Sorority for Graduate students-what do you think?

DGWannabe · #1 10-01-2002, 04:05 PM

OK! I am new to CG so i am not sure how ya'll will respond to this. I am about to go to graduate school and I was thinking about starting a sorority for grad women. I think grad. school is pretty demanding and that there is a need for a "support" system. I think a lot of women in grad school feel separate and different from undergrads. we are usually on our own, more responsibility etc.(speaking from personal experience/observation only-no offense)ANYHOO- I also know many women aren't able to go greek in undergrad due to a variety of reasons(finances, time etc.)Is there anyone out there who is in grad school/will be in grad school who thiks they'd like something like this? I know there are alumni groups for people who are already members of GLO's, but some women weren't in a GLO or maybe there GLO isn't on campus/in that area. Anyway-let me kow what you think.

phisigscooby · #2 10-01-2002, 04:15 PM

I'm a grad student. I was recently initiated into Phi Sigma Sigma Iota Gamma Chapter (we rock!!!)

Phi Sig is one of the only NPC organizations that initiates graduate students into its collegiate chapters.

It's a really great experience. As you said, some of us were unable to experience Greek life as undergrads for various reasons and our lives are sometimes a little more "complicated" for lack of a better word.

Not only am a graduate student, I am a returning student (I'm the old lady of the group), I have a full time job and a husband.

Phi Sig is important to me so I make the time. There are many days when I'm so exhausted that I can hardly see straight. But the sorority picks me up and I'm ready to go.

My sisters are really wonderful.

I encourage anyone who wants to be part of Greek Life regardless of age or education level to just do it. You will not regret it.

As a graduate student I think I set an example for my younger undergrad students. It shows them that they can still be part of the sorority and be active.

I hope this helps. Go for it. Start that group. If there are Phi Sigs at your school, check us out.

FuzzieAlum · #3 10-01-2002, 04:35 PM

There are a lot of "professional fraternities" out there, some of which are grad student only (dental and law) and some of which include undergrads (econ and business). These aren't honor societies - they're rather social, they may even have houses, but they have a definite focus on the advancement of their particular discipline. However, they are co-ed, unlike the majority of social fraternities and sororities. And membership does not conflict with membership in an NPC, NIC or NPHC group.

I've often wondered why there are professional fraternities for some disciplines and not others. Why not one for public affairs and policy? Why not one for liberal arts? Engineering? Etc.

If that's the sort of thing you're looking at starting, there would be a lot of takers.

If you're looking for plain, general sorority membership, you can initiate as an alumnae. However, life as a member of an alum group sounds rather different than what you are describing. You won't be surrounded by other grad students, for example. And while initiation into a collegiate chapter could be terrific, only Phi Sig offers it (I believe), and there you would be surrounded by undergrads, and it sounds like that's not what you want, either. And while if you want to form a social sorority for grad students only, I would say go for it - I'm not sure how many takers there would be. Many women who didn't go Greek as undergrads still don't want to in grad school, and women who are already Greek might be afraid it would conflict with membership in their org.

However, there is precedent here as well. Women who are members of NPC orgs also join non-academic sororities for adult women such as Beta Sigma Phi, Psi-Ote and Tri-Kappa. (You could even start a grad-student specific chapter of Beta - since they do have a couple of collegiate chapters, they might very well be open to the idea.)

In sum, you have several options, ranging from joining an existing group to starting your own. I would examine closely what it is you want out of the experience and choose accordingly.

DGWannabe · #4 10-01-2002, 04:43 PM

edited b/c it was long & a few people misinterpreted it. Sorry.

RockChalk · #5 10-01-2002, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by FuzzieAlum
I've often wondered why there are professional fraternities for some disciplines and not others. Why not one for public affairs and policy? Why not one for liberal arts? Engineering? Etc.

There is a professional fraternity for engineering majors. It's called Theta Tau. http://www.thetatau.org

Edited to add that I think a sorority for grad students is a hella good idea.

SoTrue1920 · #6 10-01-2002, 06:28 PM

I think it's a wonderful idea, too! Even though I'm in a graduate program that's a predominately female field, I think a sorority for graduate students would fill a much-needed niche. Plus, you can't beat the experience of having different women from different disciplines united together under a singular cause.

erica812 · #7 10-01-2002, 07:32 PM

I am a graduate student, and I am in the process of founding a chapter of Beta Sigma Phi International Sorority. There are no age or educational requirements on membership, so Beta is a perfect match for many graduate students.

Take a look:
www.betasigmaphi.org

Erica

SoTrue1920 · #8 10-02-2002, 08:39 PM

I went to the University library this afternoon and dug out an *ancient* copy of Baird's Manual and found some information about Phi Delta Gamma. It was founded at the University of Maryland in 1923 as an organization for women graduate students, but by the looks of it, the organization is now co-ed. They don't seem to have a national website, but the chapter at CSULB has a page here: http://www.csulb.edu/aux/alumni/chapters/phideltagamma/

DGWannabe · #9 10-02-2002, 09:20 PM

Were you intiated as an alum through the chapter b/c your a grad student or did they initiate you as an active member even though you're a grad student. If they initiate grad students-that hella cool! I think more groups should do that. I mean it's hopeless for me, but I think grad students should be able to rush and pledge and be a part of a chapter like everyone else. At least you know the grad students are gonna have good grades!!!

Quote:

Originally posted by phisigscooby
I'm a grad student. I was recently initiated into Phi Sigma Sigma Iota Gamma Chapter (we rock!!!)

