Becoming registered

[OmegaPDPrez]

MY school does not allow local organizations to be registered.

Can we call it a sorority even though the school wont grant registration as a sorority?

This is important b/c I feel like since there is a pledge process and a sisterhood is built then sorority is proper name to fit the organization.

I guess the question could also be stated would any of you consider a non-registerd organization, that is well organized, as a sorority?

[PiRhoPres]

I know exactly how you feel. It's next to impossible to get registered as a local at my school as well. We are working now with getting registered with the activities office rather then with the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs. You could try doing that, they seem more helpfull.

[OmegaPDPrez]

I actually just thought of that as i was posting last night... its just when i recruit i want PNM to understand that sisterhood isn't made through a paper form, but rather the bonding that will happen throughout pledging... I dont mind being recoginzed as a stu_org as long as I am able to recruit and hold meetings on campus... Where is your school located?
I am in Pennsylvania

[aopirose]

Find out specifically what the objection is and then figure out how to overcome the objection. Many schools do not allow local organizations because it is felt that there is no oversight and no valuable programming. There are also insurance issues as it can be difficult for a local to obtain liability insurance. Many schools require a minimum of a $1 million policy.

As far as going the Student Activities route vs. the Greek Affairs route, that is understandable and it might work. However, if you do go that route, you might not be able to remain a single-sex organization. Some schools have policies that organizations under Student Activities must not exclude based on gender. You all just need to review your schools policies and talk with the administration.

Good luck!

[OmegaPDPrez]

Originally Posted by aopirose

Find out specifically what the objection is and then figure out how to overcome the objection.


Good luck!

Well the policy is clearly stated in our student organization handbook that local organizations are not granted registration status at the university. So since i cant change that I'd like to register as a student organization. But I was wondering if that meant my organization can no longer be called a sorority. It's important for me to establish this organization because I believe the sisterhood associated with it can not be attained in any other manner. I am just wondering what other people think about groups who address themselves as Greek even tho they are not registerd as Greek.

[aopirose]

What are the requirements to register a student organization? Does your handbook outline those procedures? Will you have to allow men?

Also, as for calling yourselves a sorority, I don’t see why that is a problem even if you can’t be registered through Greek Affairs. Your university might though. Is that how OPD is incorporated?

[OmegaPDPrez]

Originally Posted by aopirose

What are the requirements to register a student organization? Does your handbook outline those procedures? Will you have to allow men?

Also, as for calling yourselves a sorority, I don’t see why that is a problem even if you can’t be registered through Greek Affairs. Your university might though. Is that how OPD is incorporated?

The only difference to register a student org than a sorority is that the sorority must have a national HQ, for i suppose insurance reasons...
Everything else is exactly the same except registered sororities get to be on the IFSC board. ( this is not that important to me) and i will let any interested members know that we are not a part of the IFSC. The handbook outlines the same procedures for both types of groups: faculty advisory, and constitution. The sorority tho, has to have a representative of a national come to the school and its just a waaaay bigger process than needed.
im not exactly sure what you meant by incorporated. At this moment I am open to establishing a brother hood within my org. if the univ. tells me that i am not allowed to discriminate based on sex. My org. was founded to create a diverse sisterhood among my campus. Because it is more difficult, and more costly, to bring an already established org here, i created one with one of my closest friends. I sent a new email to our office of student orgs to see meet with him and disscuss the possibility of allowing my org to begin recruitment on campus as just a student org. but i will continue to refer to my org as a sorority.

[BlueEyedButrfly]

My college has no greek council or anything so my local had to register as a student organization. We are allowed to call ourselves a sorority, it's listed on the college's website that way. We can discriminate based on sex and also have gpa requirement that must be met. Due to these two things we are not able to be funded by the school...but hey, that's what dues and fundraising are for.

[OmegaPDPrez]

Well I just emailed our community coordinator ( the people who handle new orgs) and hopefully he will allow me to at least register as a student organization. I dont think he would deny it, but would he have any reason to?
I'm already asking women on my campus about their interest in my sorority and so far ive gotten positive responses, except for being registerd.
I am looking foward to recruitment and I must say that those crown wearing Sigma ladies are inspiring me everytime i read a post!

[PiRhoPres]

We are located at Rutgers University in New Jersey, however I am from Philadelphia. What school are you from. I know a good amount of PA school, granted there are hundreds.

[OmegaPDPrez]

LaSalle

[OmegaPDPrez]

So today i got an email back for the head of student orgs. and he likes my organization... but since it incoporates sisterhood it constitues as a local sorority and that is just not allowed. i still have a meeting with him next week. but i dont know what kind of compromise we are going to come up with. While my organization could do very well as just a club, it is the sisterhood that is important to the campus because what we have here just wont do! ugh, i hope i think of something

[Yami_Cassie]

These are questions that you need to bring to your Student Life and Activities office on your own. Each school has a different policy and you will need to speak to someone in person for details on what you can and cannot do. Actually our local is registered as an organization and there is a specific list of things we can't do.

I was really surprised they let us register as a Sorority, but your school will probably not let you exclude on the basis of gender, just to give you a heads up. Also your ability to Rush or Pledge people might be taken away.

However, if you aren't very interested in being a particularly exclusive sorority then the SAC will offer you *much* more freedom than registering with Sorority and Fraternity Life. As I said before, we can't answer these questions for you because it varies from school to school.

Make sure that if they tell you that you can use terms like Sorority, that you get this in writing. Check to see if other organizations are listed as Sorority also.

[OmegaPDPrez]

I actually have no questions. Just major concerns. My organization is not one for people to just walk into. I took a lot of time to develop our intake process (since all interests get invited to join)
and i've included both genders into the constitution... "While this organization was founded for women, we will not decline membership to any interested member based on gender..." Here at LaSalle both student affairs and our greek life is run by the same man. I am hoping he will allow me to register under the greek name of my sorority, even if i am unable to call it a sorority under university terms.
My meeting is tomorrow, Wish me luck!

[Yami_Cassie]

One of the ways we kept our name as a sorority was that we had to register as a "co-ed" sorority. If they decline your sorority title, ask them if they would let you keep it if you included the phrase "co-ed".