 25 about the Delta Zeta chapter on campus has resulted in significant media attention. Many of you have written or e-mailed me sharing your views, and many of you have taken the time to share your personal experiences with our Greek system. Nearly all of the responses from alumni have been supportive of the University and our early steps to intervene on behalf of our students.</p>
<p>I have spent significant time gathering facts and information over the past two months. As a result, it has become clear that the values of DePauw University and those of the Delta Zeta National Sorority are incompatible. Therefore, effective immediately, I have severed future ties with the Delta Zeta national, and I am including here my letter of notification to them. I wish to emphasize that our problem is with Delta Zeta national, not its local members, who have handled themselves with extraordinary poise and maturity in difficult circumstances, nor our Delta Zeta alumnae, many of whom have expressed dismay about their national?s behavior and support for DePauw. We will continue to work closely with these students and alumnae as we go forward.</p>
<p>We must view the Delta Zeta situation as an opportunity to face some of the problems inherent in DePauw?s Greek system. If our system is to rise above the negative stereotyping so many of you have written about, modern recruitment processes must be developed. Also, to prevent a sorority or fraternity from reorganizing in the middle of the year and displacing student residents, new housing standards must be developed.</p>
<p>As you know the Delta Zeta controversy arrived in the midst of the University?s major effort to improve the Greek System at DePauw. As an outgrowth of the Greek Fact-Finding Commission, trustees, students, house corporation officers, chapter advisers, faculty, alumni, and parents are working together to improve the physical structures and health and safety standards of the Greek houses, to examine new member recruitment and new member education, to refine the judicial system at DePauw, to expand the staff support and other resources for fraternities and sororities, and to curb high-risk drinking. We have been heartened by our progress and the enthusiastic support and cooperation of all our DePauw constituencies.</p>
<p>Our destination for this undertaking should result in a very public position that there is a new Greek tradition evolving at DePauw?one that builds on our system?s strengths within our learning community?and one that might become a national model for other colleges and universities around the country.</p>
<p>I thank you for your loyalty and support of DePauw.</p>
<p>Sincerely,
Robert G. Bottoms
President