I just want to exist!!

[antdiaz]

Hi, My name is Anthony Diaz and I attend Rutgers Newark in New Jersey. I along with several other guys wanted to start a Greek local BBK aka Beta Beta Kappa. Now we all knew it was going to be hard but we didn’t know there was going to be such bullshit from admin on campus. We pretty much have all the paperwork done but the only problem now is national affiliation with a Greek council.
The only way to be recognized is to have that national affiliation. Now my question is does anyone have any suggestions or councils I could apply to on a probationary period or something.

[adpiucf]

I'm not sure I understand...

My understanding is that you formed a local fraternity. Do you now want to 1) affiliate with a national fraternity (IE: Sigma Nu, Pi Kappa Phi) or 2) make your local fraternity a national by establishing it at other campuses and joining a fraternal consortium of other nationals?

If you're trying to affiliate with a national group, you really don't need university approval. Take a look at the current national fraternities. See if there's one that your group really identifies with and contact them to solicit your interest in their colonizing at your school. A national fraternity can exist at a university without administrative support, unlike a national sorority which must be invited to the university.

Kevin or Tom may have better info in taking a local national.

[antdiaz]

We started a local but it’s not recognized and we want to be but the University said we need a national recognition from a national Greek council before they would let us be recognized. So every council said I need to be recognized by the university before they could. We don’t want to change our letters and become a colony we want to try to keep our name.

[adpiucf]

Do you have Greek Life on your campus? Is there an IFC or Multi-cultural Greek Council?

[antdiaz]

There is but either the Greeks on the council hate us or intimidated because the administrator doesn’t want us to be recognized so there not really a help.

[PenguinTrax]

Have you contacted the IFC to find out what it takes to become an associate member of that organization?

[adpiucf]

It is possible for a local to affiliate with the campus IFC, but you may need to change your approach and look to make friends with these guys. You'd have to follow their bylaws as it pertains to rush and establishing as a campus organization.

Another option is to establish yourself as a Greek-letter service organization or a faith-based group. Then you would be an auxilary of campus activities or campus ministries, respectively.

You won't be able to take your one chapter and become a national fraternity, however. So if you have to "go national," then this means taking your local and becoming an NIC fraternity-- giving up your letters and ritual to become part of a multi-chapter university. Consider what is more important to you.

[antdiaz]

It all involes being being reconginzed by the university in order to get that kind of status. So its like we need to be an associate member to get reconignized by we cant do that without university recongition

[TSteven]

I think I understand your issue. Y'all want to remain local, but the Rutgers Newark Administration requires chapters to belong to a Greek Council.

The University of Kentucky (UK) has a similar policy. To be recognized by the University Administration, social Greek Letter Organizations (GLO) must be part of an inter/national organization - i.e. have an inter/national HQ. If a social GLO is not recognized by the University, then it can not be part of the IFC or PC and NPHC.

However, various groups at UK may apply for 'club' status and all the rights that go with it. You (BBK) might want to consider this as an option *for now*. Doing so may allow you (BBK) time to work with both the administration and the IFC to find an appropriate solution (associate membership perhaps) for your organization.

Best of luck.