DOes this happen to all Canadian Greeks?
 

I was just wondering for Canadians because OBVIOUSLY this doesnt happen in the U.S

Does anyone have problems with there university not recognizing there fraternity and sorority? Carleton University does not recognize us. We are not allowed to have our letters on the outside of our doors in the city, not allowed to advertise parties or rush on public posters etc.

Does anyone else get this?

I would say that this is virtually universal for all Canadian Greeks. The only campus that I know of who recognize Greeks is Wilfrid Laurier. They have a good set up, they have a proper faculty advisor and everything (he's a TKE, BTW)

In other cases, they're is treated as "clubs" or something, so that they can book classrooms for functions, use University space, that kind of thing. That is certainly the case at UBC and U of T. At other schools, Greeks are even "vilified"....they not permitted at Queens at all. At UVic, there used to be Phi Delta Theta and I remember that people were freaking out that they were single sex, conveniently forgetting that there are single sororities for women...duh! Frustrating, I know...... :mad:

Non-recognition
 

Ha!!!


You're lucky if your school recognizes you as a club!

I go to the University if Guelph, and our school doesn't even recognize us at a club. We're not allowed to poster, we can't set up info booths on campus, etc. It's basically impossib;e for us to advertise.
Even the city of Guelph does not want to recognize us. We're not allowed to have chapter houses because of a city by-law. If by some chance we managed to buy a house we would not be allowed to put our letters up. it's really hard being a greek in Guelph. But we're doing out best.

PPL,

Emily

Having gone to Carleton I understand your question... at UofT the school severed it's ties with the greek community around 1960 over an incident involiving allegations (proven) of racism at a sorority and sexual discrimination in the greek community (the fact that they are single sex).

We are allowed to wear our letters (charter of rights).....

Our letters are up on our houses. In your case I would look into the city bylaw that is stopping you from the same, because the school has no say if it doesn't recognize the greek communtiy.

The advertising thing is frowned upon by UofT, but what can they do? after all everyone adverstises at UofT, clubs, bars, films, protests, you name it. In your case since the school can control it, I would suggest going around them so to speeak. Hold a skating event on the canal behind the residences (Lanark), and hold pub nights at the same bar as the clubs (I know a number use to use the Rusty Nail). But the best way to get your foot in the door is to ask permission to advertise a charity event; it stands the best chance of the school saying yes, and getting your name out.

Must be tough to be a Canadian Greek.
Hang on there, do your best.

Re: DOes this happen to all Canadian Greeks?
 

What would happen if you just ignored their rules?

It's not exactly against the law to have a house, wear letters, or advertise.

Just a note to all you canadians, don't feel too bad. I go to San Francisco state University and the greek system isn't recognized by the school. We are allowed to poster, and we can get rooms to hold meetings or events if we need to (except for Panhellenic, they are not recognized AT ALL one of the individual sorors has to say its for them if we need a room for a panhellenic meeting) We are not allowed to be at dorm move in day, we are not allowed to send anything to the new students in the mail with orientation stuff, we are given no funds although there is campus money for organizations, we can not apply for it. I know it's hard, but don't feel you are the only ones having these problems. There are schools in the states who haven't quite realized the benefits of greek life. :)

Well i'm glad that its just not Carleton.

We do have our Greek Olympics (Greek Week) at Ollivers -Campus Bar and thats okay but besides that, Frosh week is REALLY STRICT. I can understand for certain reasons. We are not supposed to speak of Greek things, or wear letters etc. We are allowed to put up booths and such in Bakers Louge-open area but its just really hard when you dont get support or recognition from your school. We do a lot of positive things and are really involved in every aspect but we have this negative light shined on us. Its improving tho. We have a lot of Greeks on our University Student Council and other important areas which earns us respect, as well when we have a philanthrophy (CANT SPELL!) event we get the media to promote it because it gives a positive spin on us to the community. But besides that every year we struggle to get respect.

well, for once we win. Just a couple of months ago at university of Windsor, Fraternities and sororities were given official club status. Before we were all lumped together as IFSC and every group had to book rooms under that name; it was really confusing because the admin were wondering why our one group had so many bookings. (yet, as a side note, somehow it was ok to recognize Sigma Chi as club of the year in 2001) So next year it looks like that we will get to be ratified as separate groups. This is a breakthrough since our new student president is really anti-greek.

as for letters on houses...it depends..only one group owns their house, so of course their letters are up....but the others that rent have to see if the landlord approves or not...usually it's ok....
and we are allowed to poster but the rules for postering have become much more strict these past couple of years

many students and faculty are surprised that there are even greeks on campus, but from the efforts of those of us who are active on campus more and more are recognizing us

I go to UBC, and I definately would have to say that Greeks are reconginized there . . . even though we only comprise about 5% of the population, we're a definate force on campus. Morevoer, with the fraternity village being built and the Panhellenic House finally being built, our precense will only grow.

