One of the nation’s largest and most honored fraternities, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, made the controversial move to end its pledge process, effective March 9, putting an end to a tradition that the fraternity says has been in place since the years following World War II. This comes following increased attention on hazing-related injuries and deaths at fraternities across the nation. According to a 2012 Bloomberg report, universities have disciplined more than 100 SAE chapters since 2007, and the fraternity has had nine deaths related to drinking, drugs, and hazing since 2006, more than any other fraternity. 
According to a statement from SAE nationals posted to its website early this month, the move is meant to “adopt a method, practice and policy that treat all members equally and fairly.” 

“Our Supreme Council decided to enact this change between conventions in order to protect Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s future and to eliminate a class structure between our new members and our active members,” the statement said. 
It also said that the move will better align the fraternity with its original values, noting that the pledge process has not been a part of the fraternity throughout the majority of its history. SAE was founded in 1856. 

Those who accept a bid with the fraternity will now be given 96 hours to complete the requirements of membership, which include the creation of an online account, the Scope of Association Agreement and the Carson Starkey Member Certification Program. The bid can be revoked by either the accepting member or the fraternity during that time period. 

The nationals website stated that recent reports of hazing at the fraternity have been a concern for chapter leaders and have been “making it difficult for them to operate,” though that is not the only reason for this decision.  

“The attack on our image is not the sole motivating factor behind the changes,” the statement said. “The Supreme Council believes the time is now to embrace change in the way our groups operate in order to ensure our future success. And now is the time to lead the way among Greek-letter organizations. As a result, we may very well turn bad publicity into a positive, proactive image. We are making this change because it’s the right thing to do and because we firmly believe in returning to what our Founding Fathers envisioned.”
The statement went on to say that if nationals finds that chapters are treating their newest members as “second-class citizens,” they will be forced to close.