The University's general counsel informed the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity last week that it will be disciplined if it doesn't cease using the Brandeis name, Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer said. ZBT has been using the Brandeis name on its Web site for more than a year, Robert Geiman '08, the fraternity's president, said. Geiman said he received a letter signed by Associate Counsel Member Steven Locke demanding that ZBT take Brandeis' name off the Web site's front page. According to Geiman, the letter cited appendix C section 5.4 of the Rights and Responsibilities handbook in determining that the fraternity can't use the name because ZBT, like any other fraternity at Brandeis, isn't recognized by the University.

The portion of the handbook described in the letter, however, actually has to do with alcohol consumption, not the recognition of fraternities, Geiman said. Fraternity recognition regulations are actually described in appendix B of the handbook.

The Brandeis chapter of ZBT students was founded in 1987, according to the fraternity's Web site. The fraternity is recognized by the national ZBT organization, Geiman said.

The Board of Trustees voted in 1988 not to affiliate the University with sororities and fraternities.

The letter was a "boilerplate letter," or a form letter, with wording implying that the fraternity should cease to use Brandeis' name, and if they don't, action can be taken, Sawyer said. He explained that because generations of students come and go, the letter serves as a reminder to unaware students that it is "inappropriate and improper to use [the University's] name."

Letters of this nature have been sent to ZBT periodically in the past, and the fraternity has been very cooperative with the requests, Sawyer said. He explained that ZBT is not a Brandeis entity or affiliated with the University, and that the general counsel is responsible for the University's name.

Sawyer said the naming issue was brought to the administration's attention because of an invitation the fraternity sent to administrators for the fraternity's rechartering ceremony that was held last Wednesday.

"[The administration] didn't come, and they also wrote a nasty reply, actually a really mean reply, back to the person who was in charge of the ceremony," Geiman said.

The image on the front page of the Web site says, "Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity, Brandeis University, Epsilon Phi Chapter," and hasn't been changed as of presstime.

Geiman said he called Locke and tried to "work out a deal," but that "he was incredibly vague with me and he would not give me a straight answer at all." Locke told him disciplinary action can still be taken if the fraternity removes the word University but leaves the words ZBT Brandeis on the Web site. Locke said the fraternity had a deadline of Oct. 10 to remove the name, according to Geiman.

Locke didn't return phone calls and e-mail messages Sunday and Monday.

Geiman said he didn't tell Locke he would change the Web site. He said that he can refuse to change the Web site on the grounds that the wrong section of the Rights and Responsibilities handbook was cited in the general counsel's letter.

Geiman said that he has been in touch with the national ZBT organization, whose lawyers are also talking about the situation. He also cited several instances last year when the fraternity was ordered to leave Brandeis locations while doing philanthropy work, including being asked to leave Usdan while fundraising for Virginia Polytechnic Institute last spring.