The formerly vacant Delta Tau Delta house will re-open as student housing next year, with Athletes in Action occupying the building and overseeing its 25 expected residents.
“Our plan is to be able to purchase it after our two-year lease,” said Mindy Heflin, a staff member of the Christian-based Athletes in Action. “If that’s not possible, our plan would go back to the drawing board.”
All of the money collected from leasing the house, 4 University Terrace, will go to Delta Tau Delta and will be applied toward the purchase of the house, Heflin said. The organization is also trying to solicit private donations for the possible purchase.
The organization has already raised $200,000 through gifts, Heflin said.
The house was originally listed at $2.3 million, according to a previous Post article.
The Delta Tau Delta house has been vacant since the fraternity received a five-year suspension in fall 2009 after some of its members were charged with hazing.
The house will accept additional residents until June 1, but Athletes in Action officials are not actively looking for more, Heflin said.
OU granted the organization an exemption similar to those given to sorority and fraternity members, which allows sophomores to live in the house rather than in a residence hall.
“We would grant a waiver to a certain number of people,” said Kent Smith, vice president for Student Affairs.
Athletes in Action officials plan to provide leadership training to the students living in the house.
“We want to infuse leadership,” Smith said. “This is just another continuum along this line.
The agreement states that Athletes in Action will partner with the Amanda J. Cunningham Leadership Center to provide leadership training to those living in the house. They will receive about 10 hours of training each quarter.
“It will be successful if we can have an impact on the leadership abilities,” Smith said. “We didn’t look at the religious side of it.”
OU would probably not have gone through with the exemption if the house were based solely on religion, Smith said.
In addition to receiving leadership training, the occupants of the house will be required to help with the housework.
“One thing is that we hope to foster a living environment that helps develop personal responsibility,” Heflin said.
People living in the house will sign a code of conduct agreement “similar to the dorms, but tweaked to reflect biblical values,” Heflin said.
Smith said he believes this is the first house that provides sophomore students with an exemption to living in the residence halls besides fraternity and sorority properties, Smith said.
“We’re not aware currently of anyone doing something similar … it may be we just don’t know about it,” he said.
Residents living in the house will sign 12-month leases that are priced similarly to a nine-month residence hall contract, Heflin said. It currently costs students $1,775 a quarter to live in a two-person, air-conditioned residence hall room.
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