NewsAugust 18, 2016
Students move into new fraternity housing at Southeast Missouri State University
The Sigma Nu and Sigma Phi Epsilon houses opened last week.
Members of two fraternities at Southeast Missouri State University have moved into new, custom-designed housing, part of a new Greek Village under construction on campus.
The Sigma Nu and Sigma Phi Epsilon houses opened last week, although finishing touches still are being put on the exterior of the Sigma Phi Epsilon house.
Construction is underway on the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house, followed by construction of a house for Sigma Chi fraternity.
“We have a fifth site ready,” said Bruce Skinner, assistant vice president for student success and auxiliary services.
In all, the site just north of Alumni Drive and west of Sprigg Street has enough space to accommodate seven houses. But Skinner said a university storage shed would have to be relocated for the final two houses to be built.
The university tore down two historic homes that previously housed fraternity chapters to make room for the new Greek Village.
Construction of the first four buildings, which includes design and engineering costs, will cost $9.29 million, Skinner said. The new Greek Village has its own parking area and a separate lot for handicapped and staff parking.
The university will own all of the buildings constructed on the site, and each house will have a “chapter assistant” residing in it. Chapter assistants play a similar role to staff that live in the regular residence halls, Skinner said.
The fraternities sign contracts with their local housing corporations, which in turn lease the houses from the university, Skinner said. The fraternities are required to commit to 30-year housing leases. In addition, each fraternity had to pay $70,000 to $80,000 upfront to ink a contract with Southeast.
Skinner said the upfront money provides assurances the fraternities are committed to following through with the new housing.
“I give the chapters tons of credit,” Skinner said.
The fraternities had input into the materials and design of their houses, down to the color of fabrics, Skinner said.
The single-story houses vary in size from 6,600 to 7,700 square feet, he said.
The Sigma Nu house has living areas for 26 students. Sigma Phi Epsilon’s building is designed to house 35 students. Pi Kappa Alpha’s house, which is under construction, will hold 22 students, and the Sigma Chi house will house 24 students, Skinner said.
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Freshmen are not allowed to live in the houses. Skinner said the goal is to encourage upperclassmen to live on campus.
The houses are not designed to house all the members of a Greek organization. Typically, only 30 to 40 percent of a group’s members are housed in a fraternity or sorority house, Skinner said.
Sigma Nu has a more formal front room with a separate kitchen and a separate den. Sigma Phi Epsilon’s front room is a more open area with a kitchen on one side and a lounge area, complete with an electric fireplace.
A pool table sits on another side of the room. Zack Dunn, a junior at Southeast, and fellow fraternity brothers competed in a friendly game of pool Wednesday afternoon.
“I think this house is absolutely amazing,” Dunn said. “It is great to be part of the process.”
Dunn said, “I definitely like our grand room and study room.”
The study area, located in an adjacent room, is outfitted with tables and chairs.
Dunn said he and other members of his fraternity wanted an open-concept grand room where they could congregate for a variety of activities.
“It is more casual and comfortable,” he said.
While the two new fraternity houses have stylish amenities, Skinner said the houses were built to hold up to student use. Interior walls were built of “abuse-resistant and moisture-resistant drywall,” he said. “We built it with our audience in mind.”
The new Greek Village adds to but does not replace existing university-owned Greek housing near the Towers residence halls. More than 360 fraternity and sorority students are expected to live in the two Greek housing areas on campus this academic year.
Classes for the fall semester begin Monday.
mbliss@semissourian.com
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