Fraternity Expansion at Ball State
 

So in February my campus (Ball State) is having four fraternities present on the campus: Pi Kappa Phi, Phi Kappa Psi, Pi Kappa Alpha, and Delta Sigma Phi

If you know anything about our campus you know the fraternity system (IFC) has been dwindling. We still have Delta Tau Delta, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Chi, Theta Chi, Phi Delta Theta, Phi Gamma Delta, Phi Sigma Kappa, and Zeta Beta Tau.

I am a senior now, and in the four years I have been here we lost Alpha Tau Omega, Beta Theta Pi, Delta Chi, and Lambda Chi Alpha. Only about 6% of our school is greek yet some of the houses have a very small amount of people in them. Others of course are thriving and well, but I really think reputations and alumni support have made a difference with those.

Ball State isn't a commuter school and I know the Greek system used to be huge. It is still the best way to get involved on campus and many of our student campus leaders are Greek. I hope that maybe adding more fraternities will give other guys new options and expand the fraternities here.

I have never been through the experience of new groups coming to campus so this should be exciting (as far as rumors go, the campus apperently wants to add up to 4 fraternities in the next few years). So, I will try to keep you all updated.

huh huh huh, he said ball, huh huh huh

Do you know how come they aren't trying to bring back some of the chapters that have closed in recent years? Some of those were for no reason other than $$$. ATO is a prime example of a chapter that had a long history there with lots of alumni support. Did they look at bringing any of those back?
Ball State as an institution needs to step up to the plate and provide more support for Greek Life than it currently is.
(by the way, I'm an alum, class of '92)

Hey, I actually wondered that myself. I know some of them can come back now. I think a few either have financial issues not worked out yet or were kicked off for other reasons and may have a little more of a wait period.... I am not sure of all the details and Im sure you know how rumors and things spread so I don't want to say anything wrong.

However, I have heard that ATO has had some strong alum support for awhile now and many people talk about them coming back. No one is using their house either. I really do not know why they aren't back on campus though, and it is a shame if they really do have stong alum support for this to happen.

I don't know if there are reasons this committee has for them not coming back, if they are really making plans to come back, or what to be quite honest. There has been talk of expanding the fraternities for some time now and this is the first piece of information we have gotten.

I do know they want to add around 4 fraternities in the next few years, so its possible they are talking about bringing some of the others back. Whatever I find out I can keep you updated.

Is Ball State starting to come around for a positive spin on Greek Life? Sounds like it a little bit.

But, a lot has to do with the feelings of the Campus itself. It is a two sided coin isnt it?

What makes a Great Greek Campus? I just wish I knew the answer.

My Alma Mater is in a slump with 3 Sororitys and 6 Fraternitys with little hope if any kind of expansion.:(

http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbc...602040315/1002

MUNCIE -- Over the next few years, Ball State University could add four new fraternities to its Greek roster, with the first chapter arriving as early as this fall.

Other IFC fraternity members say the expansion will boost the visibility of Ball State's Greek system, one that has experienced the loss of five IFC fraternities since 2002. The most recent, Lambda Chi Alpha, was closed by its national chapter in December 2004 for failure to meet minimal expectations.
...

Those national fraternities include Pi Kappa Phi, Delta Sigma Phi, Pi Kappa Alpha and Phi Kappa Psi.

I thought Pike was already at Ball State, unless they were one of the fraternities that closed in recent years.

No, I don't know if we have ever had Pike. They are actually coming today at 5:15 to present. I missed Pi Kappa Phi but got to meet some of the guys afterward at a resturant and they seemed really nice. I went to the presentation by Phi Psi and it seemed like everyone there really liked them. I think what really sold a lot of people was the proximity to headquarters and the amount of alum support in the area. I think the main thing the campus is concerned about is bringing a fraternity on and having it fail.
I'm not sure when the expansion committee will announce who they want to come on, but I know they want the first group to be here in the fall so it should be sometime by the end of the semester.

