Member Education

In 2004 the men of Nebraska Lambda Pi Chapter of ΣAE took a bold step in building a stronger brotherhood by eliminating the campus tradition of 16-week pledge programs. The intent was to eliminate the potential for hazing and reduce the partying associated with many initiation programs. Our goal was and remains the development of young men to be productive, contributing members of the organization and to value the experience of real brotherhood. This approach to education allows us to immediately grow together as members of the Fraternity.

On March 7, 2014 the National Leadership of Sigma Alpha Epsilon announced and became the first Fraternity to return to our original membership model with the elimination of the system of pledging. New young men recruited for membership will now be initiated within 3-4 days of receiving their invitation to join the Fraternity and over the course of their collegiate involvement will participate in educational programming that meets the changing needs of each student as they grow and mature through the organization.

We maintain a high expectation for academic success, and our new members are required to earn a 2.7 grade point average as a full-time student carrying a minimum of 12 credit hours at UNL if they do not achieve this requirement within their first two consecutive semesters, their membership in the organization is rescinded. All members are required to maintain a minimum cumulative average of 2.7 at all times. Failure to meet these standards may result in academic probation, loss of voting rights before the Chapter, the opportunity to serve in leadership roles and/or their membership being rescinded. As a Fraternity, we do all we can to provide a successful academic environment for freshmen and upperclassmen. Any member that falls below the 2.7 goal at any given time is required to participate in a chapter managed study hour program, Sunday through Thursday from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Should any member fail to meet these standards for two consecutive terms, they are required to resign their membership. While these standards may seem stringent to some, we believe that a well rounded, goal oriented brother begins with their commitment to scholarship and this effort impacts all other areas of the Fraternity. We also believe that if our newest members are to truly understand the value and responsibility of brotherhood, they must learn from both the words and actions of upperclassmen.

We are proud of our chapter programming and the high standards we set for members, all intended to develop young men into strong leaders.

   2014 New Members

Anti-hazing Initiative

In brief, hazing is “any action taken or situation created, intentionally, whether on or off fraternity premises, to produce or that causes mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule.”

Sigma Alpha Epsilon has a zero tolerance policy for hazing and was the first fraternity to nationally sign the No-Hazing Charter in 2000. We are committed to creating a safe environment for all of our members. You can learn more about the Fraternity stance and policies on this subject and others by visiting www.sae.net and reading the Minerva’s Shield guidelines.