PROJECT LOCKWOOD

• Eta Mu, installed as a Sigma Chi chapter in 1971, has leveraged the strength of its approach to brotherhood to be a leader on the Eastern Illinois University campus for over 50 years.
  
• The charter was revoked in 2017, but thanks to the hard work of both alumni and the next generation of campus leaders, Eta Mu was reinstalled as an active chapter in late 2023.
  
• Despite an overall decline in both enrollment at EIU and participation in the Greek system, there are encouraging trends on both fronts that make this a great time to invest in a new chapter house.
  
• Project Lockwood is named after one of our founders - William Lewis Lockwood. Known as the “businessman” of the group, he was      credited with a “remarkable organizing ability” and helped set up the      general plan for the Fraternity.

• During the rechartering process, it was clear that having an “off-campus” house was critical to the ongoing success of Eta Mu.
  
• The House Corporation and several alumni were engaged in a thorough process, including the purchase of two pieces of property in Charleston.
• Due to a combination of the high cost of building a new home and interaction with a new Greek-friendly EIU administration, a new opportunity      was presented - the purchase of the current “East Hall” located adjacent      to campus and Greek Court at 2103 12th Street, Charleston, Illinois 61920.
  
• The building was built as a fraternity house and has the core elements of what is needed for Eta Mu.  The building is 12,516 square feet on two acres, with room for 25+ brothers, a chapter study room, a library, and a resident “advisor” apartment.  

Lambda Sigma Chi, a local fraternity on the campus of Eastern Illinois University, was founded in Fall of 1969 with the express purpose of achieving a Sigma Chi Charter. Eta Mu Chapter of Sigma Chi was installed on December 11, 1971. Eta Mu quickly became a leader in the Greek world of EIU and remained as such until the charter was revoked in 2017. Eta Mu alumni were briefed by Sigma Chi Headquarters staff concerning the charter revocation and were immediately faced with three (3) options: 1) Do nothing and let the history of Eta Mu Chapter end in 2017; 2) Attempt to re-establish the Eta Mu Chapter through the formation of a Sigma Chi colony by utilizing only Eta Mu alumni efforts; or, 3) Raise sufficient funds to employ a Sigma Chi HQ-appointed alumnus to live on campus for one year and recruit new actives to form a Sigma Chi colony in an expedited manner. A concerted effort was initiated to re-establish Eta Mu Chapter by the most expeditious means, which included a $100K+ fundraising program and very active in-person support from alumni. Those efforts resulted in the re-installation of the Eta Mu Chapter on December 2, 2023.

When discussing higher education in Illinois, the question of viability comes up. It has been said that Illinois is a good state to be from. Many people agree with that opinion by leaving the state. So, how does that affect our efforts in this project? When the Eta Mu Chapter of Sigma Chi was chartered in 1971, the City of Charleston was openly hostile to Greek organizations, but the university and the Eta Mu Chapter were growing again.  The question of viability needs to be addressed.

The University has undergone significant changes since Sigma Chi arrived. Enrollment in Eastern Illinois University went from 7,200 in 1971 to 13,000 in the late 1990s. It then dropped to around 7,000 and is now back to over 8,500. Enrollment figures for 2020 and 2021 were each about 8,600, while enrollment increased slightly for 2022 and 2023, to about 8,800. Another positive indicator of EIU viability is the number of degrees awarded. In the years 2020-2022, a total of 1,900 degrees were awarded each year. In 2023, the number of degrees issued rose to 2,400. In 2023, EIU had a 70% student retention rate. U.S. News and World Report’s “2023 Guide to America’s Best Colleges” ranked EIU 14th among all public Midwestern universities with master’s degree programs.  In another ranking of Illinois public universities, EIU ranked 4th, behind U of I-Urbana, U of I-Chicago, and Northeastern Illinois University-Chicago. EIU appears to be on an even keel for slow yet methodical growth pattern. This puts EIU right in the middle of other Illinois public universities – Northern Illinois and Western Illinois are struggling, while Illinois State reported record enrollment this year.

There are currently 24 fraternities and sororities recognized by EIU, with a total membership of about 400 students. Just as EIU and other state universities in Illinois took a nosedive in enrollment starting in 2015, fraternities and sororities had a corresponding sharp decline in membership. From about 2018 to 2024, the Greek system has struggled to increase their membership. The average Inter-Fraternity Council chapter size is 21 men compared to 51 in 2013. In 2013, Eta Mu Chapter had 90 members compared to over 25 today. Pi Kappa Alpha left EIU in 2021 and Sigma Alpha Epsilon left in 2023. The picture for sororities at EIU is relatively the same. The university administration predicts that the average size of Greek chapters at EIU will steadily increase to about 40 members by 2030.

The objective Project Lockwood is to provide housing for the members of the Eta Mu Chapter of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. First and foremost, the primary consideration, as with any real estate, was location, location, location. It was essential that the chapter house be located within a relatively close proximity to Greek Court and the EIU campus. As the housing plan for the Chapter developed, the House Corporation determined several criteria should be considered as essential to a chapter house: 1) Individual bedrooms for 12-14 residents; 2) Sufficient size to accommodate at least 40 active members for chapter activities; 3) A dedicated chapter study room; 4) A dedicated library; 5) Dedicated smaller study spaces within the house separate from the bedrooms; 6) A kitchen capable of feeding the residents on special occasions and, if feasible, on a routine basis; 7) Dining space capable of accommodating the residents; 8) A separate attached apartment to accommodate a facility manager.

As the House Corporation started to search for a housing solution for the newly re-chartered Eta Mu Chapter, three options became readily apparent: 1) Return to Greek Court; 2) Buy property with a suitable existing structure; and, 3) Buy property and build a new structure. Option #1 was immediately ruled out due to past experience as a tenant of the University. Option #2 was researched, but no suitable existing structure was found that met the needs of the Chapter. The House corporation then decided to pursue option #3 and purchased two (2) properties near campus at 10th Street and Cleveland Avenue with the intent to demolish the existing structures and build a new chapter house. Working with an architect having experience in designing fraternity houses, the original plans for a 24-man house yielded an estimated cost of about $3.4M. A scaled-down version of those plans brought the cost down to about $2.4M. A full account of the housing initiative efforts preceding Project Lockwood are addressed in Appendix A: A Pre-Cursor to Project Lockwood (pp. 19-22).