Update: Plans to Add 5 Fraternities at Ball State

Plans have been announced to add five fraternities at Ball State U. over the next 6 or 7 years. (Kind of an eternity in terms of undergraduate life, I know.) The fraternities are

Delta Sigma Phi
Pi Kappa Phi
Phi Kappa Psi
Lambda Chi Alpha
Alpha Tau Omega

The article (see below) states the year that each is expected to colonize. For Lambda Chi and ATO I believe it will be a return to Ball State.


The Associated Press story is available at:

http://www.thetimesonline.com/articl...4f006030a6.txt

Well it's good to see something happen after fraternity life seemingly shrivling up and dying the past ten years or so. It will be a return to Ball State for Lambda Chi Alpha and Alpha Tau Omega. I wonder, will they be getting their houses back?

For the others, it will be their first time at Ball State.

Let's just hope this marks a Greek rennaisance at BSU!

Having Knowledge of LXA Expansion, We have come to the point, if there is not a chance for Growth, We will not go there.

We have a strong Contingent of ELCs, Oor Educational Leadership Consultants who travel and check out Schools. They talk to everyone, Greeks, and Admins. EtAl, to see if there is a willingness to expand to that Campus. If it is not there, We walk away no matter what.

For those that dont know, it cost between $7,000 and $ 10,000 to set up a Colony and that is with no House. That is a lot of Money isnt it?:rolleyes:

so was Pike not allowed to expand there?

PIKA2001, I'll bet you were thinking of Bowling Green, where we recently rechartered.

I always got Bowling Green and Ball State mixed up.

Since it's been a year or two since this list has been updated.
I thought i'd take the opportunity to list which fraternities are listed at Ball State.

Delta Sigma Phi
Delta Tau Delta
FIJI
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Sigma Kappa
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Chi
Sigma Nu
Sigma Phi Epsilon
Theta Chi

Pike at Ball State
 

A few years ago when the campus was expanding its fraternity offerings, Phi Gamma Delta and Pi Kappa Alpha both presented. At that time, Fiji was the one chosen. I don't think there has been an opportunity to present since then until now. The Fijis are now in the old Beta house.

I'm an active at Ball state now and just in the last 2 years ATO and Lambda Chi have both gone from colonies to having their charters back. Currently we have 11 fraternities and 10 sororities (IFC/PHC). Fraternities: ATO, Delta Tau Delta, Lambda Chi, Phi Delts, FIJI, Phi Sigs, SAE, Sig Chi, Sig Nu, Sig Ep, and Theta Chi. Sororities: AChiO, AGD, AOPi, Alpha Phi, Chi O, DZ, KD, Phi Mu, Pi Phi, and Sigma Kappa. We're at 8.6ish% of the student population being greek and I haven't heard of any colony additions coming anytime soon, but that's just what I have (or haven't) heard.

At one point, the Pike expansion was looking at Ball State. Instead, they decided to recharter at Iowa, Arizona State, Florida, and Missouri State.

I wish they would have because Pike doesn't really have a positive reputation in Indiana unless you are in the Terre Haute area. IU's chapter is down and Purdue's is always on probation.

I had heard from someone close to the expansion team that they looked at Ball State for a while until they heard about the bad reputation that Ball State's Greek life had. Is it really that bad or what?

I am by no means an expert, but I do get to campus at least once a year and I have former students who attend BSU. I wouldn't say the Greeks have a bad reputation at all. I think it's more that the university doesn't really put much emphasis on Greek life. The sororities do not have houses, they have suites on dorm floors. However, other campuses near them (Purdue and Butler) have big sorority houses so it often doesn't seem like a big deal to be in one at Ball State. The sororities seem to get along for the most part. I have former students in chapters who live in apartments with girls from different chapters. The fraternity houses aren't the huge mansions you see in the South, a few of them are pretty run down. There are tons of off campus apartments in the area and they aren't all that expensive, so Greek life doesn't have the advantage of being cheaper than apartment life. Hopefully someone who attended Ball State will post in more detail.

Thanks for more information.

When I had talked to people that I knew within the expansion team at TTKA's headquarters, they said that they had been given a bad reputation because of some of the things you mention. Greeks don't run the campus let alone does Greek life thrive there.