We've tried to get club status at Guelph which would allow us to advertise on campus. We do some advertising on classrooms, and of course the Cannon which is availaible for all students to advertise anything whether it be DU or Pi Phi, or Aggie Pub or birthdays, etc. We're not allowed to be at residences during frosh week. We can't have a booth on club days, we're not allowed to advertise in residences. Technically we can't book rooms on campus to hold our meetings unless we book it under a different name. Many times we have been a psychology seminar.
The reason the the CSA (our student government) has said we do not have club status is because we discriminate based on gender. Apparently in 1996 there was a motion passed with the CSA that gave us club status but the documents were "lost".

The school does not control whether we have a house or not. That city does that. There is one fraterity house in Guelph, Omega Tau Sigma (the vet fraternity) but they were established before the city by-law and were allowed to keep their house, letters, and all.

If we ignorred university polciy about us advertising and we were caught breaking the rules, we would be severly fined. It's a 1500 dollar fine if we're caught "soliciting"

We do the best with what we have but it's not easy, and being that there are only 2 greek groups (well 3 but OTS is by themselves) it makes it even more difficult.

This might be a little off subject, but on my campus greek life is a big thing. About 30% of the student body is greek. I go to a small liberal arts school, the pop. is about 1,400. The college owns all of the houses we live in. They even put letters up for us. We have a strong greek system.

i had NO IDEA being Greek was so difficult in Canada!! Why is it that Greek orgs are frowned upon or not recognized? I can't imagine having all those restrictions...makes me appreciate what i've got!
*Good Luck!*

FYI .....

The rights of its member organisations to restrict member ship in compliance with Section 18 Ontario Charter of Rights, R.S.O. which states:
“Special Interest Organizations:
18. The rights under Part I to equal treatment with respect to services and facilities, with or without accommodation, are not infringed where membership or participation in a religious, philanthropic, educational, fraternal, or social institution or organization that is primarily engaged in serving the interests of persons identified by a prohibited ground of discrimination is restricted to persons who are similarly identified." R.S.O. 1990, c. H. 19, S. 18. (http://www.ohrc.on.ca/english/codeeng.htm)


Specifically this means that women’s Fraternities and sororities have the legal, constitutional, right to RESTRICT MEMBERSHIP EXCLUSIVELY TO WOMEN ONLY, and similarly that men’s fraternities have the right to RESTRICT MEMBERSHIP TO MEN ONLY.


One thing to note- the prov gov't gives leadership development funds for Student Unions to give to recognized groups to help them in being a club (mailers, etc.). At the University of Calgary, the SU there specifically set up a separate class of club status for Fraternities and sororities, noting that they are recoginzed as a club (can get meeting speace etc.), but are not eleigible to receiev funds.

If you suggest this, AND show them your calendar of charity events, study tables and the like, (And the above quote), they will learn that you do offer a positive addition to campusn life.

Interfraternally,
Shala

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shala Berry
President, Canadian Interfraternal Assc.
shala@canadiangreeks.com

(Thanks to the WLU Greek site for the Onatrio Code information - http://www.wlu.ca/~wwwss/greek/misc.htm)

Great info, Shala! We'll definitely give that a try at Guelph. Otherwise, I was hoping to institute a greek interest club that anyone can join, since part of the issue on our campus is that clubs must be open to all undergrads, grads, faculty and alum. Also, the CSA would require access to our financial records, which we're obviously not prepared to do.

They're a tough egg to crack, but I'm determined :D

At Waterloo, we have 3 Fraternities and 1 Sorority (GO KKG!), which are not individually acknowledged as a club, but together are known as "FSAC" (the Fraternity and Sorority Awareness Club). That allows us to put up posters, have a booth at club days etc.

Though really, most people are quite welcoming of us. We can rent the Great Hall, hold events, book rooms as "Kappa Kappa Gamma" not as FSAC. I think as long as we follow the clubs rooms (no soliciting etc) no one really minds.

Well for some it is the same sterotype found all across North America...they only know what the media has told them

But for others...its just not part of the culture. I didn't know sororities existed in Canada til i transferred schools in my third year! Noone even considers greek life til they're already in university, it's just not talked about or thought of.

As well, with universities becoming more diverse, there are even more students who haven't even heard of the notion of GLOs!

for example, U of Windsor has one of the highest rates of international students. Last school year, we had an unusually number of Asian women coming to info parties! I thought that was great, until I realized they were clueless as to what a sorority is and does....and with the language barrier it was hard to explain it to them but we tried....unfortunately none of them returned to our next info party....

And in Quebec, it's just as hard. You know i've looked in so many french-english dictionaries for the words "sorority" and "fraternity"(as a GLO not "brotherhood") and there is no equivalent.
If any one asks me here what a sorority is I have to tell them it's a Women's club at university...doesn't quite translate as nicely as sorority!

People just find the idea of GLOs to be very foreign, just not heard of...and those who have heard of em, have only heard the bad!

happens to americans too!! that's the way it is here at Umass. GRRR!

For those of you at Anti-Greek campuses, have hope!
At U Windsor, we went from an anti-greek president of our stundent association, to getting club status, and now, next years UWSA president is a Sigma Chi. Also, there are two other Sigma Chi's that are in VP positions on the UWSA, and one of the others, while not a greek, isn't against us: while campaigning, he came around and talked to each of the greeks. It's nice to know that we're getting a little more of a foothold....although, I suppose it could turn around fairly easily!