Oh, ok. Then that I can see.

TSteven: That was my "Pollyanna post" for the day. Bwah.

For what it is worth, the NIC does not advocate keeping any fraternity from colonizing. It is the campus that makes the decision to control expansion. See NIC by-laws below. Note: this would apply to all national fraternities regardless of their membership in any umbrella organization.

Campus Expectations

Open Expansion

No NIC member organization is prohibited from selecting undergraduates for the purpose of establishing a chapter on the campus of the host institution. The host institution's Interfraternity Council may not deter expansion by withholding membership of NIC group from IFC.

Open Recruitment

Host institution will support open recruitment and will not prohibit any male enrolled as a full time student in good standing from participating in rush recruitment activities and joining an NIC member fraternity. Host institution will not prohibit NIC member fraternity from recruiting/rushing male students on campus.

You are allowed one. I just wasn't sure if this was you one or I had missed it. :)

The way I'm reading his post was that NIC requires a campus to support a chapter. That is, there can not exist a chapter without school recognition. But non NIC orgs can charter in a particular city and not need school recognition to do so.

It is somewhat confusing. But the jest of it is that the NIC believes in open expansion. Perhaps I should have added this from the NIC by-laws regarding the Host school.

For the purposes of these By-Laws, a chapter is "related to" an institution if its membership is drawn from students enrolled at such institution, and no formal agreement with or recognition by such institution shall be required or implied.

This subsection shall not be deemed to prohibit undergraduate chapters related to extension, branches or regional campuses of accredited institutions.

Ah ok. So NIC doesn't even require school recognition? I really need to study NIC bylaws more.

Hold the phone
 

Now *I* am confused. (Not a difficult task for me to do I might add.)

Further down in the by-laws is the following which seems to be in conflict with the above statements.

Section 4. Colonies. A colony, meaning a newly-formed group or association of students sponsored, organized or assisted by a fraternity with the intent of it becoming a chapter or otherwise affiliated in any manner with that fraternity, may be established by a member fraternity only in relation to an accredited college or university. No member fraternity shall sponsor, organize, assist or participate in any manner in the formation, organization or establishment of a colony related to an accredited college or university, unless such college or university shall hold an approved candidacy status with the appropriate regional association, and such colony may become chartered only upon full accreditation of the institution.

Have at it. I'm going to review too.

BY-LAWS OF THE NORTH-AMERICAN INTERFRATERNITY CONFERENCE (Revised April 20, 2009)

WTH? You are right. Maybe once a chapter gets past colony status recognition is no longer needed?

NIC membership doesn't have jack to do with being on a campus and not being school recognized. Phi Sigma Kappa was on our campus for a while not recognized by the school, and they are IFC members. Not to mention all those schools where the whole freakin' system is unrecognized.

That section reads to me like it's more about school accreditation and that you can't form a colony with a bunch of randoms off the street. They may have to call a colony at FGCU the "Fort Myers" colony but as long as it's all FGCU students that's fine.

IIRC, that clause states that IFC can't keep members out, but the campus can.

If State University recognizes an NIC group and it petitions for membership in IFC, they must allow the group to join.

knight_shadow;1873719....IIRC, that clause states that IFC can't keep members out, but the campus can.

If State University recognizes an NIC group and it petitions for membership in IFC, they must allow the group to join.

OK, so how would that work for a fraternity that is not a member of the NIC??? Can they (fraternity) apply for university recognition as an independent National Fraternity and be placed in the same category with Service & Professional Fraternities/Societies???

Well, that clause is in the NIC by-laws, so it wouldn't affect any group that's not a member of NIC.

IFC is not the only governing council that can exist on a campus. A non-NIC organization can get university recognition and petition for membership in a different council (NALFO, NPHC, MGC, etc, depending on the type of group).

knight_shadow;1873733]Well, that clause is in the NIC by-laws, so it wouldn't affect any group that's not a member of NIC.

IFC is not the only governing council that can exist on a campus. A non-NIC organization can get university recognition and petition for membership in a different council (NALFO, NPHC, MGC, etc, depending on the type of group).

OK, so I understand that Non- NIC Fraternities & Non-NPC Sororities do have other groups/councils they can apply for recognition, depending on the compostion of their organization. That is good to know that they have that option. THANK YOU for the information.

But if it's a general social fraternity, IFC is likely the proper fit, not, say, NALFO or MGC. I'd hazard a guess that most, if not all, IFCs can at least theoretically include non-NIC members.

As noted earlier in this thread, Kappa Sigma, Phi Delta Theta and Phi Sigma Kappa all left the NIC, yet their chapters are all likely to be IFC. Lots of fraternities have left NIC over the years (and usually come back later), but their chapters have remained part of campus IFCs.

Meanwhile, my fraternity has never been a member of NIC, but many of our chapters are part of their campus IFC.