As the North Dakota chapter continues to grow and excel, the needs of the chapter grow too. 505 Princeton Street has been home to hundreds of Delta Upsilon men since 1974 and over those 46 year many memories and lasting friendships have been established.
While repairs and other critical investments have been made to the house over the years, today the structure itself is deteriorating. The issues facing the structure range from a shifted foundation, that causes water damage, to sunken stairs and kitchen appliances that don’t work.
With the near 100% increase in recruitment, maintaining a chapter GPA above the all Greek average, and being recognized nationally for our community service, Brother Lynn Luckow ’71, a North Dakota native and member of the Delta Upsilon International Board of Directors, decided it was time to explore options for a better housing experience for our brothers.
The leadership of brother Luckow and others has led us to form a DU chapter house planning group. The group, now consisting of 30 alumni/undergraduates and counting, has been meeting virtually bi-weekly since November with two in person meetings at the university. Within the planning group, five committees have been formed. These include Legal/Risk Management, Building/Architecture/UND Liaison, Fundraising/Development, Communications/Events, and Finance/Budget.
A lot of progress has been made since November. The North Dakota Delta Upsilon Educational Foundation has been re-established and discussions with the university about a suitable site for a new chapter house are currently underway.
The planning group is pleased to announce their partnership with a leader in fraternity and sorority fundraising, Pennington & Company. Pennington & Company provides many services, like feasibility studies, gift management, and strategic assessments, and have served over 800+ Greek chapters with their capital campaigns. With the help from Pennington & Company, the group is moving forward with the beginning stages of a feasibility study.
Because of our long-standing excellence at UND, we are fortunate to have support from the university. Dr. Cassie Gerhardt, Associate Dean of Students at the University of North Dakota, had this to say:
To the Members and Alumni of Delta Upsilon,
On behalf of the entire University of North Dakota community, thank you for the very positive steps you are currently undertaking to plan for the construction of a new Delta Upsilon chapter house. Since its founding at UND in 1961, Delta Upsilon has been a valued member of the UND fraternity community. Membership in the chapter has had a positive and significant impact on the undergraduate experiences of many UND students who have graduated to become proud UND and Delta Upsilon alumni.
The Delta Upsilon house at 505 Princeton Street has been a home-away-from-home for many young men. The experiences Delta Upsilon have provided for the promotion of friendship, the development of character, the diffusion of liberal culture and the advancement of justice have contributed to the personal and professional successes of many, and, likely the foundations of brotherhood continue to be cherished by all. Your investment in this project will ensure that future members have the same opportunities. A project of this magnitude can only happen with the generous support of alumni. I hope you will consider giving to this project in a way that is meaningful and significant to you.
The UND Delta Upsilon chapter, along with the entire UND fraternity and sorority community, continue to thrive and positively impact campus and the Grand Forks community. Today, the Greek Community includes 21 chapters; 14 fraternities and 7 sororities. In total, fraternity and sorority members make up 13% of the UND undergraduate student body. In its recent history, the members of Delta Upsilon have worked hard to excel academically. The chapter achieved a chapter GPA of 3.13 for both the spring and fall 2019 semesters and both semesters, the chapter ranked ahead of the All-Male and All-Fraternity GPAs.
While maintaining academic success, the chapter has also increased the chapter membership by recruiting outstanding members who are committed to the fraternity’s values. There have been no concerns related to behavioral or risk management issues with the chapter in recent semesters – a sign of the chapter’s commitment to excellence.
The loyalty fraternity and sorority alumni continue to show to UND and their chapters is impressive and appreciated. We know there is something about the Greek experience that fosters involvement and loyalty and UND is fortunate to have many dedicated and passionate alumni. The university depends on talented undergraduates and supportive alumni and your support of a new chapter house for the Delta Upsilon chapter will help ensure that tradition continues. Thanks for all you do! Best wishes for much continued success.
Sincerely,
Cassie Gerhardt, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Students
The planning group is actively looking for more alumni to bring their talents and skills to the group. If you are interested in joining the group, or are interested in more information, please contact brother Lynn Luckow ’71 at 415.828.1446 lynn@lynnluckow.com or brother Jim Sweeney ’86 at 701.371.4061 jim@fargojet.com.