The charter of the University's chapter of Delta Sigma Phi fraternity has been revoked by the group's national organization, the national executive director confirmed yesterday.

The fraternity lost its charter for failing to comply with the national organizatin's policy on responsibility and accountability, Jon Hockman, executive director of Delta Sigma Phi's national organization. The policy prohibits alcohol use at the fraternity's house, hazing of new members and requires chapters to maintain or improve their average grade point average each semester, among other regulations.

The chapter members "have appealed that decision," Hockman said. The national board of directors will hear their appeal in late April, Hockman added.

"We know that our alumni have been in touch with nationals," Alexander Levine, secretary of the campus chapter, said. "We plan on continuing as a fraternity regardless what our name or affiliation is."

Levine said the fraternity was confident the national board of directors would reverse its decision at its meeting in April, citing a number of changes made in the past year.

"We've been working with them on a series of issues," Hockman said.

"It was an action taken by their nationals," said Joel Winston, president of the Interfraternity Council. "It's unfortunate that their nationals did this because they're one of our biggest houses."

According to IFC statistics, Delta Sigma Phi fraternity was the largest fraternity after Winter 2001 with 128 initiated members.

The fraternity has faced a number of incidents and allegations in recent years.

The local chapter was suspended by the national organization pending an investigation for a hazing incident in which two new fraternity members were seen duct taped at Mary Markley Residence Hall in December 1999.

When the investigation ended more than a month later, the allegations were dropped and the national chapter lifted the suspension.

The alleged hazing incident took place took place just four days after the local charter of Alpha Epsilon Pi was suspended for an incident in which an uninitiated member was shot in the groin with a BB gun.

Delta Sigma Phi members found themselves in trouble just two months later when fraternity members called an ambulance for a female high school student. The 17-year-old was transported to University Hospital and treated for alcohol poisoning in February 2000.

The Ann Arbor Police Department investigated to see whether the fraternity members knew the girl was a minor and whether they served her alcohol. Fraternity members said the girl had arrived at the party drunk and was not served alcohol on the house's premises.

Since then, the chapter has taken steps toward improvement, Levine said.

"Both the Delta Sig undergrads and alumni are very confident that our nationals will realize the changes we have made as a house over the past year and allow us to continue as a nationally backed fraternity," Levine said.

"Remaining a nationally backed chapter of Delta Sigma Phi is our first priority," he added. "Only when all of our other options have been exhausted will we take steps toward remaining a fraternity under a different name and affiliation."

The University's chapter is not the only Delta Sigma Phi branch to receive negative press in the last two years. The Delta Sigma Phi chapter at Auburn University closed Nov. 13, 2001 following a Halloween party where several members were photographed wearing offensive costumes. One member donned a Ku Klux Klan robe and another wore "blackface" and a noose tied around his neck.