School Forcing Locals to go National

[USUCK]

I go to a school where there are only 3 fraternities. One local, one national, and one dissafiliated. The school recently passed a rule saying that all of the local organizations have to go national. Has anyone ever heard of this?

Originally Posted by USUCK

I go to a school where there are only 3 fraternities. One local, one national, and one dissafiliated. The school recently passed a rule saying that all of the local organizations have to go national. Has anyone ever heard of this?

Yes it happens.

Your situation is not unique.

[CrackerBarrel]

All meaning the only one? And clearly yours or you wouldn't say "all" to make it so dramatic.

I don't know, I go to a school with no locals. It does make sense though since nationals provide a lot from a risk management standpoint that a local by its nature can't (oversight, rules, consultants and probably most importantly pool liability insurance).

[cuteASAbug]

It happens more often than you think.

[Benzgirl]

Yes.
Around 2000 Joh Carroll University (Ohio) told their locals that they had to go NPC or disband.

Kappa Delta Gamma became Kappa Kappa Gamma (my boss helped with the installation)
Theta Kappa became Kappa Delta;
Pi Sigma Phi became Kappa Alpha Theta;
Lambda Gamma Sigma became Gamma Phi Beta;
Delta Delta Xi became Chi Omega.
Lambda Chi Rho did not go national. The girls then merged with Kappa Delta

The fraternities did the same:

Alpha Rho Omega became Sigma Phi Epsilon.
Phi Beta Phi became Sigma Alpha Epsilon, which went inactive in 2004
Delta Kappa Psi became Phi Kappa Tau, which is inactive
Phi Alpha Tau became Kappa Sigma
Iota Beta Gamma and Iota Chi Upsilon did not affiliate with a national.
Since then, Beta Theta Pi has formed a colony.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by USUCK

I go to a school where there are only 3 fraternities. One local, one national, and one dissafiliated.

What do you mean by disaffiliated?

[ASTalumna06]

Yes, this happened at my school. Sigma Kappa Nu, or the SKNs (pronounced as "skins") were forced to go national, but they chose not to, and they are no longer recognized by campus. However, they do still attend some Greek events, they have a house and host parties that are attended by many students, and they have an annual football game that they play against Delta Chi (which they used to play against KDR up until 3 years ago). They are still prominent on campus, they still wear their letters, they do still recruit and get new members (although no one is really sure how) and they show up at Greek events open to all students, but they can not actively participate in them.

As CrackerBarrel mentioned, one of the main reasons for my campus doing this was the concern with a lack of insurance. It's a liability issue for the school that they don't want put on their shoulders.

And actually, the Delta Chi chapter was originally a local fraternity, Beta Upsilon Nu (or the BUNs! haha) and they chose to go national, although I'm not sure if this was a result of pressure from the university.

[fantASTic]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

Yes, this happened at my school. Sigma Kappa Nu, or the SKNs (pronounced as "skins") were forced to go national, but they chose not to, and they are no longer recognized by campus. However, they do still attend some Greek events, they have a house and host parties that are attended by many students, and they have an annual football game that they play against Delta Chi (which they used to play against KDR up until 3 years ago). They are still prominent on campus, they still wear their letters, they do still recruit and get new members (although no one is really sure how) and they show up at Greek events open to all students, but they can not actively participate in them.

As CrackerBarrel mentioned, one of the main reasons for my campus doing this was the concern with a lack of insurance. It's a liability issue for the school that they don't want put on their shoulders.

And actually, the Delta Chi chapter was originally a local fraternity, Beta Upsilon Nu (or the BUNs! haha) and they chose to go national, although I'm not sure if this was a result of pressure from the university.

Interestingly, in my experience, as long as a local doesn't care about campus recognition I haven't really seen it hurt it much..minus them not getting a say in IFC/PHC stuff. When it comes down to it, if the actives say you're a member and the alumni say you're a member, what do you care if the campus does? You have no nationals that can do anything to you...and the school loses the right to discipline you and hold you to things like rush rules and so on. As with the SKNs, other Greeks will usually still recognize you as well.

Not that I'm advocating this, but I've seen locals do this and it's worked out nicely for them - better than when they were affiliated with campus.

[breathesgelatin]

Originally Posted by fantASTic

Interestingly, in my experience, as long as a local doesn't care about campus recognition I haven't really seen it hurt it much..minus them not getting a say in IFC/PHC stuff. When it comes down to it, if the actives say you're a member and the alumni say you're a member, what do you care if the campus does? You have no nationals that can do anything to you...and the school loses the right to discipline you and hold you to things like rush rules and so on. As with the SKNs, other Greeks will usually still recognize you as well.

Not that I'm advocating this, but I've seen locals do this and it's worked out nicely for them - better than when they were affiliated with campus.

That's only some campuses though. On other campuses, not having campus recognition might effectively kill a chapter. You have to know your territory.

[fantASTic]

Originally Posted by breathesgelatin

That's only some campuses though. On other campuses, not having campus recognition might effectively kill a chapter. You have to know your territory.

True..it would really depend on how much of a hand the campus has in your everyday activities and recruitment.

[DS_Castro]

I'm apart of a local frat.
My university doesn't recognize any sororities or fraternities. Currently we have:
Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Phi
Sigma Chi
and ourselves

We broke off from Beta Theta Pi, which also was not recognized.

We still go around advertising we are the fraternities and sororities of our university. The University basically just doesn't give us any sort of cash or other benefit.

We think it would be beneficial to get the school to recognize us, so all 4 groups are working together to get it done. It looks like it might happen in the next handful of years. ... now im worried we will be forced into a national. :S

[honeychile]

It happened at Wake Forest many years ago, too. Something about the original charter would not allow sororities, so there were societies. The societies had to go NPC due to risk management.

[newbiedude69]

Originally Posted by DS_Castro

I'm apart of a local frat.
My university doesn't recognize any sororities or fraternities. Currently we have:
Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Phi
Sigma Chi
and ourselves

We broke off from Beta Theta Pi, which also was not recognized.

We still go around advertising we are the fraternities and sororities of our university. The University basically just doesn't give us any sort of cash or other benefit.

We think it would be beneficial to get the school to recognize us, so all 4 groups are working together to get it done. It looks like it might happen in the next handful of years. ... now im worried we will be forced into a national. :S

I wonder why you are worried about being forced into a national?

Are you in Canada?

Why did you break off of BTP?

Lots of open statements and questions.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by newbiedude69

I wonder why you are worried about being forced into a national?

Are you in Canada?

Why did you break off of BTP?

Lots of open statements and questions.

I can't speak for this person, but in my experience, from talking to members of locals, they don't want to become nationals because of the history behind their organization, and because they'd have to learn an entirely new system all over again. Look at your own organization. Imagine your school saying, "You can be recognized by campus.. but first you have to give up your ritual, your traditions, your symbols, your crest, your philanthropies, your new member program, (etc.), and lastly, your letters.”

That's all they've ever known. How do you think you would feel about it?

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by newbiedude69

I wonder why you are worried about being forced into a national?

Are you in Canada?

Why did you break off of BTP?

Lots of open statements and questions.

Yes, Tom, I think you can assume that when someone puts "Canada! University in Quebec" as their location, they are indeed in Canada.

The only question I have is why do you think we can't tell who you are?