Local Recognition
 

This is a question for all the locals on Greek Chat. Are you recognized by your college/university?

I sent an e-mail to a university where I thought there might be a fraternity that uses the same name as my sorority and this is what I got back...

"There is a unrecognized fraternity that uses the name Alpha Theta Chi. This group is in no way affiliated or supported by the University, and I do not have any contact information."

I don't understand why some schools don't recognize local organizations. They recognize social clubs but not a local fraternities or sororities. :mad:

Local Recognition
 

It could as simple as they did not go through the proper channels for creating a recognized group. Most schools have guidelines (creation of a constitution, etc.) for clubs and organizations to organize themselves. Some groups form without going through these channels and are therefore unrecognized by university. If the fraternity was sued over a hazing or alcohol incident, the university would surely say thei weren't recognized to protect themselves. In college, the groups who were unrecognized were "underground". One was a local sorority who hazed and had alcohol at rush. One was a national fraternity who were on national probation from their organization and the unversity banned them for a year. Sort of dumb b/c they still took members and had something bad happened when they weren't recognized the university still would have been somewhat liable.

Denise

My local social sorority is recognized by my university, and by all Greek life on campus. We are a chartered organization with the university, have rooms and a chapter room in the all-sorority dorm (since sororities can't have houses), have two representatives on our campus's Panhellenic Council, and participate in Greek Week and all other campus activities. Denise brought up a good point, that the fraternity might not have followed the right steps to becoming an organization. Does the fraternity have a website with contact information? Maybe do a search for them on Google or something...that might bring up some guys that you could reach. Good luck!

I have talked to a member of a local sorority at their school and she said that ALL locals are unrecognized not just that one fraternity.

Unfortunatly, no university here recognizes fraternities or sororities, whether they are local or international :( INfact, our Prez was a frosh leader and they made her sign a paper that said she wouldn't wear her letters or talk to any Frosh about RUSH/IBCHI

:eek: Oh my gosh, I can't believe that a university would go through such trouble to make sure that greek life isn't heard of. I would think that maybe they made her not talk about it because it might be considered "dirty rushing" if there are other sororities, but I'm sure that's not it. What is their reasoning behind them not recognizing greek life? Maybe its in a student handbook or something? I'm really curious about this.

Many universities that are categorically opposed to Greeks forbid students wearing letters from participating in freshman activities (such as move-in), forbid posters on college property with letters on them, etc. Official student orgs only.

>What is their reasoning behind them not recognizing greek life?

Just based on the school I know best, the reasoning was as follows:

1. They discriminate based on gender. This one's a dealbreaker at some schools -- only performing groups are grandfathered in and permitted to be single-sex.

2. Some schools require only local groups, not nationals, because the school believes admission to any student group should be decided by other students only, and non-University sources (i.e. alumni) should have no say in whether students are admitted to the group. National groups like Amnesty International are allowed to have a campus chapter because everyone is allowed to participate. (These schools generally have a Phi Beta Kappa chapter, though.)

3. Some schools believe that Greeks only benefit themselves, and that you should take the time you spend being president of XYZ and instead be president of a political, cultural, artistic, or athletic group, which would then benefit the student body as a whole instead of just the sisters/brothers.

I'm just the messenger...Ivy

Oh do I know this feeling. I am a member of Pi Beta Phbi and were are unrecognized by our university. We are not a club, we cannot advertise in res. we cannot have a booth set up for club days. we are not allowed to recruit on campus, basically we are not allowed to be there period. The simple version of the story is the because we "discriminate" based on gender wwe cannot be a university recognized club.

So it's not just locals that aren't recognized. But don't let that discourage you. keep doing what you're doing. One day it might just turn around,


Pi Phi Love and Mine,

Emily

Since you all can't advertise, how do you all get your name around?