Dream expansions
 

(lovingly borrowed from another sorority's forum)

Where would you like to see Gamma Phi colonize or re-colonize?

I'd love to see the Alpha Zeta chapter at Texas re-colonize.

(if this has already been discussed, forgive me:) )

I would love to see Gamma Phi at some more of the SEC schools. Right now we are only at four schools. Sororities are a big deal in the south, and I think Gamma Phi needs more chapters at these schools.

Co-sign on gphib_95. I know we're strong here on the west coast, but a lot of the larger, stronger NPC chapters are in the south and it would be nice to have that with Gamma Phi.

A chapter in Mississippi. Mainly so that people will stop asking me if I'm in a local. :mad:
There are currently only eight or nine sororities with MS chapters, so it's a pretty hard market.

MARQUETTE.

Not that I miss being active or anything.

Other than that, I'd like to get our chapters at Birmingham-Southern, LSU, and Florida back...also some other chapters in that region. I'd also like to see some more expansions onto colleges that don't have Greek life - we've been successful at being the first/only before.

I am completely biased here, but I would love to see Gamma Phi at more universities in Florida, especially UF, even though I'm not a Gator fan ;)

I have so many of my young ladies who have gone to school at UF that would be wonderful additions to any sorority, but I wish they could be Gamma Phis. Try as I might, everyone doesn't want to go to FSU. I do have a couple going to Auburn in the fall, though! :)

i would love to have the Alpha Kappa chapter at the University of Manitoba, Canada, re-colonize and perhaps colonize at the University of Ottawa, Acadia University in Nova Scotia and Wilfrid Laurier University (who is open for expansion next fall btw).
i would love to have a chapter in buffalo as well, there are tons of schools there!
i would also like to see all of our 1 letter chapters open.
just my 2 cents.
:D

THE SOUTH!!! I am sick and tired of girls coming to school here only knowing about Phi Mu, KD, AGD, etc.

At this point, I don't care where the chapters are, just THE SOUTH!! But I def agree with Kath -- recolonize LSU, Florida, and especially B-Ham-Southern and I am a happy girl!!!

I am OBSESSED with the idea of colonizing/recolonizing more chapters!! When I'm an alum, I would love to help fund and work with expansion efforts.

I think MORE CHAPTERS IN THE SOUTH would help us soooooo much with our international reputation! But since I'm in California, I would like to see a couple more CA/west coast chapters, too.

West Coast:
-Stanford (recolonize)

-University of CA-San Diego (we have such a strong rep. in SD with our USD and SDSU chapters being sooo strong, that even the UCSD greek system is impressed by Gamma Phis; I think we would have an easier time of establishing a strong base there than at most schools)

-University of CA-Davis (just because)

-University of Nevada-Las Vegas

-CSU-Northridge


SOUTH:
Alabama:
-U of South Alabama
-Birmingham-Southern College
-Troy State U.

Arkansas:
-Arkansas State U.
-U. of Arkansas-Fayetteville

Florida:
-U of Florida!!! (they have something like 20 sororities, why not us?)
-U of South Florida
-U of Central Florida
-U of West Florida

Georgia:
-Valdosta State
-Mercer U.
-West Georgia College

Indiana:
-Depauw U.

Kentucky:
-U. of Kentucky
-U. of Louisville
-Western Kentucky U.
-Eastern Kentucky U.

Louisiana:
-Louisiana State U.

Mississippi:
-U of Miss.
-Miss. State U.
-University of Southern Miss.

North Carolina:
-U. of NC-Chapel Hill
-Duke University
-Wake Forest U.
-High Point U.
-North Carolina State

Oklahoma:
-U. of Tulsa

South Carolina:
-College of Charlston
-Wofford U.
-Furman U.

Tennessee:
-Vanderbilt
-U. of Memphis
-U. of Tenn.-Knoxville
-U. of Tenn.-Chattanooga
-Union U.

TEXAS:
-Baylor U.
-U. of Texas-Austin
-Texas Tech.
-U. of Texas-Dallas
-Texas Christian U.


Virginia:
-William & Lee
-Virginia Tech.
-Longwood U.
-Randolph-Macon

West Virginia:
-West Virginia U.



If we got those chapters up and running, I'd be a happy camper ;)

Also, more chapters at the more prestigious universities that have Greek Systems, like:
-Brown
-Columbia
-Cornell
-Dartmouth
-Duke
-Emory
-Tufts
-Tulane
-U Penn

I second that list, UCLA! You've really done your research. Us here at Alabama are DYING to recolonize at B-Ham Southern.

