Grad Students in Undergrad Chapters
 

Should graduate students be allowed to join undergrad chapters?

Many are on campus full-time, join student organizations, and form relationships with undergraduates as it is....many grad students are close in age and experience with undergraduate members....why shouldn't they also join or transfer into undergraduate chapters if they wish?

This is open for anyone to answer.

Well Zeta allows graduate members to be associate members of undergraduate chapters if there are no graduate chapters in the area. But these women are usually already members of the sorority.

I don't think graduate members should be transferring/applying for membership into an undergraduate chapter if there is a grad chapter in the area.

Interesting...
 

Good question bruh, especially since I plan to attend grad. school in the fall. Although I understand that in some cases, grad. students are close in age to their undergraduate counterparts, most grad. students are around the age of 30 yrs. old in the U.S. I truly believe that the undergraduate experience is unique and is so because of the "development" that occurs in between post secondary and BA levels of education. Not to mention the extremely social side of the undergrad. experience. If there is a grad. chapter in the area. I feel that the aspirant should pursue admission into that chapter. If not, I would entertain a discussion of undergraduate intake, but the criteria for both levels need to be clear and unwavering. As greek groups we need not short change grad. chapters of potenial members.

Actually, and this may just be my experience in Texas and now Indiana, most grad students are no more than a year or two removed from the undergrad age group. Grad students are aging as folks come back for retraining but for the most part people are going straight through now. When I was working on my MA I was at best three years older than the average undergad. Now I'm sometimes younger than the folks I'm teaching undergraduate coursework and won't be 30 until six months after my FINAL degree is conferred.

Having said that, I don't think I would want to join an undergrad chapter NOW. Perhaps during my MA it would have made more sense because more of the chapter would have been closer to my age range. Riht now it's ALL about just helping out with the chapter as they need help.

Re: Grad Students in Undergrad Chapters
 

Delta used to have such chapters--they were called mixed chapters. But we did away with them 30 years ago and developed strict criteria for joining an alumane chapter versus a collegiate chapter.. Don't know why, but something about them did not work well.

Re: Grad Students in Undergrad Chapters
 

No. This is why our organization has Graduate intake and sponsoring graduate chapters. If you want that UG relationship, join a UG Activities committee or council of a GRADUATE chapter.

After you graduate from college, if you are a grad student or not...IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON! IMO, of course. Most of the organization one joins SHOULD BE related to their GRADUATE courses/major. :confused:

Officially, I would want the person to be affiliated with a local grad chapter, but, to help bridge the gap, they would be a great person to be the undergrad advisor, and go to both meetings and serve as a liason.

Just b/c you've finished one degree, and you are trying to get additional education doesn't mean you should turn your back on the undergrads, or be turned away by them.

Except too many people take it to the extreme and that's when trouble happens. In Delta we have a term for it--the gypsy moth syndrome.

If you graduate with a BA or BS, then it is time to move on. Join a graduate chapter or go general if fund are a little short, but still try to remain active within the organization. Now I have no problems supporting, helping out, or donating funds to your undergrad chapter.

If there is no graduate chapter where you are and you still want to be active, then ask if you attend meetings, help raise funds, attend events etc, but joining them...NO.

crashing the thread!
 

Theta Nu Xi has Graduate, Alumnae and Professional membership for women who possess a bachelor's degree. This level of membership demonstrates a true desire for sisterhood, as well as a need to uphold our tenets throughout life. GAP Sorors are more mature and established than undergrads and, as such, are responsible for maintaining a classy reputation. The undergrad Sorors look up to GAP Sorors and need guidance and encouragement. OF COURSE, there is a lot of interaction because we're all part of the family, but GAP chapters were specifically established to serve the needs of older women and to help support our undergrad Sorors.

My conclusion: It's great to have interaction between Graduate and Undergraduate members, but there needs to be a line so that Undergrads can grow and have their fun and Graduates can network, socialize and uphold tenets.

Oh Soror ladygreek, I know many gypsy moths, and at once I was one, until I realized it was not doing anyone any good.

However I agree that once one is done with undergrad, it's time to move on with our being shut out from the undergrad chapter. As long as the relationship is one of service and sister/brotherhood then it's all good.

I don't disagree that people need to move on at a certain point. That's why I think a young grad should still be a dues paying member of the grad chapter, but if they are still on campus [their own - or a different one] to do graduate work, then I think it's fine to welcome them at an undergrad chapter meeting, or undergrad events.

Grad/Undergrad?
 

