Married women can't join sororities???

[aephi alum]

I was reading through some of the older posts on this board the other day, and I came across a few that bothered me. If I'm reading them correctly ~ married women, in general, are not allowed to join NPC sororities. If you get engaged or married while an active member, you can remain as an active member, but you can't join as a new member if you're married.

As I understand it from these posts, the problem is time. Academics, as we all know, should be a college student's top priority. Second priority might be a job, followed by a sorority or fraternity, followed by other activities.

What I don't understand, is why the determination seems to have been pre-made that a married woman can't manage her time well enough to spend time on her studies, with her sorority, and with her husband. Having a husband doesn't require a vastly different time commitment, in terms of number of hours per week, than having a boyfriend or fiance. If anything, being engaged requires the most time, because you're planning a wedding in the midst of everything else.

So I'm a little confused as to why potential new members would be excluded simply because of their marital status.

I'd also like to know if any fraternities exclude married men on similar grounds. I gather that NPHC groups do not have this rule, is that correct?

I'm just curious ~ it sounds like a silly reason to exclude potentially great sisters...