Dream Expansions!
 

What are your "Dream Expansions" for Pi Phi--were would (in an ideal world of unlimited funds and practicality) you like to see us expand, and why??

I'll go first:

1. Davidson College: It's very close to where I grew up and it has a great academic reputation. The campus is very similar to my campus. However, I don't know if they will ever vote to allow NPC on. :( Currently they have eating clubs.

2. University of North Carolina--Charlotte: A lot of my friends go there. There currently aren't any chapters in or around Charlotte, and they have a great alum club there!

3. George Washington University: It was our DC Alpha chapter and is my top grad school choice, so I could help them out during recruitment!

4. Clemson University, the University of South Carolina, and Furman University: We used to have chapters at Clemson and USC, and Furman is another wonderful campus. Plus one of my friends is going to Furman next year and I want her to be a Pi Phi. :cool:

5. Fort Lewis College: My uncle is a professor there and they currently do not have any NPC organizations!

6. Elon University: Another great Greek campus that actually may be expanding soon.

7. NC State University: My entire high school goes here practically... I seriously bet I could recruit like 10 women if we got a chapter. I'd just stand up in church and see who needed RIFs and get RIFs for all those great women... It gives me chills just thinking about it! And ETA: They are currently open for expansion!!!

I'd like to see more Canadian chapters :D

I'd like to See Manitoba Alpha and Nova Scotia Alpha (Dalhousie University) come back.

I wouldn't mind seeing a Chapter out west at UBC or the University of Victoria, maybe even Simon Fraser, (All in BC).

Definitly some more chapters in Ontario. This province has the largerst population of universities, so it would be nice to see some more Ontario chapters. Maybe at Wilfred Laurier or Waterloo. Maybe in Toronto at York or Ryerson.

SUNY Schools!
 

At least 1/2 of my friends from home go to SUNY (State Univ. of NY) schools and most of them haven't heard of Pi Phi :(

Well, since I am from KY and there are only 3 chapters in the state I would love for Pi Phi to expand to Western Kentucky University or Murray State would be nice since all of the chapters are in the eastern part of the state.

Someplace else in Georgia! We need another chapter here!

OK, so I thought I'd update to say that Pi Beta Phi has been selected to present for expansion at NC State!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I'm so thrilled. However, the other two groups, KD and Tri-Delt, are strong too, and they were both finalists the last time around when DG was selected, so that could work in their favor. It would mean so much to me if some of my friends could colonize a Pi Phi chapter at State during my Presidency here at W&L, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up. KD and Tri-Delt are both awesome, strong groups so there are no guarantees....

Dang it, she beat me to it. I just think the fact that we were chosen is awesome...to say the least. i really hope we get this chance though!:D

Good luck to Pi Phi!!!

Well personally I would love to see us as well in South Carolina again.

Sometimes I wish as well that we were present at Randolph Macon College.. just bc I would love to have a chapter right there in my hometown.. though we are pretty lucky to have so many chapters all over Virginia already..


(sidenote... I went by the house this weekend when I was in town visiting and saw the nice christmas card from Virginia Theta ;) on our board in the hallway.)

Isn't the card cute?? :)

Virginia Alpha was at Randolph Macon Women's College... and then I think Virginia Beta was Hollins. I'd love to see us at Randy Mac, too....

We already have a chapter at Princeton University, which is about 15 minutes from where I live, but I would also LOVE to have a chapter at the College of New Jersey. So many people from my high school go there (my little sis might be going there, too!) and I would love to have another chapter so close to home!

Since I'm going to be in DC next year, possibly in a grad program at GW, I would love to see a chapter there, too! Susan and I can do recruitment and membership on their AAC (we were a great duo at VA Theta!).

In other news, one of my little sister's friends just pledged Pi Phi at the University of Vermont! That makes at least 5 Pi Phis from my high school in the past four years! Considering that most people don't go Greek, that's AWESOME!!

:)

I met the Vermont Beta president this weekend... I think she was pretty amused by our stories of southern rush!

OK, everyone... wear your letters/ pins and show your Pi Phi pride on Weds in support of our expansion team presenting at NCSU! I had the privilege of being present when we presented at Bowling Green State (twice... we were selected the second time) and have never been so proud. The presentation then was done very professionally and I'm sure this one will be equally spectacular.

Today's the big day!

How did the presentation go?

When will you hear if Pi Phi has been selected or not?

I don't know, but I can't wait to find out!

WhiteDaisy128 is a Delta Gamma at NCSU, and she is on the team that will be voting... but she said she was going to have to miss the Pi Phi presentation. :(

Having been on an extension committee, here at NMSU, myself I would say it took us about 2-3 weeks. It was a tough decision and with Pi Phi, Tri-Delt, and KD all presenting I'm sure their decision will be pretty tough since I read through the Tri-Delt and KD packets myself and they are amazing sororities.

But, I hope Pi Phi gets chosen.

Dream Expansions
 

I would love to see some pi phis in Maryland. I dont think there is anythere, and with university of maryland being a pretty big school, it is a perfect oppurtunity for expansion.

We had a chapter at U-Maryland- COllege Park (MD Beta) that closed in the early 90s. I don't know if the campus is expanding but I know their alums would be ecstatic to see that chapter return.

Do you know where Maryland Alpha was?

