Graduate Students as Collegians
 

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Do you mean go through rush as a grad student, or stay active in the chapter as a grad student if you're already a sister?

I mean go through a COR. I wouldn't suggest Rush because not all organizations would be receptive to a grad student and that would be hard on someone.

I know my chapter of AOII here at Ole Miss does not allow a graduate student to become a collegiate member. She could think about Alumnae Initiation maybe. We have allowed some 5th year seniors to stay active.

JocelynC is right, Phi Sigma Sigma allows grad students to become active collegians.:)

This has been my experience as well concerning AOII.

I know this is possible with AOII. I have talked to several advisors who say it is allowed in the constitution and by-laws of the International Fraternity. I am sure this is not widely known and also not a very popular thing to do for many reasons.

CaliPhiSig03, does this happen often and how is the response when it is brought up? Do you know anyone who has expereinced it or do you just know it is possible?

Hi There,

I am a sister of CaliPhiSig and I was a graduate student who became a founder of our chapter. I'm not sure how much it happens across the US and Canada at other Phi Sig chapters but our chapter has had quite a few women become collegians as a grad student. A lot of it is going to depend on the demographics of the campus - we're a commuter campus with an average age in the mid to low 20's so that makes a difference.

I know that I have written in a couple of forums about my fantastic experiences as a 30 something Graduate Student active as a collegian. Also, PhiSigScooby has written about her experiences. What you might want to do is do a search using our names and then look for forums that would seem to be about graduates as collegians. I know there is at least one in Rush, one in the Phi Sig forum and I think a few other areas in chit chat.

Carolyn

No for DPhiE. Only undergraduates. I'm sure Grad Students could seek alumnae initiation if they had in some way served the sorority.

ADPi accepts undergraduate members only for collegiate membership.

There was a pretty recent discussion about this, involving questions of the workload that some graduate students face and how not all Masters programs are created equally. It also had to deal with actually going through Rush as a graduate student.

Maybe these two can be merged?

Good thing there's that search button. Here it is.

http://greekchat.com/gcforums/showth...aduate+Student

Actually, according to the Constitution of AOII (which I actually have with me - which is rather sad!), alumnae members enrolled as an undergraduate OR graduate student at a school with an AOII chapter MAY affilliate with that chapter -- at the discretion of said chapter (for the graduate student alumna - undergrads can affliate if they want to). Basically the collegiate chapter make that call but nothing says they HAVE to accept graduate students into the collegiate chapter - and as a graduate student I can also see why many graduate students would not pursue collegiate membership because of the time and money obligations.

Just a side note to Roquemae - be careful at how your word statements about what other fraternities allow and don't allow. Just because several advisors say something does not mean that it is completely true. I would recommend to only make statements about your own fraternities policies and procedures rather than delving into another fraternities. . . .

Sarah

Roqueemae,

Well my sister responded to you before I could, and she's a lot more helpful than I am since she's experienced this. As far as the response to this, I can only speak for my chapter, but we're totally open to having grad students join our collegiate chapter. It adds even more diversity to our chapter!

You are right about not posting about other organizations rules. I wasn't thinking so clearly. My point of reference was from a chapter who HAD invited a grad student so I assumed (and I hate saying that word because you know what they say about assuming...) that it would be ok.

Also, I swear I tried to do a seach before starting this thread. I must have not used the right words because all I found was some threads from 2002 and I wanted new information.

Lambda Chi Alpha.

Active only as an undergraduate. Reaching 5 th year may opt for Alum Status.

AI is done on a very selective basis and has to be approved by the Grand High Pi (Letter for Advisor), one of our International Board members.

See, there lies the problem. A collegiate chapter is BOUND by the regulations of the college/university with regards to whom they may invite for membership (usually only undergraduate students) - meaning Graduate Students who are NOT already alumnae members of AOII are not allowed to pledge - but can go through AI. These are different programs and different requirements, etc. This is different than a collegiate chapter allowing a graduate student who is an alumna to be an active collegiate member of the chapter (but the grad student is still technically an alumna!).

Once again, don't post policy statements for an organization that you do not belong to - especially since you'll usually find a member of that org that has a copy of the constitution, by-laws, policies and procedures to prove you wrong - or in this instance show you that the information you gave is not exactly correct.

Sarah

Phi Kappa Psi
 

We require that the gentleman be a full time degree seeking student at the host institution. That means that grad students can pledge, and be active.

Our most famous case of this involves Woodrow Wilson. He attended Davidson as a freshman, and never joined a fraternity. He transfered to Princeton where he stayed out of the fraternity system. He attended law school at the University of Virginia where he joined Phi Psi, and served as chapter president. Later on, he attended Johns Hopkins where he transfered his membership, and again served as a chapter president.

I don't think that's what they mean at all. I think their reasoning is that grad school is harder and more time consuming than undergrad and dividing your time between that and a sorority would be too difficult. Of course that's kind of assuming but I would guess that groups who specifically prohibit it have a reason...that there's been a bad experience in the past. Also, housing policies might factor into this.

I know that ASA offers scholarships specifically for members doing graduate work, and the majority are available to undergrads OR grad students.

BetaRose, I don't think that is entirely fair. NPC is for undergraduate women. The creed even begins, "We, as Undergraduate Members of women's fraternities..." It is understood that sororities joining the NPC follow its bylaws. What is so wrong about a group of organizations formed to support undergraduate students? If you start allowing huge numbers of graduate students and doctoral candidates into the collegiate membership, you will drastically change the culture of that collegiate membership.

My 2 cents is that a graduate student is surrounded by different influences, priorities and pressures than an undergraduate, and is at a different place in her life. Certainly a graduate student still has a need for the friendships one might find in a sorority, but typically, that grad student's priorities are less on the Thursday night social and more on writing a dissertation, balancing a full time job and/or family with school and a considerably more aggressive courseload. A grad student has different needs than an undergrad. ETA I believe NPC recognizes that, and that is why collegiate membership is, for the most, part restricted to undergrads. Graduate students could not be as hugely involved, for the most part, as collegiate members, and it wouldn't be fair to place the same expectations of time on them as on the undergrads. Most graduate students get very close to their classmates and study groups, and that forms the basis for their social circle through those grueling years of graduate work, as well as joining pre-professional societies and organizations. If there is a need for fraternal organizations to support graduate students, I say go for it. If there truly is a need and an interest, it will catch on.

All the NPC sororities offer alumnae components, and their scholarship programs endow undergrads, grad students and those returning to school for continued learning.