Phi Sig is one of the only NPC organizations that initiates graduate students into its collegiate chapters.

It's a really great experience. As you said, some of us were unable to experience Greek life as undergrads for various reasons and our lives are sometimes a little more "complicated" for lack of a better word.

Not only am a graduate student, I am a returning student (I'm the old lady of the group), I have a full time job and a husband.

Phi Sig is important to me so I make the time. There are many days when I'm so exhausted that I can hardly see straight. But the sorority picks me up and I'm ready to go.

My sisters are really wonderful.

I encourage anyone who wants to be part of Greek Life regardless of age or education level to just do it. You will not regret it.

As a graduate student I think I set an example for my younger undergrad students. It shows them that they can still be part of the sorority and be active.

I hope this helps. Go for it. Start that group. If there are Phi Sigs at your school, check us out.

phisigduchesscv · #10 10-03-2002, 02:14 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DGWannabe
Were you intiated as an alum through the chapter b/c your a grad student or did they initiate you as an active member even though you're a grad student. If they initiate grad students-that hella cool! I think more groups should do that. I mean it's hopeless for me, but I think grad students should be able to rush and pledge and be a part of a chapter like everyone else. At least you know the grad students are gonna have good grades!!!

HI There DGWannabe,

I am a sister of PhiSigScooby's and also a graduate student at CSU Dominguez Hills. We were both initiated as active members of Phi Sigma Sigma as graduate students. In fact, I was a founding member of my chapter as a 30 something grad student. There were a few other grad students that founded with me. We seem to get a few interested grad students each recruitment period and they have been valuable additons to the chapter.

What I've come across from undergrad collegians about grad students is the concern we may not have enough time to devote to the chapter. What I always tell them is that as a grad student I have learned to prioritize really well and Phi Sig is one of my priorities. In fact besides being a founding sister, I was the founding Membership Orientation Chairperson, and last year I as the Archon of our chapter.

I sincerely hope that more Sororities will realize the valuable contribution that Grad Students can make to their sorority. I am so glad Phi Sig realizes it and came to CSUDH to colonize. This has been the best experience of my college life - either undergrad or grad.

Carolyn

gphiangel624 · #11 10-03-2002, 02:34 AM

I believe any NPC chapter can initiate women who are graduate students, so long as they have never been initiated into another NPC organization. But I'm not 100% sure on that. I'm sure my chapter did, in 1998, we had a member who was 28 years old, had a husband and two children and she was an active... also a grad. student I believe. More often than not, grad students will take the alum. initiation route, but I believe it is possible.

On another note, most student organizations "should" be able to accept graduate students into their organizations. I know this is the case at UCR, because I work for Student Life and Leadership which takes charge of all student orgs, and most Student Affairs/Clubs/Orgs offices nation-wide hold the same procedures as my office does: if your organization has at least 1/2 of its members (must have 10 members at least) as undergrad students, enrolled full time and off AP, there is NO problem with registering that student organization...

Ok, there's my little piece of advice for the day!

navane · #12 10-03-2002, 01:04 PM

Of course, being a graduate student who had to miss out on Greek life as an undergrad, I would be interested in something like that.

Is the sorority your suggesting ONLY for grad students? With that said, I would be concerned about not having many members. After all, grad students are more like to have jobs, spouses, kids, thesis papers, research etc and not want to be involved with a sorority. Maybe you could start a new sorority which accepts both grad and undergrad?

......Kelly

aephi alum · #13 10-03-2002, 01:26 PM

I think it could be done.

Kelly makes a good point about grad students often having thesis, TA or RA positions, jobs, spouses, and kids to think about... If you found a way to create a sorority with a lower time commitment than a typical NPC sorority requires of its active sisters, it could fly. Say, chapter meetings every 2 weeks instead of every week; several small charity fundraisers instead of one big one (each sister can participate in each fundraiser as she is able instead of stressing because the sorority's one big charity event is at the same time her thesis is due); etc. In other words, fewer hours that you "must" devote to the sorority, but just as many opportunities to "choose" to devote your time and energy.

Good luck

DGWannabe · #14 10-03-2002, 04:29 PM

Just to adress the idea that most NPC should allow Grad. women to rush & pledge-they don't. But that very well may be a chapter by chapter or University decision. Many websites for sororities will say things like "...all undergrad women with a GPA of 2.0 and are regulary matriculated can rush...". But at my old school we had a sliding rule scale, if you weren't a full time student you had to have a better GPA than a full time student. That way the sororities weren't filled with people who were only taking 1 class or whatever.
I am currently investigating Beta Sigma Phi-as someone kindly suggested and Theta Nu Xi multicultural sorority. The are not NPC so they may take other members of other groups.I kind of like the philosphy of both! Oh-and I would not limit membership (if I start this!) to just grad students. I'd never do that to someone else. If I start a chapter of something, I'd let personality and character and things like that be the determining factors, not superficial stuff. I hope I would anyway.I guess no ones perfect. ANYWAY-Thanks for the encouragment!

FuzzieAlum · #15 10-03-2002, 04:40 PM

I just want to say - ONE is a terrific organization! However, if you go with them, women who are NPC or NPHC members will not join. There may not be a rule barring it, but they regard ONE as a similar organization to theirs so that the spirit of the rules bars it. (Just like there is no rule preventing an NPC member from joining an NPHC org but both groups frown upon it.) I don't know if that is a huge consideration or not, though. I'm sure you'll find something that will work for you.