Update on Sigma Phi Epsilon’s Chapter House Demolition
Thursday, Nov. 20, at 11:07 a.m., the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees convened to revisit the planned demolition of the Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter house. The board had previously voted on the demolition in a private session, but ongoing discussions brought the issue back to the forefront. With the demolition now postponed to May, questions remain about whether a proposal will be accepted before the house faces its potential demolition in 2026.
A multitude of Greek Life members from both sororities and fraternities on campus at the university showed up in support of the Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter, resulting in an expansion of the room in order to seat all of the attendees. According to the members of SigEp, the other chapters had reached out before the meeting to discuss increasing attendance to both show their support, but to also send a message to the board of trustees.
John Hirsch, the senior advisor for Sigma Nu and the representative of the university’s Greek Life Community within the discussion, approached the board asking that they pause their previous decision to demolish SigEp’s chapter house, and instead explore all other possible options before finalizing their decision.
“We need to have a discussion,” Hirsch said. “On the future of Greek roles, the ownership of the houses, and what works and what doesn’t.”
From a previous interview with Board of Trustees Chairman Chad Baldwin, he discussed the role that the university held regarding Greek life housing, saying that, “the property [that the Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter house is built on] is UW owned; therefore, the use of this property has implications for UW liability.”
Hirsch provided the board members with binders full of historical background on the lot to argue against the board’s current position in the matter.
“There have been four studies that you’ll see have been [conducted] over the years looking into Greek Row, how that should be handled, owned and managed.” Hirsch read. “All of [the studies] have concluded that the university is not built to be a landlord.”
According to Hirsch, the house is listed in the university’s historic preservation plan as a structure with high historical integrity.
“The Sigma Phi Epsilon house is picked out and made an example of the type of house that is supposed to be preserved under this plan … rehabilitation is considered the highest priority,” Hirsch said.
“If you’re going to consider demolition, then you have to follow the principles and standards there, including consultation with the state preservation office in Cheyenne, hiring a private consultant to do a cost-benefit study and public input.”
“80% of [their] donor base are Greek alumni with the foundation,” and said that Circle Back Initiative records indicate that former members of the Greek life community in Laramie have the highest donor participation rate at the University of Wyoming.
During his speech, Hirsch said that the university’s Sigma Nu chapter house had experienced several floods, including one he said was more severe than the flood at Sigma Phi Epsilon’s chapter house — seemingly to demonstrate the justification for a new funding proposal.
In response, the board told the Greek life audience that the house’s demolition will be postponed from January to May. They added that they will review proposals before making a final decision, urging members to submit them as soon as possible.
“I would like to urge folks to come forward with proposals that include financial commitments; that there are some financial assurances, because in the past there were proposals, but when we got to the bottom of them , there were no funds available in those proposals,” Chairman John said to the audience.
While there were several proposals brought forward and were turned down by the board, the community felt disappointed by the outcome of the meeting, but remained optimistic.
In an interview with The Boomerang, UW Chapter President Orion Cottam said, “I would say we’re optimistic, but frustrated. We didn’t get the response we wanted from the Board of Trustees. Obviously, we’ve been going through this for almost two years. We want definitive answers, but we know how long this process will take.”
President of ASUW and member of the board, Paula Medina said that, “All students have a seat at the table through me… I encourage you to reach out to me and come talk to all of the HW members.”
While the board assured students that they supported Greek life and aimed to reach a shared proposal, the Greek community did not appear to share that confidence. Following the discussion of the house’s demolition, one individual in the crowd said, “You say that you care about us, yet you tear down our houses.”
With only a few months left before UW’s Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter house is slated for demolition, the chapter is working to assemble a new, financially backed proposal it hopes will win approval from the Board of Trustees.
At this time, SigEp plans to meet with alumni to present a more direct proposal to the board in January.
