Sigma Phi Epsilon - University of Oklahoma

OUR NEED T he chapter house is clearly the focus of undergraduate life for Oklahoma SFEs. It is the rallying point, the living and learning center for our brothers, and a place we have all been fortunate enough to call home. It is where undergraduates hone their leadership, organizational and social skills, teamwork and character. With the commitment and dedication of alumni and undergraduates alike, our home has served us well for many years. Recently, the Oklahoma Beta Alumni and Volunteer Corporation has been assessing our future at the University of Oklahoma. We have examined the needs and desires of today's undergraduates and looked at what other fraternities, specifically at OU, have already done to upgrade their facilities and programming. Through our work, it has become clear that we must make a major investment in our chapter house now so we can provide a beneficial educational experience and an up-to-date facility that will serve young college men well into this century. SAFETY. Since 1976, there have been 48 fatalities in fraternity/sorority house fires. Thirty-eight of the last 41 fatalities in university-related fires occurred in fraternity or off-campus housing. Any renovated facility will require a building permit, which will subject us to today's more stringent building and fire codes. Code enforcement will require mandatory life-safety items, such as fire-rated doors and a sprinkler system, for the chapter house. CAPACITY. Growth is happening all around the University of Oklahoma campus, and the Oklahoma Beta Chapter is no exception. Enrollment at OU has exceeded 30,000. The active SFE membership currently exceeds 250 brothers. They can no longer fit in the dining room for dinner, and the chapter is limited in the number of men able to live in the house. The chance for future generations of Oklahoma Betas to live together, eat together, and share in the fraternal experience at the University of Oklahoma is one we must protect. VALUE. Today, students and their parents expect more for their housing dollars. The number of luxury condos in Norman increases each year, and the amenities include covered parking, swimming pools, and fitness rooms. These options, coupled with more space and privacy, pull our undergraduates away from the chapter house. While we have no intention of providing all of the amenities that apartments offer, we must offer a safe, attractive facility in order to be competitive. COMMUNITY. Sigma Phi Epsilon's importance to the University must not be understated. Oklahoma Beta helps create a tie to the University of Oklahoma by providing a sense of belonging and community within the larger university. This sense of belonging is even more important given the growing size of the student body.

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