IMHO, it depends on the person and the situation.

For instance, when I entered into my undergrad chapter I was a GRAD student. How you may ask? It was simple, I am registered in a 5 yr program where I receive my BS & MS within 5 yrs. The University never confers a degreee until you are finished with the entire program.

So thus I have never actually graduated, but all my transcripts and records indicate that I am clearly a GRAD student. I even received a letter from the Dean of the School of Business welcoming me to the Graduate School.

I received all my job offers including my current position based on the fact that I "have" or "have met the requirements for a B.S." .

When I applied, the question asked was do you have a degree, and that answer is NO (technically). Thus, I was admitted into the undergraduate chapter.

Though I am older than my LS's, when it comes to Alpha Kappa Alpha we are on equal footing. My eduational level nor my age interfere with any of our goals as a chapter.

I can see why my Sorors & fellow Greeks feel that Grad and Undergrad should be seperate. However, like I said it depends on the person and the situation.

Re: Grad/Undergrad?
 

I think that your situation is somewhat unique and not the norm. You most likely would not have qualified for grad intake without a degree having been conferred upon you and were admitted at the right level for your org. You belong where you belong. That's all.

I think a lot of people who only see the place for our orgs at the ug level want a way to still get that ug experience and always hope that as grad students (who are not eligible for ug initiation) they somehow can still get it. Some of those same folks are not interested in pursuing grad membership and to me that speaks volumes about their lifetime commitment.

I think the concern is not just who is brought in at the grad or ug level but about those members who are members when they show up for grad school and want to be overly involved with the ug chapter. They are coming with their own chapters traditions and expectations for better OR worse. Sometimes, these folks bring DRAMA and we all know what the climate is like for drama in BGLO's. The fact that these college grads are more interested in working with the ug chapter also reflects on how our orgs are doing at keeping the bond across generations and encouraging our younger members to feel comfortable and welcome in our graduate/alumni/alumnae chapters
.

In Gamma Sig, if you are a graduate student at a school that already has an established chapter, you can join that chapter (or continue your membership there if you originally pledged at that chapter and you're still there for graduate work).

Because of that, we had to change our chapter designations. Instead of saying "undergraduate" we now say "collegiate".

Most of us who have graduated and want to help out with the collegiates can be Chapter Consultants (I'm the Consultant for the chapter at UGA).

That's the same with Alpha Phi Omega, except in cases where the school itself doesn't allow graduate students in "undergraduate" organizations.

And I don't think it's a bad idea.

This is an interesting thread. I can relate. I just became a member through a graduate chapter, but I am only 25, probably the youngest person in our chapter. I am about to go away to law school this fall (*fingers crossed*). I think that if I have to choose, I will seek out a graduate chapter in the city that I move to. At the same time, being here in Tampa, I serve on two undergraduate activities committees, so I work closely with our undergrad chapters. I think that initially, I felt the desire to have what I missed out on by not going undergrad, but I don't feel that way now. I love my LS's and my chapter and focus all of my time, energy, and money to our programs i/o the undergrad programs.

Interesting question. I pursued my MS straight out of undergrad so I was 23 or so when I started grad school. Even though I was close in age to undergraduates, I think that mentally once I graduated and obtained a college degree, I was mentally more aligned with members that might be in a graduate chapter. I would go out on a limb and say that I think that mentally, upon completing the requirements for the Bachelor's degree, most people are probably much more advanced than undergraduates - in terms of their viewpoint on life, responsibilities in their personal lives, etc. As such, I would err on the side of saying that I would keep the rule the same - that once one graduates, one should have to join a graduate chapter.

Again, interesting question!
SC

I'm confused. If you do all that aren't you "joining them"? In the current days of risk management, I'd suggest a member in this situation FIND the graduate chapter that sponsors THIS UG chapter and work with the UG chapter via the Grad chapter. If not, then kindly support their events with your presence.

There is a fine line....and one would not want to find herself in a predicament. IMHO... :o

When I became a Delta it was my senior year and then I graduated so my undergraduate experiences were limited. And for some, including myself, joining a graduate chapter especially alone was quite intimidating. Then I started graduate school (still there) and I am at another school with a chapter. I perhaps would have been more inclined to want to participate in my chapter (attend meetings, sit on committees) if I were attending grad school there. I do think there should be something in place for those in limbo betweeen undergrad and grad chapter but I really don't know what and I really don't see how it could be done unless they create a third membership type which I couldn't even imagine.

If in limbo...

