Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity, 200 E. Beaver Ave., will not be vacating their house in December.

The decision to put the fraternity on probation in early October — a punishment that included suspension from living in their fraternity house — was lifted by the Interfraternity Council Executive committee Tuesday.

Dominic Zangari, president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, said the members of the IFC executive committee sent him a letter explaining that because the procedure for reviewing individual fraternities was new and not explicitly defined, the decision of the membership review board that placed probation on the fraternity would be lifted.

"As of now, we are off probation," Zangari said. "They decided the procedure used by IFC for the membership review board wasn't clearly defined."

IFC President Jon Brooks did not return phone calls yesterday.

Early in October, IFC revoked its official recognition of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter until August 2002, at which time the chapter would be readmitted to the council upon compliance with the conditions of the sanction.

The conditions included no social events permitted in the chapter house and no participation in intramural or IFC sponsored events as an organization. They would have been prohibited from recruiting or initiating new members and the chapter could not attend IFC meetings.

After IFC issued the probation, the fraternity submitted an 18-page appeal of the charges.

Zangari met Tuesday with Scott Phelan, director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, who explained that the probation would be lifted and the fraternity will have a hearing in weeks to come.

Although the probation was removed from the fraternity, they still face the allegations placed on the chapter earlier last month and will have another hearing in the weeks to come, Zangari said.

IFC charged the fraternity with multiple violations including: two members of the fraternity allegedly sexually assaulted a 19-year-old woman in April; charges of drug use and possession; use of chapter money for alcohol; and a misappropriation of funds from their Interfraternity/Panhellenic Dance Marathon account.

"Their decision to set aside the sanctions that were originally placed on us was fair," Zangari said.

When Sigma Alpha Epsilon was charged with the sanctions, Zangari said they were given little notice as to what the hearing was going to be like. Zangari received a letter stating the charges against the fraternity and met with the IFC executive board for a hearing.

"They dealt with it fairly and objectively," Zangari said about the charges against his fraternity.

However, Zangari said IFC did not inform the fraternity about how the initial hearing would be run.

"They didn't make us aware that they had witnesses — that was one of the main problems we had."

Sigma Alpha Epsilon continues to work with their national affiliates, Zangari said, however, he did not wish to comment about the approach they were taking in their defense to the charges still in place.

"We're working with (their national affiliates) to correct the problems of the house," Zangari said. "Everyone's been working hard to make things right."

Since they were put on probation Oct. 3, the fraternity complied with the probation. The fraternity was rushing seven new members at the time who had to stop after the sanctions were established. Since the sanctions have been lifted, six have returned.

Since they only lost one member, Zangari said the only thing negative as a result of the sanctions was rumors.