I need help!

[Jill E.]

We are looking at starting Greek Life at my University.

Just a few questions:

1. What is the name of your University and for how long have you had Greek Life?
2. What is your student population and what percentage of students are involved in Greek Life?
3. What is an average per semester cost for dues?
4. How many fraternities/sororities do you have on your campus?
5. What type of rush do you have (deferred, formal, etc.)
6. What are the positives/negatives of having Greek Life on your campus?

Thank you so much for your time! It is much appreciated!

[PhoenixAzul]

1. What is the name of your University and for how long have you had Greek Life?

Otterbein College. Offical fraternity/sorority life since 1921 I believe, however, most orgs were "societal" or "clubs" before taking official greek letters.
2. What is your student population and what percentage of students are involved in Greek Life?

3500 total, about 2500 traditional undegrad. approximately 35% greek.
3. What is an average per semester cost for dues?

I'd say $50 is campus average. Some are a little more, some are a little less. Being local gives us a lot of leway with dues. My chapter gives you a discount if you make 3.5 or higher.

4. How many fraternities/sororities do you have on your campus?

6 local sororities
6 local fraternities
1 national colony (Alpha Sigma Phi)
2 NPHC city-wide fraternities
4 NPHC city-wide sororities (one of those is a colony, I believe it is Alpha Kappa Alpha or perhaps Delta Sigma Theta)

5. What type of rush do you have (deferred, formal, etc.)

Women have formal rush during winter quarter (basically the entire month of january) only. No COB's. Men rush mainly during winter quarter, although it starts mid jan, not at the beginning like the women. Fraternities may hold spring rush at their own volition (meaning that the GL office wont help them, they have to advertise and such on their own while still following formal rush rules). NPHC orgs have their own processes.

6. What are the positives/negatives of having Greek Life on your campus?

Positives :
1)Being an almost entirely local campus is great. Every chapter has it's own flavor and unique traits.
2) Dues are affordable for almost everyone. You meet a TON of people, and 35% of the campus is in on it. Since the campus is small, it gives you something to do on the weekends.
3) We also make our own rules for the most part...if the chapter charter has something in it that doesn't work any more, then we have the ability to change it. As greek life evolves, we can even change our rituals if we feel that something is no longer appropriate/ applicable. Obviously the college rules and our panhellenic counsel rules apply, but as far as inter-organizational governance, it's up to us.
4) Since our chapters are relatively small (largest is around 70, smallest is 17), there are tons of opportunities for leadership and change.

Negatives:
1) People think you aren't a "real" fraternity or a sorority. Whatever.
2) Everyone is in everyone else's buisness, it happens when you're in a tiny campus.
3) Reputations have a tendancy to stick and stick fast.
4) the college has a death grip on your charter, if you step out of line, you can be terminated. It has happened to several chapters over the years.

[moe.ron]

We are looking at starting Greek Life at my University.

Just a few questions:

1. What is the name of your University and for how long have you had Greek Life?

Buffalo State. Not sure, there was a SUNY wide ban on national fraternity and sorority in the 60s and 70s. The Rho chapter of Sigma Tau Gamma was just recolonized. As for the oldest when it come to continue existence, SigEp is the oldest, founded in 1979.

2. What is your student population and what percentage of students are involved in Greek Life?

Around 11,000 students. Not sure what the percentage is.

3. What is an average per semester cost for dues?

It depend. I'd say around $150 per semester.

4. How many fraternities/sororities do you have on your campus?

Sororities:
Alpha Epsilon Phi
Alpha Sigma Tau
Lambda Theta Alpha
Omega Phi Beta
Phi Sigma Sigma
Sigma Delta Tau
Sigma Lambda Upsilon

Fraternities:
Alpha Omega Zeta (co-ed)
Alpha Phi Alpha
Lambda Upsilon Lambda
Omega Psi Phi
Phi Kappa Tau
Phi Sigma Kappa
Sigma Delta Phi Epsilon
Sigma Lambda Beta
Sigma Phi Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon
Zeta Beta Tau

5. What type of rush do you have (deferred, formal, etc.)

Free for all for the NIC fraternity. No regulation whatsoever. For the NPC sororities, usual NPC stuff. Not sure about the others.

6. What are the positives/negatives of having Greek Life on your campus?

Giving a home away from home. Having a community in a school where 70% of the students are commuters. Unfortunately, nobody has a house.

Thank you so much for your time! It is much appreciated!
You're welcome.

[sigtau305]

Originally posted by Jill E.
We are looking at starting Greek Life at my University.