I think it was at a place called Goucher College. Isn't that one of those schools who dumped the Greek system?

I was reading in another post and we got invited to colonize at NC state! :)

Yay!! Pi Beta Phi has been extended a bid to colonize at NCSU in the fall!!! I'm so excited for you guys!!!


Sorry to crash your board!!! :)

no problem White Daisy! I look forward to meeting you at NC Delta's Installation!

If any of you have the opportunity to come to Raleigh, installation weekends are an absolutely fabulous bonding experience. I've been to 3 and just like doing ritual at Convention gives me chills, seeing a colony initiation is awe-inspiring.

I am certainly going to round up RIFs for a bunch of friends! This is so exciting.

How do you get invited to an installation?

Congratulations Pi Phi!!!!!

You don't need to be "invited" to attend installations. Anyone can attend either part or all of the installation weekend. Typically, we do a cookie shine Friday night and the installation gifts are opened. The initiation is done Saturday morning (by the Grand President!) and there is a banquet Sat night where the chapter is installed. They will get their charter at the next Convention. On Sunday, there is a campus reception.

Colonizations are done one of two ways. A local can petition to become a Pi Beta Phi chapter (like the chapter at Wake Forest) or a panhellenic can invite Pi Phi to colonize... the two processes are somewhat different so I'll just explain what would happen at NC State. Recruitment is done separately from the campuses formal recruitment process except that in some cases, the new group would participate in the informational sessions just to inform women of another option. Recruitment begins with informational sessions, and then a round that is more structured (and usually area collegians assist here). Pledging ceremonies are done by international officers and the new member period is guided by a graduate consultant who will live with the chapter (for at least the first year, usually part of the second as well).

As soon as the dates are set for installation, chapters and clubs will get an announcement that includes hotel information, registration information. I would anticipate that committees are being set up but we might not actually know anything until summer.

I have an idea! Let's all meet over in North Carolina for the installation of the new chapter!:D

I have 3 extra beds if anyone really does want to come!! :D

Again, sorry to crash your board, I'm just so excited for you guys and for NCSU!

And I am serious about having 3 extra beds!! ;)

Oooh, thank you, I might take you up on that! Do you know how far Raleigh is from Atlanta? And were they talking about the new group being there in time for fall rush?

Pi Phi will come in right after Fall Formal Recruitment (1st day is Sept. 11).

When DG colonized, they started recruitment about a week and a half after formal recruitment. I assume it'll be about the same for you guys.

I'll be graduated in May, but will still be living in the area, since I'll be student teaching.

Awesome! I am definately going to try to be there in the fall!

The colony will rush this fall and official installation will be in early 2005. As a member of the Raleigh alum club, there are lots of people really excited about the chapter and ready to get things up and running.

And yes Tri Delt will come on as the next group no earlier than 2006 and then KD will come on after that no earlier than 2008.:)

Yay! Another Pi Phi who lives in NC!

I'm so excited about this expansion. I definately am going to try to go to installation!

I noticed that Pi Phi didn't put in to expand at Clemson. I wonder if that means we have something else big up our sleeve? I think NCSU is great, and I love that we have a very conservative expansion policy--I think it makes for stronger, happier chapters that are less likely to close--but I love to see new chapters too!

I agree, I do like the conservative approach in extension, but it would be great to see chapters present again in SC; either at USC or Clemson.

We are very excited about NCSU, it's going to be a wonderful new chapter! There is a lot of alum support, those of us who attended the presentation represented over 22 different chapters!

Starting a new chapter IS a lot of work... but the rewards outweigh everything. I look forward to meeting both of you at the installation whenever that may be and hope that my former CPP is one of those in attendance as well.

I can't speak "officially" but I think that if housing is part of the requirements for success and such housing is not provided by the university, Pi Phi will be very conservative about expanding. It does not help the long term success of a chapter to saddle them with a huge mortgage before they've established themselves on the campus. I don't know the exact reasons why we left Clemson or USC but membership numbers and filling a large house might have something to do with it.

Karen,

I agree, housing is a big issue and I know they are looking at what I think is one empty house on greek row at NCSU or alternate locations for NC Delta.

Do we know if pi phi still owns property at any universities where there are dormant chapters?

I don't know which, if any campuses, Pi Phi still owns a house after the chapter has left. The decision is based partly on whether or not we think the chapter would ever come back. NY ALpha is a good example of that. When they recolonized at Syracuse in the late 80s, Pi Phi still owned the original NY ALpha house (AO Pi was renting it). That information is something that either the Director of Chapter House Corporations or GVP Finance would know. If a house is sold, the proceeds are held in trust for a number of years for use if a chapter recolonized. Otherwise, the money goes back to the Fraternity. For example, the DC Alpha awards were funded from the proceeds of the sale of the house at George Washington Univ.

Would they ever use that money to purchase a house for another chapter?

It is possible that house corporation loans would be one use for the proceeds of sales of a house after a chapter has left. In some sororities, chapter houses are owned by their international fraternity. That is not how Pi Phi is organized. Houses are leased/ purchased by local chapter house corporations (each are legally incorporated in their home state/ province). The fraternity will loan $$ to a chapter house corporation either for the purchase of new property/ major remodeling or refurbishing. House corporaton loans are not just for new chapters or new houses either.