Several freshmen CHANCE students were allowed to take part in a fraternity dance Saturday despite a CHANCE policy restricting them from participating in greek activities.

Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity member Shawn Tate said the fraternity honors those female students “who helped us out in our endeavors” at its annual Sweetheart Ball.

He said, “The majority of young ladies (on this year’s sweetheart court) did come (to the fraternity) through CHANCE.”

The CHANCE program enables minority students to gain admission to NIU if their academic work is below university requirements. Upon arriving at NIU, CHANCE freshmen are required to sign contracts which ban them from participation in greek activities.

Tate said members of the fraternity met with NIU officials earlier this semester to discuss whether CHANCE students could take part in the ball as sweethearts.

Tate and other members of greek organizations have been soliciting the CHANCE program and NIU officials to lift the ban on freshmen participation. In November, about 200 students signed a petition to reverse the policy.

NIU Provost Kendall Baker said there was some “apparent confusion” whether the policy banned not only CHANCE students’ participation as members in greek organizations, but also as sweethearts in greek activities.

Baker said the officials “decided to allow the fraternity to honor the students this time … under circumstances of confusion.”

However, he said, “There has not been a change at all (in the policy). This is not a precedent.” He said the problem with the policy will be studied this semester.

CHANCE Director Leroy Mitchell sent letters to CHANCE freshmen last November stating they were not allowed to paricipate in any greek activities, including little sister programs and sweetheart courts, until they completed 30 semester hours of studies.

Mitchell stated CHANCE students should focus entirely on academics.

Tate said he and other fraternity members will meet with Baker this semester to “find out if this (CHANCE policy) is a negative or positive thing.

“We’re really trying to show that greeks are not negative organizations. We want to get a chance to display some of our talents,” Tate said.

Jon Dalton, vice president for student affairs, attended the ball but said he was only there to welcome students and alumni. “I have not heard about any exceptions (to the policy),” he said.