Just a few questions:

1. What is the name of your University and for how long have you had Greek Life?
2. What is your student population and what percentage of students are involved in Greek Life?
3. What is an average per semester cost for dues?
4. How many fraternities/sororities do you have on your campus?
5. What type of rush do you have (deferred, formal, etc.)
6. What are the positives/negatives of having Greek Life on your campus?

Thank you so much for your time! It is much appreciated!

1.) Cleveland State University. Greek Life has been around since the late 1920's - early 1930's

2.) As of Fall Semester 2004, the student Population is over 16,000. over 90% are Commuters. 3% are involved in Greek Life.

3.) it Various. somewhere between $150-$200.

4.) Fraternities:

Sigma Tau Gamma
Tau Kappa Epsilon
Delta Sigma Phi
Alpha Phi Alpha
Kappa Alpha Psi
Phi Beta Sigma

Sigma Phi Epsilon is trying to recolonize back on Campus. No official word yet.


Sororities:
Alpha Epsilon Phi
Theta Phi Alpha
Chi Delta Epsilon
Delta Sigma Theta
Sigma Gamma Rho
Zeta Phi Beta

5.) just straight up Rush.

6.) Positives:

Membership continues to go up. We're more visible to the CSU Community.

[nauadpi]

1. What is the name of your University and for how long have you had Greek Life?

Northern Arizona University

over 75 years

2. What is your student population and what percentage of students are involved in Greek Life?

about 3% of the men join fraternities and about 6% of the women join sororities... and the campus population is about 13,000 undergraduate students...

3. What is an average per semester cost for dues?

$275 / semester at least that is acording to the greek life website... I am not sure that is still true... That number might be a bit low, but not by much...

4. How many fraternities/sororities do you have on your campus?

recognized by the office of greek life are 14 Fraternities:

Alpha Tau Omega
Beta Sigma Epsilon
Delta Chi
Delta Tau Delta
Delta Upsilon
Kappa Alpha Order
Kappa Sigma
Omega Delta Phi
Phi Delta Theta
Pi Kappa Alpha
Phi Sigma Kappa
Sigma Chi
Sigma Nu
Sigma Phi Epsilon

and 8 sororities:

Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Omicron Pi
Chi Omega
Delta Delta Delta
Gamma Alpha Omega
Gamma Phi Beta
Kappa Delta Chi
Pi Beta Phi

5. What type of rush do you have (deferred, formal, etc.)

The fraternities have a recruitment in the fall and sometimes again in the spring... They usually will end up also inviting men to join year round...

The sororities have a formal recruitment in the fall before classes start. Then an informal recruitment in the spring. In addition, some of the chapters hold COR year round...

6. What are the positives/negatives of having Greek Life on your campus?

Greek Life numbers at NAU have been increasing over the past two years, which has been very encouraging. Also greeks have been trying to educate students on the activities that go on in greek life, especially community service. The negatives on this campus are based off the fact that it is a pretty anti-greek campus. Much of the administration would be much more interested in using the greek res hall for something else, but Greek Life has tried to hold strong and work together to not let that happen.

[GammaGirl1219]

1. What is the name of your University and for how long have you had Greek Life?

La Salle University; we were the first npc sorority on campus 21 years ago, the first frat was founded on campus in 1935 (we use to be a all male school)

2. What is your student population and what percentage of students are involved in Greek Life?
About 5,500 are enrolled We are a small (but fun) school
About 6% of men and 13% of women joind greek life
3. What is an average per semester cost for dues?

I think the average is somewhere around $150, but im not to sure what the frats or local pay

4. How many fraternities/sororities do you have on your campus?

3 NPC
1 local sorority
4 Fraternities
1 Local
2 underground Frats
1 Frat colony
1 service "co-ed" sorority
1 Multi cultural sorority

5. What type of rush do you have (deferred, formal, etc.)

ok we have formal recruitment in the spring for sororities ( you cant pledge until second semester freshman year) and informal in the fall BUT only the three NPC and 1 local sorority participate. the Fraternities and the service sorority do rush the next week and the multi cultural does there own thing.

6. What are the positives/negatives of having Greek Life on your campus?

Positives :
1) Our campus in general is really active, which leads to really active greek life.
2) Dues are affordable for almost everyone especially in the sororities because we dont have houses. Since the campus is small, it gives you something to do on the weekends.
3) Since it is such a small school you do get to meet a bunch of people and since our largest pledge classes are like 14 and we have caps on our sororites we have a really tight knit greek system
Negatives:
1) Greek housing is considered off campus so there are alot of problems with locals and landlords and they are very spread out which is less safe.
2) Everyone is in everyone else's buisness, it happens when you're in a tiny campus.
3) Reputations have a tendancy to stick and stick fast.
4) Our school doesnt particularly like greek life even thought many of us are leaders in other organizations and do help to benifit the school in many ways Even thought our greek advisor is a founding brother on campus.