How are numbers at Birmingham-Southern looking? How are numbers at any of these other schools looking, for that matter? Does it seem like any of them are getting big enough to bring another GLO on campus?

A few of the ones you listed have expanded recently. NCSU has a new colony as we speak (or will soon).

With our expansions at Texas A&M and Univ of South Carolina, we pretty much have our hands full at the moment. They can only do so many at large schools at once.

I'd like to see more Gamma Phi chapters in the south as well. A chapter at Butler University in Indianapolis would be nice, too!

Great list of schools UCLAblondeGPhiB!

I am sure that they must be decent enough because B-S did open for expansion in the 2003-2004 school year. I haven't followed it because we already have a chapter there.

UCF is open. Yes, I know that AEPhi is colonizng in the spring but they are looking to add an additonal group.

To add to SmartBlondeGPhB's list:

CSU-Northridge just added DZ as did Florida.

South Florida just added ZTA.

Louisiana State U. (panhellenic) would LOVE to add a new group but LOTS of things need to be worked out with the university. Lots of threads on this subject.

Wake Forest U. is adding DZ and once they settle ADII is supposed to be next according to the panhellenic report.

MS State - AOII tried to colonize recently and it was not successful.

Cornell just added Alpha Xi Delta.

U. of Arkansas-Fayetteville WAS open but they decided to close before the presentations. Supposedly, they wanted to go to a new recruitment schedule and work those kinks out before throwing a new group in the mix.

New chapters...
 

Troy State University would be an awesome place to have a chapter...however, it's hard for them to expand for Panhellenic.
They always have around the same number of ladies go through formal recruitment, and have for about 10-15 years. I know the Panhellenic advisor down there.

For IFC, it hasn't been so bad. Since 1993, they have added Farmhouse and they JUST added Alpha Tau Omega this last year. Good guys in both groups.

Would love to see them expand--this was my alma mater!

Georgia Tech. I have read in their newspaper in the past that one local wanted to go National about 2-3 years ago. I think if GT were to open for expansion ( I don't think they are now), Gamma Phi might be good. With the UGA chapter about 2 hours away, and Auburn, Clemson, and UA nearby--it could work.

Any news on the USC colonization?

Don't forget SPSU, which is only about 20 minutes away. And Athens is only about an hour away. (c:

It could work, IMO. But I'm not sure that Gamma Phi expands using local sororities anymore.

Isn't there an inactive chapter at LA State? I think that my cousin's FMIL initiated in that chapter, because she helped colonize ours.

Yup, Gamma Lambda 1964 -1977. The housing corp. held on to the property until the early 1990's and then they sold the house to Sigma Phi Epsilon. It's still a very pretty 3-story house.

Gamma Phis in the South
 

I just moved to Arkansas from Idaho (where there's not a lot of Gamma Phi houses, but at least there's some). I would love to see some sort of alumnae organization start up somewhere around here! I live right by the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and greek life is big here. It would be nice to see Gamma Phi here! I would love to help out as much as possible.!

Any chapter in Kentucky please!!!! At Morehead State, we are the only chapter in Kentucky and the closest chapter is 2 and a half hours away in Miami (OH). I would love to see the UK chapter recolonize, but anywhere (UofL, WKU, EKU, Georgetown, Transylvania, NKU) would help us so much!!! It makes me sad when Chi Omega has States Day every year with all of their chapters from the State meeting and we are the only chapter in our state. I would love to see more Gamma Phi Chapters in the South, it would help our recognition out so much.

University of California San Diego

California State University San Marcos


If we got those two, we'd totally have the San Diego market covered. We'd be like the Gamma Phi Mafia. :)


.....Kelly :)

Tears in my eyes
 

As I was reading this thread I teared up... I wish Beta Beta were back (Univ of Maryland) I am hoping that before my biological sisters go to college it will be back. Heres to hoping!
In IIKE
Megan

All of California is a Gamma Phi Mafia... I think Province 16 (A and B combined) is the largest Province still (could be wrong now)... now it's just a matter of increasing involved members and alumnae!

It would be really cool to get CSUSM and UCSD though... the four major Universities in San Diego... wow.

