Fraternities and sororities were established at Alfred for nearly 100 years prior to 2002, when they were banned from campus, partially in response to the death  of Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT) fraternity member Benjamin Klein.

Prior to Klein's death, in 1978, student Chuck Stenzel died in a hazing-related incident at Alfred's Klan Alpine fraternity. After his death Stenzel's mother, Eileen Stevens, created a lobbying organization to increase awareness of hazing and promote anti-hazing laws, as documented in Hank Nuwer's book "Broken Pledges" and a later TV movie of the same name (in which Alfred was not named for legal reasons). Stevens later served as an advisor to Alfred on hazing-related issues, and received an honorary doctorate from the school in 1999.

During the summer of 2002, Greek social organizations were banned from the campus after an in-depth analysis of the Greek system by and eight-member task force appointed by the Trustees. More than 50% of the task force were themselves members of a fraternity or sorority while in college, and 82% of the Board of Trustees are Alfred University alumni.[2]