[KSUViolet06]

I replied to the e-mail you sent to the Yahoo group

[epsilon99]

Originally posted by Jill E.
We are looking at starting Greek Life at my University.

Just a few questions:

1. What is the name of your University and for how long have you had Greek Life? about 150 years
2. What is your student population and what percentage of students are involved in Greek Life? 2000, 20%
3. What is an average per semester cost for dues? $750(not including meals)
4. How many fraternities/sororities do you have on your campus? about 10
5. What type of rush do you have (deferred, formal, etc.) formal
6. What are the positives/negatives of having Greek Life on your campus? it is the primary venue for on campus social events, we also do community service, and host campus wide lecture series.

Thank you so much for your time! It is much appreciated!

[GCrose34]

1. What is the name of your University and for how long have you had Greek Life?
Greensboro College since 1999

2. What is your student population and what percentage of students are involved in Greek Life?
1300 students including adult ed. 20% greek

3. What is an average per semester cost for dues?
$200

4. How many fraternities/sororities do you have on your campus? 3 local greek interest groups Theta Xi Colony and Alpha Xi Delta

5. What type of rush do you have (deferred, formal, etc.)
formal

6. What are the positives/negatives of having Greek Life on your campus? there is more campus involvement, community service, more campus integration, more campus events

[goldendelta]

1. What is the name of your University and for how long have you had Greek Life?

Adelphi University (Garden City, NY). The first NPC sorority at AU was Kappa Kappa Gamma and chartered in 1905, so 100 years in 2005! Sadly KKG is no longer active at AU, the oldest chapter on campus is Delta Gamma and they chartered in 1908. However, I think that there were locals before that. Adelphi was all-women until after WWII so Fraternities would have chartered in the mid-1940s, but they don't last long.

2. What is your student population and what percentage of students are involved in Greek Life?

According to the website, there are 3,428 full time students, but those stats are from 2003, I know that the current freshmen class was much larger than in recent years. Greek life is only about 10% maybe less, but is growing ever year.

3. What is an average per semester cost for dues?

About $200 for initiated members and $400 for new members

4. How many fraternities/sororities do you have on your campus?

1 fraternity (Sigma Alpha Mu)
1 fraternity colony (Kappa Sigma)
4 NPC sororities (AEPhi, Tri Delta, DG, SDT)
1 NPHC trying to recolonize (Delta Sigma Theta)
1 multicultural sorority (Sigma Iota Alpha)


5. What type of rush do you have (deferred, formal, etc.)

We hold semi-formal rush both semesters, but freshmen can only be extended bids in the spring.

6. What are the positives/negatives of having Greek Life on your campus?

Positives - networking, giving students something to do on campus, team-building
Negativies - the usual stereotypes, rumors, the sororities can be very competitive

Hope this helps!

[AlethiaSi]

1. What is the name of your University and for how long have you had Greek Life?

SUNY Cortland and we've had greek life... i believe since the college started... it was originally a women's teaching college since like 18-something- we used to have arethusa (spelling?) and a few other groups that have died off- we're the only sorority that has stayed alive for going on 77 years

2. What is your student population and what percentage of students are involved in Greek Life?

we have about 6000 give or take- and i'd say only like 10% maybe?

3. What is an average per semester cost for dues?
$200 - 160 in dues and like 40 if we pay extra for shirts or something

4. How many fraternities/sororities do you have on your campus?

5 sororities:

nu sigma chi
alpha phi
delta phi epsilon
sigma delta tau
phi sigma sigma

2 recognized fraternities
pi kappa phi
omega delta phi

we also have 2 unrecognized- delta kappa beta, and beta phi epsilon... we also have tau kappa epsilon and pi lambda phi which also aren't recognized- but i THINK they are national....

5. What type of rush do you have (deferred, formal, etc.)
informal in the fall and formal in the spring... we get most of the girls (this goes for all sororities pretty much) through COB

6. What are the positives/negatives of having Greek Life on your campus?
positives: active community role, get to know people better, different activities (greek week- certain events- like we hold something called ugly man- which is like homecoming king- but they money goes to our philanthropy- american cancer society- and pi kapp does queen of the roses in the spring and the proceeds go to their phil. PUSH)

negatives: sororities often bicker and try to get each other in trouble... fraternities fight each other over long standing issues... some other things...

but... all in all- if you love your organization- then you tend to overlook the negatives... its just apart of greek life here unfortunately...

hope this helps... what is the info being used for? jw

[alphaalpha]

Just curious Jill E.
what school are you from?