And 16 doesn't cover all of CA even. Northern CA is in 13.....

i'd like to see the UT chapter re-colonize. there are still tons of alum around! even here in corpus christi (3 hours away) we have about 10 alums. now, they are all well towards their fifty-year pin (one already has it), but they would be willing to help out and would be soooooo happy. since we have one at A&M now, it would be fun to see the UT group re-colonize.

Those of us who wanted to see more GPhi representation in the south...Emory Panhellenic invited Gamma Phi Beta to colonize!

So so so happy for a chapter in my hometown! When I went to the local greek apparel store, the girl at the register mentioned how few people come in for Gamma Phi apparel...now that is about to change :)

that's great news! go gamma phi!

I'm terribly biased . . .but Gamma Chi at Texas State University! When we went off , we were all sent a letter stating that we would be recolonizing in 2000 - but since then, nothing. It's the third largest public university in Texas! I do know that AOII went on - and then off - since 2000. I don't know what's up, but would love to know (especially since I'm organizing a reunion for 1980 - 1990 initiates, and THEY all want to know!)

a couple of my alums (i'm the crescent circle chair, that's why i say "my") went to SWT. I have not heard of the campus even talking about expansion, so I'm not sure that will happen any time soon.

BUT...we are moving up in Texas! In case you haven't heard, we are colonizing at TCU in fall and presenting at UTSA in about 2 weeks. That would be awesome! I would love to have another collegiate chapter only 2 1/2 hours away! Right now, A&M is 4 hours and SMU is ~5 hours away. There is a chapter here at A&M-Corpus Christi. UNT is also open and we have submitted a packet, but I haven't heard anything more.

Now I've got my fingers crossed for UT-San Antonio. We presented March 22nd, I think - anyone heard anything?

Haven't heard a word yet. I hope we get it.

I totally agree with tinydancer- I want Alpha Zeta at UT to recolonize soooo badly. I can't imagine how much work that would be. I applaud all you alumnae who help out with colonization! And we have a chapter at College Station now, and are colonizing at Tyler and (I think) San Antonio... come on, when can we go back to Austin? :)
But then I was reading that thread about escalating property taxes in the greek/ west campus area of Austin and it sounds a bit scary. Well, I guess that's why we call this the "dream expansions" thread.
Also, have we had a chapter at the University of Kentucky? It would be great to see us (re)colonize there, too.

Just as an aside, I think the way Alpha Zeta's loss was handled was a real lesson in how NOT to handle a difficult situation. At the time, we were told we would never be able to go back to UT as long as that particular Panhellenic advisor was there. UT is really a little kingdom of its own. I'd love to go back - but I know we sold our house.
There are enough successful ALpha Zetas, though, that if we did get a chance we would have pretty strong financial backing to purchase a house, I think.

If you haven't seen the press release
 

Gamma Phi Beta continues to grow in the state of Georgia and in the Greater Atlanta area! Kennesaw State University, the third largest university in the University System of Georgia, has invited Gamma Phi Beta to colonize a chapter on its campus this coming January; for more information, please see the attached press release.

Centennial, CO – Gamma Phi Beta International Sorority is delighted to announce that it has accepted the invitation of the campus Panhellenic Association to colonize a chapter at Kennesaw State University (KSU) in Kennesaw, GA, in January 2008. Kennesaw State is the third largest university in the University System of Georgia.
Gamma Phi Beta currently has 117 collegiate chapters throughout North America, with two other extensions planned for this year. In addition to the KSU extension, Gamma Phi Beta will join both the campus of Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, and the campus of the University of Texas – San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas, this coming fall.
“Kennesaw State is a thriving campus, with programs and facilities that are growing with the student population,” said Krista Davis, Gamma Phi Beta Collegiate Vice President. “It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to participate in our campus visit and presentation in early May, and I was very impressed with the warm welcome we received throughout the day.”
Gamma Phi Beta’s international volunteers, International Headquarters staff and more than 1400 Metropolitan Atlanta alumnae look forward to a promising partnership between the Sorority, the University and the KSU Panhellenic Association.
“Both Gamma Phi Beta and our Atlanta alumnae are thrilled to begin a new chapter at this progressive and dynamic university,” Davis said.

I got that email this morning and I was so excited! What a way to start the day! :)

Cobb County what! Cool that the SPSU chapter is just down the road.

I would LOVE to see us at Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State Univ.), without looking it up I thought we have a closed chapter there... Arkansas State, Murray State, and Univ. of Missouri Rolla, would also be some of my top choices. :-) :D

TWO down, several to go.

Your wish is granted!