Penn State announced the formation of a 17-member advisory group to address problems in the Greek system following the death of a pledge, according to the Centre Daily Times.
Representatives of the school’s student Greek-life governing bodies — Interfraternity Council, Multicultural Greek Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council, and Panhellenic Association Council — will work with faculty and three university trustees. Together they will tackle issues in fraternities and sororities, particularly alcohol and hazing.
The formation of this advisory group comes after Timothy Piazza in the Alpha Upsilon chapter of Beta Theta Pi died during a hazing event in February. Other members of the fraternity neglected to call emergency services for 12 hours.
Eighteen members of Penn State’s chapter of Beta Theta Pi face criminal charges in connection to Piazza’s death.
In response to the hazing death, President Eric Barron banned the fraternity from campus. The administration has also cracked down on the Greek community as a whole by delaying recruitment, limiting the number of social events allowed each semester and controlling alcohol service more strictly.
The university also formed a Greek-life Response Team, which enforces new safety initiatives in the Greek community, earlier this month.