Parents - About Pledging in SAE at Duke
When a new member, also referred to as a “pledge”, is admitted into SAE, it is important for the parents to know that he is joining, and support his decision to be part of a fraternity. It is also our responsibility as good citizens to make sure that your son is treated with respect and dignity as a True Gentleman of SAE.
The officer with direct responsibility to the new members is called the Pledge Educator, which can carry a wide range of connotations; some good and some bad. Our goal is to convey our beliefs on what the duties and responsibilities of a Pledge Educator are, and hopefully answer some of the many questions pledges, and especially their parents, might have. The primary goals are:
- To serve as an introduction to life as a brother of the North Carolina Nu Chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
- To forge a bond between new members and brothers that will last a lifetime.
- To instill new members with the values of the fraternity and the ideals of The True Gentleman.
- To assist in the process of acclimating to college life at Duke
- To be a positive learning and growth experience that will be fondly remembered
- To maintain at least a 3.0 GPA.
As a pledge of NC Nu, their first priority is education. It is the reason we are all here, and it is what they will carry the rest of their life. As such, grades and schoolwork are stressed throughout the pledge program. Duke is a very difficult school, and the workload can be a shock to incoming freshman. All possible efforts will be made to assist pledges in achieving their academic goals, including brothers that can tutor the students in their challenging courses. Joining a fraternity should not lower one's grades, it should serve as a resource to raise and improve them. Outside of the academics, they will be involved in many team building exercises, intramurals, philanthropy & community service, leadership training, and pledge class bonding. Our social calendar caters towards pledges, and there are more than enough opportunities to ensure they will have fun while here at Duke.
A final note: Animal House and Old School are movies. They are not an accurate representation of fraternity life, or pledgeship. Contrary to popular opinion, hazing is completely unacceptable and is dealt with in an appropriate manner. We have a zero tolerance for it. Hazing is against the laws of the state of North Carolina, as well as against the policies of Duke University’s Greek Life and SAE National.
We believe that hazing leads to negative personal development and creates unnecessary tensions between different pledge classes. We know it is a major concern for parents, prospective members and pledges alike, and we want to assure you that the pledge process is a positive, powerful experience. We do not believe that a strong bond can be forged between individuals who humiliate or endanger each other. That is why the pledging period is only 6 weeks long before they become an active member, of course based on completing their requirements and maintaining a minimum of a 2.5 GPA. All of their requirements are outlined in the pledge education document that will be presented to them at their first meeting.
We look forward to your son becoming an active member of our chapter. Contact the president, Brad Larson, at email brad.larson@duke.edu if you have any questions.