Looking to Start Chapter at School
 

My buddies and I are wondering what are the necessary actions for starting a new chapter at our college. As of now, there are three chapters on campus and we don't agree with thier views/actions/what they stand for. It seems as if they are in it for the name rather than the brotherhood. If you can give us any advice, please do so.

A chapter of what?

Not sure yet. We were thinking Pi Kappa Alpha.

Im not to sure how you start a PIKE chapter. My chapter of Phi Gamma Delta was just recolonized and rechartered within the last 4 years. I know that a person who was interested in starting the chapter sent a letter to the IHQ describing why FIJI needed to colonize at my school. Things went from there. I suggest that you contact the fraternity's headquarters that you are interested in and find out more information from them. Every fraternity has a different way they go about adding new chapters. Good Luck!

Since your school has Greek Life, it may have had chapters of other nationals? Like wave101, you may be better off teaming up with the alums of a bygone chapter, that they might want to recolonize?

Generally, most of the huge nationals like Pike (190+ chapters) are interested in expansion, but they all have a "roadmap" of a few houses a year, and those sites are pretty much scoped out for the next couple of years. So, most likely, you would "get in line", and be behind those projects that are well-along.

If you go to the websites of smaller nationals, you can get a sense of their spirit for expansion. If they list plans, have an expansion director, and ask "Want to start a chapter of XYZ?" that's a good indication. About half the "welterweight" nationals (30 to 150 chapters) look like they want to expand.

What other colleges are near you? And what houses are on those campuses? If they are strong chapters, with strong alums, that can help.

Are you near a big city, where there are jobs, and alums? A new chapter will bring alums out of the woodwork, you can easily get their help.

Keep your college - both the administration, as well as the local IFC - posted. It helps if your college is pro-Greek, not just tolerating the existing houses, but valuing their leadership and alumni support. And, if the other houses struggle to recruit, maybe the IFC isn't open to expansion? However, healthy houses want other healthy houses, what's good for one Greek is good for all.

Your best bet would be to go to your Director of Greek life or whoever is in charge of IFC and let them know that you are interested. I think most schools will officially declare you as an interest group. As in interest group you select a fraternity to align yourself with and follow their procedures to become a colony. Not every fraternity will take you. As a colony you are basically super pledges. You aren’t brothers and won’t be until you get your charter. Once your national fraternity decides that you have satisfied their requirements they will vote to extend you a charter and you will become an official chapter. At that point all the members of the Colony will be initiated and become full brothers.

Spend a good amount of time researching what national fraternity to align yourself with. Some will be very helpful while others will just put you on a list. Some national fraternities are dying while others still maintain millions in assets. I would defiantly give a hard look at organizations that have a past at your school. The alumni will be very helpful in re-founding and pushing for your Colony status and eventually your charter. They will also give you some financial backing which is nice because you are probably starting without any assets.

I can honestly tell you from personal experience that starting a fraternity is extremely difficult, especially if you do not have a house.

The only way that it would be feasible is to contact the Headquarters of whatever Fraternity you are thinking of and having their support in raising money for a house on campus. And then possibly having them send over a consultant (usually a former President of another chapter) and help start it out.


I don't mean to discourage but even if you have a house, the rules, regulations, paperwork, is seriously no joke. But I wish you the best of luck.

I admit I don't know much about the policies/procedures of IFC or it's member orgs. I know with Panhellenic you can't just start a chapter of one of it's groups without their express permission (aka charter). They will offer guidance and support. If the campus is governed by NPC then the University must be open for expansion. Then the GLO's must go through the presentation process and be selected. Does IFC follow a similar process?

However, there are cases were local GLO's petition one of the I/natl orgs to become one of their Chapters. Again though, presumably the local group must be recognized and approved by the University. The I/natl must also be invited/accepted. We're not allowed to just randomly start chapters on any campus we want to.

This is a huge generalization and often just flat out untrue in many cases. At some schools none of the fraternities have official houses, and at some schools where they DO have houses, the houses aren't on campus.

My campus had no greek life housing and in the last five years, I know at least 4 fraternities were chartered and became full chapters on campus.