starting a sorority
 

A friend and I have been interested in starting a sorority at my school but the school has no recognized greek life. There is one underground fraternity, Psi Upsilon, that has to hold all of its events off-campus and receive absolutely no recognition from my school. My school is a state school but the administration won't support starting any greek organizations. Are we stuck or is there some way for us to get around/force our school to let us start a sorority chapter?

i say get your group of interests and start an interests group... something in the like of a sorority... and base it on the reasons why you want to start a sorority in the first place...and see how far your group goes.. with working together.. doing community service together.. things like that for starters.. see how well that works for one sememster... if your school notices how well you guys work together they might extend an exception to you... other schools allow organizations to exist as a just a school organization and not as a sorority or fraternity... but thats a start in most cases in which most members in an organization just want the opportunity to perform things as an unified group... Plus there's nothing wrong with being underground

Well, I disagree. There are numerous reasons why I wouldn't rush an underground chapter, but that's just me.

What exactly is the difference? I've never understood it. At my university we have an underground chapter of TKE and as far as i know they're a very well recognized national Fraternity.... so tell me exactly what makes being underground so different??

Most National organizations that are part of NIC, IFC, NPC, NPHC and multicultural organizations generally have to have legal MOU's with the college/university.

A young lady want to join my Sorority through undergraduate chapter who attend Phoenix University, the on-line University and pay as you go school. But the University refused to recognize our expansion stating a liability issues and against the mission of the university...

"Underground" refers to groups that are not recognized by the school OR by the national fraternity. Men who join these chapters are not brothers on a national level - they've never sent in national fees and are not protected by national insurance.

Being unrecognized by the school, but recognized by the national, is NOT the same as being underground AND THE TWO SHOULD NEVER BE CONFUSED. The school doesn't let them use campus facilities or post things, like they would a recognized fraternity, but there is NOTHING "illegal" about it.

I'm not sure which of these situations the TKEs at your school and the Psi Us at the OP's school fall under - but it is very important in this instance to use the correct terminology.

Lemons, PM if you'd like! I am the founder and president of a local sorority on a campus that had VERY limited Greek life!

The key here is there are NO GLOs on campus except for one undergraound Fraternity!

So, most of the posts have nothing to do with this posters situation do they?

She would be starting something intirely new. I say then to her, go for it, start a group and call it what you wish. If you want to use Greek Letters, just make sure they are not being used.

You may want to try to emulate what National Organizations do and how they run their operations as far as community efforts and conducting yourselves as such. No hazing as that is a killer.:)

Just to clarify - that does NOT mean calling yourselves Chi Omega Epsilon Pi, and having your colors be cardinal and straw, your mascot be an owl, your philanthropy be Make-A-Wish, etc... (just as an example)

It means to find out how National GLOs do business, and model yourselves after that.

sigh...If only someone else had followed this advice. *smh*

Since its a state school, you might be able to make a case for freedom of association and find out why the school is not supportive. I mean, they cannot stop you from organizing--they can choose not to recognize you but that is not usually in anyone's best interest.

I would look to see if you state system has any rules re: this as well.

Hm, I think that is what I said.

Also a good point if it is a State supported school.

I think you can start a group with out any problem. But depending on the feelings of the school, that is what the question is. I know that for example Alfred of teh NY State school system booted all GLOs off of campus because of a death due to hazing at a local fraternity.

Also, I had never heard of any money from the college to groups even GLOs until I came on G C!

Actually, only a few programs at Alfred are state supported--not the entire institution, so that is not a good example. That, of course, makes for some interest legal cases....

Heather that may be true for support with funds, but I have seen where even GLos get some financing and never understodd why even though We desearve it many times for what we do for the school and community!

I also never understood how Alfred could just shut down ALL GLOs either?

I know with LXA that if the school is anti, we will not try to expand there.

I am sure most of us feel the same way at a National level.

And an EXCELLENT example it was! :D

Dare I even ask the background on that one? :eek:

(I visit here occasionally, but still infrequently enough that I miss a lot of information. :) )

Oh, I was just impressed by AlphaFrog's knowledge of Chi Omega colors, symbol & philanthropy!

Sending you a PM :D

Thanks for the advice. The problem we're really running into is that the administration has said no to greek life. Their excuse is that people come to this school because we don't have a greek life.
So we're really just trying to find out if a public institution has the right to regulate what groups are on campus.
We're really just organizing everything right now but I'll let everyone know what happens! :)

:confused: Do they really think that the majority of people picked your school is because of the absence of Greek life? I'd hope the administration thinks that the university has a little more to offer prospective students than "no Greeks."

(I'm sure some people might shy away from a campus that had a huge proportion of Greeks, but I don't think most people would care if there were miniscule Greek system on their campus. If the group small and not too dominant, they always have the option not to join and just stay away from Greek activities.)

Most good colleges attract students because they offer a wide variety of activities and organizations. When I applied to college, I was interested in the prospective universities that were well-rounded and the choices they had. I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to major in, let alone be involved in in my spare time! I'm sure the majority of students choose a college based on what they have, not what they lack.:rolleyes:

Sounds like your university's upper management from the President down is hating on greeks...

Something similar at one of schools I attended and I conveniently told a city councilman who was a member of a very large fraternity.