This could be why SOME oppose intake for Graduating Seniors. This is ANOTHER issue/thread all by itself.

To me when you mean joining them, your a financial member of that chapter. So on your financial card instead of a graduate chapter, you have an undergrade chapter's name. If you are invited to a meeting then go (but not all there meetings, just one is fine), but don't sit up in there and vote or give your opinions when they are handling chapter/sorority business. Since they are your sorors, there is nothing wrong with getting to know them on a personal level. If they invite you to a community service event, then go. The more hands the quicker the work. If they have a fundraiser and are short and if they ask, then you probably want to go to that. . But my opinion is wait until the invite you or it is a open community event. Sometimes we grad sorors go to undergrad chapter events to show support and also donate funds. Just being sisterly.

Plus, some sororities graduate chapters are not in the same location as the undergrad chapters. Some graduate chapters are many miles away. There is one sorority on campus that is like that. They have an undergraduate chapter here, but the graduate chapter 2 hours away. So I can see if you don't want to do all that traveling (budget won't support it etc.) why you may want to interact with some of your sorors closer to your location.

Plus, I thought this was just a general question, not pertaining to one sorority :confused: :D

This is often a topic of discussion in my sorority because the majority of our chapters are Graduate Chapters (roughly 85% of them). I know that is quite unusual to some, but our founders started things off this way. So, because we are made up of mostly Grad Chapters we do not turn undergrads away, we just require them to have completed enough credits to be classed as a Sophomore at their school (about 48 credits).

However, lately, I have been wondering what is going to happen as our undergrad membership balances out with our Grad membership. Will it be a good idea to give ladies the option to go either Grad or UnderGrad if they come in with over 48 credits but under the maximum amount to have completed their degree. Personally, I agree, with the other members who feel that once a sister graduates she should only be allow to become a member of a grad chapter.

I am just curious; do you all think that this should also apply to City-Wide Undergrad Chapters seeing how they are not on a specific college campus?

Re: Grad/Undergrad?
 

Are you at FAMU? I know it has a BA/MBA program that takes five years.

Nope not at FAMU.

Just bumping this thread because it was great. :)

This is interesting, because in DST we changed the official designation to collegiate for just the opposite reason. To us collegiate implies someone working toward an initial baccalaureate degree, not someone who is still on campus in grad school. Just as you are officially an alum of the where you got you bac degree, although you coninued in grrad school, we consider you an alumnae in Delta. Our official designation for grad chapters is alumnae and it encompasses anyone NOT working toward an initial degree.

For example someone who pledged their sophomore year, but then had to drop out of school for what ever reason must join an alumnae chapter to continue active status. She is still technically an undergrad but no longer working toward the degree. When she returns to school, she then has the option of rejoining a collegiate chapter or staying in the alumnae chapter.

Interesting topic.

I became a member of Sigma Gamma Rho during my senior year of college, and then immediately went off to grad school in a new state. Interacting with the undergrads on campus allowed me to continue some of the "collegiate" activities that I hadn't experienced fully. Being around and able to support the undergraduate chapter's on-campus activities was very helpful to them. At the same time, being a graduate student, I didn't have the funds or time initially to join a graduate chapter, though I later was able to. Having the opportunity or option to join an undergraduate chapter could have been helpful, if only to keep me active. I know other sorors that have been in the same situation.

I stayed active in Alpha Phi Omega during grad school. I have zero regrets doing so. I didn't stand out as a grad student, maybe because there was several members who were the same age or older than me. I did check out the alum chapter, but I didn't fit in at all.

I don't think the question has a simple "yes" or "no" answer. I think it depends on the campus culture, chapter culture, and the individual's lifestyle.

I'm a BGLO graduate interest and I don't think its a good idea. I'm a graduate student and I have no desire to join the undergraduate chapter on my campus.

I think it would be awkward since my grad program is only 2 years and undergraduates are there for 4 years (or more). I don't think I would bond or fit in. Besides, I'm not on campus during the day.

But also, I think it would discourage people from joining graduate chapters. I can see some people going to graduate school for the sole purpose of pledging an undergraduate chapter. A lot of people want that "undergrad" experience, which is mostly social, and that would be a way for them to get it.

Some people will be BGLO interests for the rest of their lives. But they never take the time to understand why.

Everybody say aaaaaaaaamen.
Aaaaaaamen.
Aaaaamen.
Aaaamen.
Amen.

What did I say that was so wrong? I was just voicing my opinion. Sorry.