Delta Tau Delta fraternity has returned to WKU’s campus after a four-and-a-half-year-long absence with the intention to build better men and improve the community, a chapter consultant said.

Ben Grothe, a chapter leadership consultant for Delta Tau Delta, said the chapter closed down in the spring of 2014 because of poor operations.

“There wasn’t any major issue or any major event that caused them to close down,” Grothe said. “Just over time, their management got worse and worse.”

Grothe explained the chapter had poor recruitment and didn’t set high expectations for their members, which resulted in poor goal-setting for the future and a lack of enthusiasm from members.

The general apathy in membership built up until Grothe said the National Fraternity and WKU determined they did not want the specific chapter to represent the fraternity anymore.

With the re-chartering at WKU Grothe said Delta Tau Delta has an opportunity to start from a clean slate and have a better system this year.

To accomplish this, Grothe said Delta Tau Delta plans on teaching leadership, personal and professional skills while also getting involved in the community.

For about a week, Grothe said the fraternity has been going to student organizations and lets them know what kind of qualities they are looking for in members.

Grothe said they are trying to build a group that has high standards for their focus, and the organizations help them find those great men on campus.

“We have the opportunity of finding a lot of big leaders on campus by going to them, instead of them coming to us,” Grothe said.

From the tabling outside DSU and recommendations from other organizations, Grothe said they had a great first week of recruiting. They signed 11 founding fathers, have 82 meetings set up for the next few days and received another 244 referrals they haven’t yet contacted

Junior Eric Musselman said he thinks this fraternity has a lot going for it, and he would like to join.

“Delta Tau Delta has a very positive energy, and it seems like they really have their heads on straight this year,” Musselman said. “It seems like they could really push me and turn me into a more successful person, so I’d like to try and join.”

Garrett Evans, an active member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity said he does not have enough information on Delta Tau Delta to determine if they are ready to be back or not.

“I don’t really know a lot about the chapter,” Evans said, “but I do know that they must have a good reputation so far because I see a lot of men signing up for recruitment at their booth in front of DSU all the time. I feel like they probably have a lot to add to Greek life at WKU because of their presence.”

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story said that “the National Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order” determined that the WKU Delta Tau Delta chapter should no longer be on campus. The error has been corrected and the College Heights Herald regrets this error.

Reporter John Singleton can be reached at 270-745-6011 or [email protected].