[AEPhiSierra]

1. What is the name of your University and for how long have you had Greek Life?
Brooklyn College of CUNY (City University of New York). We have had Greeks since our school was found in the 1930's. For a 10-15 year period Greek Life was forbidden by CUNY but it made a comeback in the late 80's/early 90's.

2. What is your student population and what percentage of students are involved in Greek Life?
According to Princeton Review.com 2% of the 10,500 students are involved in Greek Life but a big chunk of 10,500 are part time and adult students.

3. What is an average per semester cost for dues?
Not sure about the fraternities but active dues for National Sororities range from $125 to a little over $200. I believe the locals are between $50-90

4. How many fraternities/sororities do you have on your campus?
4 NIC Fraternities - Sigma Alpha Mu, Alpha Epsilon Pi, Alpha Phi Delta, Zeta Beta Tau)
1 Regional Multicultural - Phi Sigma Chi (not officially recognized now b/c of a low numbers but they are making a comeback from what I have heard)
1 NPHC Citywide (I think) - Alpha Phi Alpha
3 National Sororities (Alpha Epsilon Phi, Alpha Xi Delta, Sigma Delta Tau)
3 Local Sororities - Alpha Sigma, Kappa Phi Chi, Gamma Beta Delta
2 NPHC Citywide (I think) - Zeta Phi Beta, Alpha Kappa Alpha

5. What type of rush do you have (deferred, formal, etc.)
The national sororities do formal rush together in the fall and COB in the Spring. The locals each rush independantly with a format similar to COB. Fraternities do typical fraternity recruitment in Fall and Spring.

6. What are the positives/negatives of having Greek Life on your campus?
We are very active on a campus where most people don't do any activities - everyone knows the greek hang outs. Its a commuter school so recruitment is hard but we tend to pledge alot of friends and friends of friends we know from outside school. We have a Greek Advisor but minimal school support either for or against us.

[Jill E.]

Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to answer my multiple questions! I appreciate the support.

I am using the information to go to a proposal to our administration regarding the possibility of bringing Greek Life to our campus.

[Corsulian]

I responded through email, but decided to post as well just for...well cuz I'm bored

1. For how long have you had Greek Life?

George Mason University has had Greek Life since 1970.

2. What is your student population and what percentage of students are involved in Greek Life?

George Mason University has around 30,000 students (but our full-time undergraduate enrollment is about half that, with around 4,500 living on campus). Total Greek Life-involved students probably make up around 6% of the undergraduate population.

3. What is an average per semester cost for dues?

Between $250 and $500 would probably be accurate.

4. How many fraternities/sororities do you have on your campus?

We have ten IFC-recognized Fraternities, three NPHC-recognized Fraternities, and four "underground" Fraternities. There are six PHC-recognized Sororities, four NPHC, and a handful of MGC (Multi-Cultural Greek Council) ones.

5. What type of rush do you have (deferred, formal, etc.)

Fraternities have an agreed-upon week for rush and bids must be handed out on a certain day. Sororities have formal recruitment in Fall, and informal in Spring.

6. What are the positives/negatives of having Greek Life on your
campus?

GMU was once a commuter school considered a slight step up from the Northern Virginia Community College system. We're now considered the most diverse university in the country, our economics program is headed by a Nobel Prize Winner, our Law School is 26th in the nation, and our English Program has been rated as third in the nation. The newer dorms on campus (most have been built in the last 5 years) are state-of-art and among the most expensive dorms to live in for this whole state. Basically, GMU is on its way.
In the mean time, GMU is still located in the heart of the city of Fairfax, Virginia--where a two-bedroom townhouse can easily be $180,000. The land costs are too great for a realistic Greek Row to be considered, so any housing is generally not too spectacular as they must be located far from campus and these houses are often very run-down to be afforded by our organizations.
While our Greek Life might not seem to have so many living advantages (although one sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi, is in its second year piloting the idea of a Greek organization 'having' a floor in one of our older dorms), it is really one of the only ways to really enjoy this college. Put simply, we're in the middle of a very suburban and very policed city. Night life is minimal, and there really are no parties other than those at Fraternity houses. Most people not involved in Greek life tend to regret their decision to come here as it is still a heavily-commuter school. In truth, we have tons of organizations and there is always something going on--but Greek Life is the main deal.

Our Greek Life is split into a couple groups:
IFC: Inter Fraternity Council, dealing with social Fraternities
PHC: Pan Hellenic Council, dealing with social Sororities
NPHC: National Pan Hellenic Conference, dealing with all historically-black Sororities and Fraternities
MGC: Multicultural Greek Council, for Latin/Asian/Multicultural Greek organizations
Unrecognized: we have a number of underground groups that either have been revoked of their official charter, are trying to become recognized, or some just aren't interested in being recognized and like being underground