University administrators are awaiting negotiations with the national organization of Omega Psi Phi fraternity concerning the group’s return to campus after a hazing incident last spring.

University President Michael Adams appointed a three-member faculty committee, which met Nov. 18, to decide the national organization’s appeal of the eight-year suspension.

The original suspension ensured that all previous members involved in the hazing would graduate before the return of the organization, said Richard Mullendore, vice president for Student Affairs.

Adams nullified the committee’s recommendation to reduce the sanction to a two-year suspension preceding a two-year period of probation of the fraternity.

The matter was turned over to Mullendore to discuss the fate of the fraternity on campus.

‘The national organization has been instructed to negotiate on when they may return to campus,’ Mullendore said.

In a Dec. 16 letter to Fred Gray, Jr., the organization’s attorney, Adams, said he found the issue to be an ‘unusual case’ because the national organization expelled the only four members of Omega Psi Phi before the Office of Judicial Programs held the original disciplinary hearing.

In the letter, Adams said he was ‘remanding this matter to the vice president for Student Affairs to work with (the) organization to formulate a plan for any future recognition of a local chapter at the University of Georgia under the sponsorship of the national organization of Omega Psi Phi.’

The national organization has not yet responded to the request, and attorneys for the fraternity could not be reached for comment.

‘The return of the local chapter will depend on the national organization’s attitude and what they are planning to do differently,’ Mullendore said.

Mullendore would not comment on what changes the University expects of the organization.

‘It would be premature going into those details without having spoken with the national organization yet,’ Mullendore said.

But initiating negotiations for the fraternity’s return is the national

organization’s responsibility, Mullendore said.

Adams pointed out in the letter that the hazing is the second of two violent incidents in 1999, and negotiations are necessary to prevent further problems under Omega Psi Phi’s name.

The first incident occurred Jan. 30, 1999, when members of Omega Psi Phi were involved in a fight with members of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity at a sorority-sponsored step show.

Adams also said he ‘appointed a task force to review the structure, functions and procedures of the Office of Judicial Programs � to avoid the problems which arose in this case.’

The original incident occurred when four members of Omega Psi Phi allegedly beat a new pledge intermittently for several weeks last spring.