Somehow that magically changed, literally overnight. This city councilman's fraternity suddenly had a seat on the student government...

So, for your last shot, you need to bring some "big wigs" to convince changes...

Sometimes, it's not how much you know, but who you know...

Okay, so apparently at my school a group of girls try every year to get a sorority going and they fail, even this year. This year should be different since we just got a new president but unfortunately the dean of students (who actually is really nice) vetos the idea before it even reaches the President. :mad:

I want to go for it and try to push this really far and we're trying to get the fraternity behind us too. It's just not looking good and it makes me angry that our school is the only one in the state that doesn't offer Greek Life (out of the public schools.) We keep getting the phrase "it's not our image." Apparently our image consists of an 85% retention rate and 60% of the campus going home on weekends...

Apparently your dean has not read Astin's theory of involvement...if someone tries every year, it sounds like students on your campus, who supposedly come because there is no Greek life, actually DO want Greeks. I mean, if its the Xth time the dean has had this request, it doesn't really make their case that Greeks are not wanted, does it?

If its important to you, I would keep trying. Maybe you can go straight to the president's office and explain the that you've already approached the dean?

Some administrators don't care if the campus is dead on weekends, just so the students are paying.

If it happens every year there is interest. I'd suggest getting as many interested students as possible and saying "we pay to come here and this is what we want as part of our undergraduate experience. If you can't provide it, prepare for an influx of transferring (or something less dramatic)."
What your university needs is a a revamp of its supposed image. Get the word out, use the school newspaper, provide contact information, detail what has happened in the past and explain what you're trying to do.

One local copied Sigma Kappa exactly at one point. Then a member got really defensive because us real sigkaps got mad. That was pretty awesome. I mean, I know we're amazing but come on, originality!

I second the newspaper idea! put it in the press that groups of students have been trying to do this for years and adminstration keeps denying them. Get interviewed about the reasons you want a sorority on campus and get the word out! stir it up and see how the administration likes looking bad for not supporting its students! I might even try to fuse this with the "big wig" idea and get it in your local towns newspaper too! Good Luck!

So, I would recommend working within the system for ~3-6 months. Review the type of Sorority, you want to be on campus and assess how long it will take you to charter a chapter, unless you want your own "homemade" sorority--and that will extend your time for 1 year because you won't have a National HQ behind you.

Then you bring in your "big wigs" to meet with the admin 3X and request for a greek life office with advisors and how your chapter will contribute to the continuity of the campus atmosphere.

Then you will have to do a large sum donation to convince the president because it is probably your old-fart alumni and trustees that are fearful of greeks.

If they screw you over, then you go the papers. Because if you play the "trump" card now, the campus will NEVER EVER have greeks. Your other issue is what happens when Sororities have a re-allocation of efforts? Then what do you do? That is another thing the old-fart alumni and trustees may have a problem with.

We're thinking of doing the whole local sorority thing. My one friend is adamant about visiting other schools in our area that have sororities which I'm totally behind. But the thing is that she wants to do that before we go ahead and do anything else, even starting a local. That's the one thing I don't agree with. I feel like we should start the foundation for our local and sort of get it running before we leave for summer break. That way we have something to come back to in the fall and work on over the summer.
I'm just wondering if anyone has any opinions about this and if being unaffiliated with the university in the beginning will have a negative impact. Also I'll be a junior next year and I plan on only spending the required four years in school so I figure let's do this ASAP! :)

I'm a member of an established local sorority in a local sorority system. The whole reason our system exists is because the faculty said no to greek life, partially to try to get students to join the "morally upright" literary organizations on campus. It took the better part of 40 years before Otterbein finally said yes to social clubs (fraternities/sororities in every way except letters), and then another 10 or so for them to accept us as letter bearing, symbol wearing, loud and proud Greeks.

Now, all that said, it aint easy being local. I don't envy those groups just starting out today. It's hard to be original when there are a MILLION groups out there today for almost every girl. The local route can/is a long and hard route. It's reality that a lot of groups start up and die off within I'd say a 10 year period following their founding. Even in my organization, we've had to be refounded more than once, and only 2 organizations on our campus are "continuous", and even they have been close to closing at more than one point.

BUT! on the other hand, creating a local sorority, even if you eventually merge with a national, can be a very great experience, an opportunity to create something that is "yours", your legacy to the campus.

Good luck.

Just in case anyone was wondering, I am going through with creating a local sorority since I just don't feel like fighting with the board of visitors and the dean about why they don't like greeks. I also joined up with another girl who is more enthusiastic about starting a sorority. My friend was just too caught up in boy drama. So far we've established almost everything and we're working on the constitution. It's so hard but so exciting. Any advice would be appreciated! :)

If you choose not to follow the local sorority route (even if you do, maybe), I'd suggest looking for local Alumnae Panhellenic groups, graduate chapters, fraternity/sorority alumni associations, etc. near your campus. There may be some local fraternity/sorority members who support your university and may be willing to put some pressure on the administration (in exchange for financial support).

And to revisit the subject, a public institution cannot restrict the type of organizations that form on its campus. I'll see if I can locate some case law to help you out, but in general, the campus is violating the right to freely associate. So long as your organization has an expressive interest and is not conducting illegal activity, there should be no reason they should forbid you, especially considering you have student interest.